Radicon

A prescription medication called ranitidine is used to treat stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as to stop the recurrence of ulcers that have already healed in the intestines. Radicon is the medicine with the active ingredient, ranitidine. It is manufactured by Radicon Laboratories Ltd.

Radicon falls under the class of Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonist. This class of medicine works by decreasing the production of acid in the stomach. When ranitidine is stored at high temperatures and over time, the amount of a cancer-causing impurity that is present in many ranitidine medications may rise to unacceptable levels. The FDA has consequently requested that all producers of ranitidine take this medication off the market in the United States.

In this article, we will discuss the medicine, its uses, side effects, dose, and method of consumption. We would also explain the important drug interactions and contraindications of the medicine.

What is Radicon?

Radicon is a prescription medicine based on the histamine-2 receptor antagonist, ranitidine. It works by decreasing the production of acid in the stomach.

Ranitidine is prescribed to treat conditions where the stomach secretes too much acid, like Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, as well as gastric and intestinal ulcers. It is also used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which causes heartburn and damages the esophagus when stomach acid flows backward. Ranitidine, available over-the-counter, is used to prevent and treat heartburn symptoms brought on by acid reflux and a sour stomach. [1]

How to Use Radicon?

Depending on the dosage, it may be taken twice a day, three times a day, or once a day at bedtime. Typically, it is taken once or twice per day. It is taken 30 to 60 minutes before consuming foods or beverages that cause heartburn to prevent symptoms.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to clarify any instructions on your prescription or package label that you do not understand, and carefully follow them. Administer ranitidine exactly as prescribed.

Unless your doctor instructs you to, don’t take over-the-counter ranitidine for more than two weeks. Ranitidine should be stopped and a doctor should be contacted if heartburn, acid indigestion, or sour stomach symptoms persist for more than two weeks.

What is the Dose of Radicon?

Radicon is available in the form of syrup, tablets, and injections. The syrup form available is 150 mg/10 ml. The recommended dose for syrup is 10 mL twice daily or 20 mL once a day at bedtime.

The tablet form of Radicon is available in doses of 150 mg and 300 mg. The recommended dose for the drug is 300 mg a day.[2]

The injection form is available at a dose of 25 mg/ml. The recommended dose in injection form is 50 mg ( 2 ml ) bolus followed by 50 mg every 6-8 hours. The maximum dose is 400 mg per day. The injection form is also used in the form of infusion therapy.

Radicon is typically taken for 4 weeks to treat stomach ulcers, 4 to 8 weeks to treat stomach ulcers brought on by taking NSAIDs, 2 weeks to treat the digestive disorder gastroesophageal reflux disease, and 8 to 12 weeks to treat oesophagitis, an inflammation of the food pipe. Radicon is not found to be associated with habit formation.

How much does Radicon cost?

The cost of Radicon is around $0.05 per pill. You can get the generic form of this medicine even cheaper.

The History of Radicon

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a major pharmaceutical company, made the discovery of ranitidine in England in 1976, and it was put to use commercially in 1981. It is included in the WHO’s list of essential medications and is available as a generic medication.

Ranitidine products from several manufacturers were recalled in September 2019 after the probable carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was found in them. It was taken off the market in the United States in April 2020 and put on hold in Australia and Europe.

Ranitidine active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) supplier Solara Active Pharma Sciences announced on January 1, 2021, that it had reduced the dangers of NDMA formation during the production of ranitidine. The API complies with European regulations, as evidenced by the company’s receipt of a revised certificate from the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare.

What is the use of Radicon?

Radicon is useful for the treatment of a variety of conditions associated with the increased production of acid in the stomach. Some of the conditions in which Radicon can be beneficial include:

Stomach Ulcers: Radicon can be used for short-term treatment of gastric and intestinal ulcers and also for maintenance after the ulcers are healed.
Relief of the symptoms associated with indigestion and heartburn.
Hypersecretory syndromes: Conditions in which the stomach secretes excessive acid like Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and systemic mastocytosis[3]
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): a condition in which there is a backflow of acid into the stomach leading to heartburn.
Esophagitis: Esophagitis is defined as the inflammation of the food pipe. Radicon is also used for the maintenance of healing esophagitis.
Prevention of gastritis and stomach ulcers associated with NSAIDs, infections, and postoperative conditions
Prevention of gastrointestinal bleeding associated with stress ulcers and bleeding stomach ulcers.
Minimize the risk of aspiration of stomach contents during pregnancy before administering anesthesia
Children’s food pipe inflammation and stomach acid reflux symptoms.
In patients with active or less harmful stomach ulcers, a condition in which the stomach produces more acid and inflammation of the food pipe, Radicon Tablet is used in conjunction with antacids to relieve pain.

Radicon Safety and Side Effects

Before the withdrawal of the drug, it was considered to be well tolerated and safe medicine. There are a few common side effects that are usually short-lived and resolved on their own. Consult your doctor if these are prolonged or severe.

Nausea
Vomiting
Constipation
Diarrhea
Stomach Pain
Headache

However, there are a few side effects that you need to be aware of. If you develop any of these, stop taking your medicine and consult your doctor:

Dark urine
Jaundice (yellow discoloration of the skin)
Fever with chills and rigors
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Cough with phlegm
Change in heart rate (increased or decreased heart rate)
Easy bleeding, bruises, heavy menstrual bleeding
Hair fall
Confusion
Anemia
Dizziness
Symptoms of allergy such as hives, itching, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, or throat, and hoarse voice.
Muscle pain or joint pain
Severe epigastric pain, suggestive of pancreatitis.

Radicon Interactions with Drugs

Combining two or more medications can alter how they work and increase the chance of side effects. Some interactions can also decrease the effectiveness of either medicine.

You need to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the medicines that you are taking including over-the-counter medications, supplements, and herbal medicines. You should take advice from your doctor before starting, stopping, or changing the dose of medicine.

Gefitinib

It is the medicine used in cancer treatment. Radicon reduces its absorption, resulting in decreased availability in the blood. As a result, the medicine can be ineffective for cancer treatment.

Warfarin

Patients who take Radicon along with warfarin should closely monitor any changes in their prothrombin time. It can either increase the risk of bleeding or increase the risk of clot formation.

Procainamide

Radicon can increase the level of procainamide in the blood by reducing its excretion from the kidneys, increasing its side effects.

Cytochrome P-450 Enzymes

Radicon and cytochrome P-450 interactions could alter a drug’s bioavailability. Radicon does not interfere with the liver’s cytochrome P-450 enzymes when used at the recommended doses. Radicon does not enhance the effects of drugs like lidocaine, diazepam, propranolol, phenytoin, and theophylline that are inactivated by P-450 enzyme systems when used at usual therapeutic doses.

Atazanavir and Delavirdine

When combining this medication with the HIV/AIDS medications atazanavir and delavirdine, specific guidelines must be followed. Atazanavir and delavirdine may not be absorbed as intended as Radicon alters the pH of the stomach.

Midazolam

Radicon increases the absorption of midazolam when used together. Therefore, patients must be watched for signs of excessive sedation when these two medicines are used together.

Triazolam

Triazolam is used as a central nervous system depressant. When Triazolam is taken with Radicon, its concentration rises in the blood, causing prolonged sedation.

Sucralfate

When combining this medication with sucralfate, which is used to treat stomach ulcers, specific instructions must be followed. The absorption of Radicon is lowered when used with sucralfate. Sucralfate must be taken at least two hours after Radicon.

Ketoconazole

There may be an interaction between Radicon and ketoconazole, which is used to treat fungal infections. When given along with an oral dose of Radicon, ketoconazole absorption was decreased by up to 95%. Thus, it cannot act as an effective antifungal drug.

Glipizide

Radicon tablets may interact with glipizide, which is used to treat high blood sugar (diabetes). Radicon increases the absorption of glipizide, increasing its toxicity.

Who Should Avoid Using Radicon?

The history of allergy to Radicon is the contraindication for Radicon and it should be avoided in the condition.

You need to tell your doctor about the following condition before consuming Radicon:

Phenylketonuria
Acute porphyria
Diabetes mellitus
Kidney disease
Liver disease
Chronic lung disease

A few population groups who need to be cautious before taking Radicon include:

Pregnancy: Radicon should only be administered to patients who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant when necessary. Radicon should only be used if it is determined to be crucial during pregnancy because it is known to cross the placenta.
Breastfeeding: Radicon tablets should only be taken while nursing when necessary. Radicon may enter breast milk, so caution is advised.
Alcohol: Alcohol consumption should be avoided while using Radicon.
Certain occupations/activities: You can feel sleepy while taking Radicon. So, be cautious, especially when operating heavy equipment, driving, or performing any other activity that necessitates your complete attention.

How Does Radicon Work?

In the parietal cells of the stomach, there are histamine (H2) receptors, which stimulate acid secretion. Ranitidine binds to the H2 receptors and competitively blocks the binding of histamine to H2 receptors, inhibiting gastric acid secretion.

Thus, by preventing gastric acid secretion, Radicon is used for the treatment of conditions associated with increased acid secretion.

Radicon Alternative

Radicon is one of several brands available based on ranitidine.

Some of the pharmacological alternatives to Radicon used for the treatment of increased acid secretion are:

Pantoprazole
Rabeprazole
Omeprazole
Esomeprazole
Lansoprazole
Cimetidine
Antacids like aluminium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide
Sucralfate

These are some of the natural alternatives for conditions associated with increased acid secretion. These alternatives are not studied enough to replace pharmaceutical alternatives. However, following a healthy diet with a high percentage of fruits and vegetables and low salt is helpful.

Flavonoids such as soybeans, legumes, red grapes, kale, broccoli, apples, and berries. Flavonoids are gastroprotective and line the stomach to protect it from acid.
Liquorice: Licorice can inhibit the growth of H. pylori
Probiotics like yoghurt and kimchi. These products can also decrease the growth of H. pylori and promote good bacteria.
Honey
Garlic
Cranberry
Cabbage juice
Mastic
Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
Polyphenol-rich foods such as dried rosemary, flaxseed, Mexican oregano, dark chocolate, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.

Where to Buy Radicon?

If you are suffering from the symptoms associated with excessive gastric acid secretion, you need to see your doctor, and they will prescribe you a suitable form of Radicon medicine. Then you can buy the medicine from a pharmacy or an online drug store and consume it according to the doctor’s instructions.

You can also buy Radicon as an over-the-counter medicine if you are having mild symptoms of heartburn or indigestion. However, you need to consult your doctor if your symptoms do not subside in 2 weeks. Whenever you are taking over-the-counter medicine, follow the instructions on the drug label and if you have any confusion regarding medicine, you need to consult your doctor.

References Used

Hohnjec, M., Kuftinec, J., Malnar, M., Škreblin, M., Kajfež, F., Nagl, A., & Blažević, N. (1986). Ranitidine. In Analytical profiles of drug substances (Vol. 15, pp. 533-561). Academic Press.
Grant, S. M., Langtry, H. D., & Brogden, R. N. (1989). Ranitidine. Drugs, 37(6), 801-870.
Strum, W. B. (1983). Ranitidine. JAMA, 250(14), 1894-1896.