Acidity is a common problem and can lead to other complications. Excess of acidity can be a disorder and not simply hyperacidity.
The specialist professional for acidity and other related problems are known as gastroenterologists. Two common medications and drugs prescribed for acidity are Zantac and Prevacid, and both medications have different characteristics.
Key Takeaways
- Zantac (ranitidine) and Prevacid (lansoprazole) are medications used to treat acid reflux and other gastrointestinal disorders.
- Zantac belongs to the H2 receptor antagonist class, inhibiting stomach acid production by blocking histamine receptors. At the same time, Prevacid is a proton pump inhibitor that works by inhibiting the enzyme responsible for acid production.
- Prevacid provides longer-lasting relief from acid reflux symptoms than Zantac, but Zantac works more quickly to alleviate symptoms.
Zantac vs Prevacid
Zantac is a histamine-2 (H2) receptor blocker that decreases the amount of acid produced by the stomach. It is used to treat conditions such as heartburn, acid reflux, and ulcers. Prevacid is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that also decreases the amount of acid produced by the stomach.
Zantac is a generic ranitidine HCL. The medication is prescribed to treat ulcers of the intestine and stomach. The medication also has certain side effects, like constipation, headache, diarrhoea, or dizziness.
Patients with severe side effects like blurred vision, confusion, bleeding, mental or mood changes, hallucinations, tiredness, abdominal pain, and others.
While Prevacid is a generic Lansoprazole. Prevacid is prescribed for the treatment of ulcers in the stomach and intestine. It can also effectively decrease the acid which is produced in the stomach.
Prevacid can have common side effects, are diarrhoea, headache, constipation, and nausea resolve and are mild. The dosage of Prevacid is once a day for 14 days.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Zantac | Prevacid |
|---|---|---|
| Generic name | Ranitidine | Lansoprazole |
| Form | Tablet or liquid solution form is available | Only tablet is available |
| Treatment | It is used to treat duodenal ulcer, heartburn, erosive esophagitis, anaphylaxis, benign gastric ulcer, GERD | It is used to treat stomach ulcers, intestinal ulcers, Barrett’s esophagus, relief from heartburn, and other ulcers |
| Category | Zantac belongs to the class of histamine 2 blockers | Prevacid belongs to the class of PPI that are Proton pump inhibitors |
| Manufacturing company | Boehringer Ingelheim | Novartis |
What is Zantac?
Zantac is a generic ranitidine HCL. The medication is prescribed to treat ulcers of the intestine and stomach. Zantac also prevents the ulcers from coming back once the ulcers are completely healed.
Apart from the treatment of ulcers, the medication is also prescribed for certain problems of the throat, especially in the oesophagus, and other problems like gastroesophageal reflux disease known as GERD, erosive esophagitis, Zollinger Ellison syndrome, and others.
The mechanism of Zantac is that it decreases the amount of acid that is made in the stomach. The generic constitution in the medication is ranitidine is part of a class of drugs which is known as H2 blockers.
The medication can also be used to treat heartburn or acid indigestion. Certain carcinogenic substances have been found in the medications containing ranitidine, so Zantac has been withdrawn from the market of the US.
The medication is taken orally once or twice daily as prescribed by the doctor. The dose and regularity of the medication are based on the treatment plan designed by the specialist for the patient.
The medication also has certain side effects, like constipation, headache, diarrhoea, or dizziness. Patients with severe side effects like blurred vision, confusion, bleeding, mental or mood changes, hallucinations, tiredness, abdominal pain, depression, and other severe conditions are advised to consult the specialist immediately.
The medication should not be self-prescribed; it is essential to know if the body is allergic to ranitidine. Children younger than 12 are advised not to consume the medicine.
The medication has the potential to interact with other medications like atazanavir, antifungals, dasatinib, pazopanib, and various others. Other H2 blockers like famotidine, cimetidine, and nizatidine should not be used with Zantac.
What is Prevacid?
Prevacid is the brand name of the generic medication called lansoprazole. The medication is prescribed for the treatment of ulcers in the stomach and intestine.
It can also effectively decrease the acid which is produced in the stomach. The medication is an active proton pump inhibitor. It is prescribed alone or in combination with other medications as well.
Prevacid can have various side effects like a seizure, swelling, stomach pain, blood in urine, weight gain, shaking, diarrhoea, joint pain, jittery feeling, muscle cramps, irregular heart rate, dizziness, difficulty in urinating, spasms in hands and feet, skin rashes and other various symptoms which needs immediate medical attention.
Other common side effects are diarrhoea, headache, constipation nausea resolve and are mild.
The medication consists of lansoprazole, a benzimidazole compound that inhibits gastric acid secretion. The constituent lansoprazole is a white, odourless powder in crystalline shape and decomposes at a temperature of 166 °C.
The medication is mainly available in strength 15 mg and off 30 mg dosage per capsule. Prevacid also has other inactive ingredients like hydro profile cellulose, methacrylic acid copolymer, titanium dioxide, sugar sphere, hydro profile cellulose, magnesium carbonate, and other compounds.
Young children are not prescribed Prevacid. Pediatric patients above 12 years are prescribed Prevacid. The dosage of Prevacid is once a day for 14 days.
Self-prescription of the medication is not advised since patients can be allergic to the constituents and can have severe side effects.
Main Differences Between Zantac and Prevacid
- The generic name of Zantac is Ranitidine, while Prevacid’s generic name is Lansoprazole.
- Zantac is a histamine 2 blocker, while Prevacid is Proton Pump Inhibitor or PPI.
- The manufacturer of Zantac is Boehringer Ingelheim, while the manufacturer of Prevacid is Novartis.
- Zantac was launched in the market in the year 1983, while Prevacid was launched in the market in the year 2001.
- Zantac has been recalled from the market, while Prevacid is still available in the market.
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1191789/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091674912004411
- https://www.myptsd.com/gallery/-pdf/1-43.pdf
Last Updated : 14 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
The article did a great job of explaining the key takeaways and the differences between Zantac and Prevacid.
This article is very well researched and provides valuable information.
I strongly disagree with the arguments presented in this article. Zantac should not have been recalled from the market.
Great article, I really enjoyed reading it.
I agree.
The article was very informative and well written.
The article provides an informative comparison between Zantac and Prevacid. Excellent work.