RAPS reports that the FDA is urging heartburn drug manufacturers not to release lots if NDMA is above acceptable levels.
Manufacturers of heartburn drugs like Zantac continue to pull their drugs from store shelves. Now, the Food and Drug Administration is urging the companies to test their drugs for an impurity called N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) before they are made available for purchase.
Although NDMA levels noted by the FDA are lower than those that were claimed by third-party scientists, they are still above what the FDA considers acceptable for these medicines. The acceptable daily intake limit for NDMA is 96 nanograms per day. To date, the FDA has not found NDMA in alternative medications like Pepcid, Tagamet, Nexium, Prevacid, or Prilosec.
There is some evidence of NDMA forming in the body if there are nitrates present along with ranitidine or nizatidine is present. Because of this, those taking these heartburn medications should avoid foods containing nitrates.
Heartburn is a common ailment, affecting some 60 million Americans at least once per month. More than 15 million Americans suffer from heartburn on a daily business. Heartburn is also a common ailment affecting pregnant women. However, many of these drugs can have dangerous side effects.
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