How to Use

For diseaseds taking the nonprescription strengths of these medication for heartburn, acid indigestion and sour stomach:

• Do not take the maximum daily dosage continuously for more than 2 weeks, unless directed to do so by your family doctor.
• If you have trouble in swallowing, or persistent abdominal pain, see your family doctor promptly. These may be signs of a serious condition that may need various treat.

For diseaseds taking the prescription strengths of these medication for more serious problems:

• One dose a day Take it at bedtime, unless otherwise directed.
• Two doses a day Take one in the morning and one at bedtime.
• Several doses a day Take them with meals and at bedtime for best results.

It may take few days before this drug begins to relieve stomach pain. To help relieve this pain, antacids may be taken with the H ₂ -blocker, unless your family doctor has told you not to use them. However, you must wait one-half to one hour between taking the antacid and the H ₂ -blocker.

Take this drug for the full time of treat, even if you begin to feel better . Always it is important that you keep your appointments with your family doctor for check-ups so that your family doctor will be better able to tell you when to stop taking this drug.

For diseaseds taking famotidine chewable tablets :

• Chew the tablets well before swallowing.

For diseaseds taking famotidine oral disintegrating tablets :

• Make sure your hands are dry.
• Leave tablets in unopened package until the time of use, then open the pack and remove the tablet.
• Immediately place the tablet on the tongue.
• The tablet will dissolve in seconds and you may swallow it with your saliva. You don't needed to drink water or other liquid to swallow the tablet.

For diseaseds taking ranitidine effervescent granules or tablets :

• Remove the foil wrapping and dissolve the dose in 6 to 8 ounces of water before drinking.

Dosage

The number of capsules or tablets or teaspoonfuls of solution, suspension, or syrup that you take depends on the strength of the drug. Always the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses and the length of time you take the drug depend on the medical problem for which you are taking the H ₂ -receptor antagonist .

For cimetidine
• For oral dosage forms - solution and tablets:
  • To treat duodenal or gastric ulcers:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 300 milligrams - mg four times a day, with meals and at bedtime. Some people may take 400 or 600 mg two times a day, on waking up and at bedtime. Others may take 800 mg at bedtime.
    • Children 20 to 40 mg per kilogram - kg - 9.1 to 18.2 mg per pound of body weight a day, divided into four doses, taken with meals and at bedtime.
  • To prevent duodenal ulcers:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 300 mg two times a day, on waking up and at bedtime. Instead some people may take 400 mg at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat heartburn, acid indigestion and sour stomach:
    • Adults and teenagers 100 to 200 mg with water when symptoms start. The dose may be repeated once in twenty-four hours. Do not take more than 400 mg in twenty-four hours.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To prevent heartburn, acid indigestion and sour stomach:
    • Adults and teenagers 100 to 200 mg with water up to one hour before eating food or drinking beverages you expect to cause symptoms. Do not take more than 400 mg in twenty-four hours.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid:
    • Adults 300 mg four times a day, with meals and at bedtime. Your family doctor may change the dose if needed.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat gastroesophageal reflux disease:
    • Adults 800 to 1600 mg a day, divided into smaller doses. Treatment usually lasts for 12 weeks.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
• For injectable dosage form:
  • To treat duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers or conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 300 mg injected into muscle, every six to eight hours. Or, 300 mg injected slowly into a vein every six to eight hours. Instead, 900 mg may be injected slowly into a vein around the clock at the rate of 37.5 mg per hour. Some people may need 150 mg at first, before beginning the around-the-clock treat.
    • Children 5 to 10 mg per kg - 2.3 to 4.5 mg per pound of body weight injected into a vein or muscle, every six to eight hours.
  • To prevent stress-related bleeding:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 50 mg per hour injected slowly into a vein around the clock for up to 7 days.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.

For famotidine
• For oral dosage forms - suspension, tablets, chewable tablets and oral disintegrating tablets:
  • To treat duodenal ulcers:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 40 milligrams - mg once a day at bedtime. Some people may take 20 mg two times day.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To prevent duodenal ulcers:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 20 mg once a day at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat gastric ulcers:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 40 mg once a day at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat heartburn, acid indigestion and sour stomach:
    • Adults and teenagers 10 mg with water when symptoms start. The dose may be repeated once in twenty-four hours. Do not take more than 20 mg in twenty-four hours.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To prevent heartburn, acid indigestion and sour stomach:
    • Adults and teenagers 10 mg taken one hour before eating a meal you expect to cause symptoms. The dose may be repeated once in twenty-four hours. Do not take more than 20 mg in twenty-four hours.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid:
    • Older adults, adults and children 20 mg every six hours. Your family doctor may change the dose if needed.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat gastroesophageal reflux disease:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 20 mg two times a day, usually for up to 6 weeks.
    • Children weighing more than 10 kg - 22 pounds 1 to 2 mg per kilogram - kg - 0.5 to 0.9 mg per pound of body weight a day divided into two doses.
    • Children weighing less than 10 kg - 22 pounds 1 to 2 mg per kg - 0.5 to 0.9 mg per pound of body weight a day, divided into three doses.
• For injectable dosage form:
  • To treat duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, or conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 20 mg injected into a vein, every twelve hours.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.

For nizatidine
• For oral dosage forms - capsules and tablets:
  • To treat duodenal or gastric ulcers:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 300 milligrams - mg once a day at bedtime. Some people may take 150 mg two times a day.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To prevent duodenal ulcers:
    • Adults and teenagers 150 mg once a day at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To prevent heartburn, acid indigestion and sour stomach:
    • Adults and teenagers 75 mg taken thirty to sixty minutes before eating a meal you expect to cause symptoms. The dose may be repeated once in twenty-four hours.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat gastroesophageal reflux disease:
    • Adults and teenagers 150 mg two times a day.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.

For ranitidine
• For oral dosage forms - effervescent granules, syrup, tablets, effervescent tablets:
  • To treat duodenal ulcers:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 150 milligrams - mg two times a day. Some people may take 300 mg once a day at bedtime.
    • Children 2 to 4 mg per kilogram - kg - 1 to 2 mg per pound of body weight per day, usually given as two divided doses. .However, your total dose will not be more than 300 mg a day.
  • To prevent duodenal ulcers:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 150 mg at bedtime.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat gastric ulcers:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 150 mg two times a day.
    • Children 2 to 4 mg per kilogram - 1 to 2 mg per pound of body weight per day, usually given as two divided doses. However, your total dose will not be more than 300 mg a day.
  • To treat heartburn, acid indigestion and sour stomach:
    • Adults and teenagers 75 mg with water when symptoms start. The dose may be repeated once in twenty-four hours. Do not take more than 150 mg in twenty-four hours.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To prevent heartburn, acid indigestion and sour stomach:
    • Adults and teenagers 75 mg with water taken thirty to sixty minutes before eating a meal or drinking beverages you expect to cause symptoms. Do not take more than 150 mg in twenty-four hours.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat some conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 150 mg two times a day. Your family doctor may change the dose if needed.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • To treat gastroesophageal reflux disease:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 150 mg two times a day. Your dose may be increased if needed.
    • Children 5 to 10 mg per kg - 2.3 to 4.6 mg per pound of body weight a day, usually divided and given in two doses during the day. However, most children usually will not take more than 300 mg a day.
• For injectable dosage form:
  • To treat duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, or conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid:
    • Older adults, adults and teenagers 50 mg injected into a muscle every six to eight hours. Or, 50 mg injected slowly into a vein every six to eight hours. Instead, you may receive 6.25 mg per hour injected slowly into a vein around the clock. However, most people will usually not need more than 400 mg a day.
  • To treat duodenal or gastric ulcers:
    • Children 2 to 4 mg per kg - 1 to 2 mg per pound of body weight a day, injected slowly into a vein.

Missed dose If you miss a dose of this drug, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage To store this drug:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store the capsule or tablet form of this drug in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the drug to break down.
• Keep the liquid form of this drug from freezing.
• Do not keep outdated drug or drug no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded drug is out of the reach of children.