Is ranitidine used to treat people with allergies?

Question: What is indication of ranitidine 300mg? Is it used to treat people with allergies (urticaria) or not?

Answer: Ranitidine is a gastric proton-pump inhibitor. It is used to treat gastric and duodenal ulcers and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Ranitidine is H2-receptor antagonist which inhibits the action of histamine on H2-recepetor. Histamine is important substance associated with allergic reaction, swelling, itching through the mechanism of action on H2-receptor.

Thus ranitidine is brought in combination with other medications to treat some allergic reactions. Such as ranitidine is used in combination with diphenhydramine which is H1-receptor antagonist, to treat urticaria.

This method is more effectiveness than single medication treatment.

Reference:

1. Fedorowicz Z, van Zuuren EJ, Hu N. Histamine H2-receptor antagonists for urticaria (Review). The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 3.

2. Lin RY, Curry A, Pesola GR, Knight RJ, Lee Hs, Bakalchuk L. Improved outcomes in patients with acute allergic syndromes who are treated with combined H1 and H2 antagonists. Ann Emerg Med 2000; 36 (5): 46