Definition of "ranitidine" [ranitidine]

• An antagonist for one of two types of histamine receptors occurring on the surfaces of cells, especially gastric cells, that inhibits gastric acid secretion and is used primarily in the treatment of duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "But if you want to stop taking a PPI drug, you may need to wean yourself gradually, reducing the dose and alternating days with a less potent acid-reducing drug such as ranitidine, or Zantac."
• "It has been postulated that ranitidine may be useful in controlling gastric secretions, which may be responsible for the persistent vomiting. 3"
• "Walgreen in 2008 agreed to pay $35 million to the U.S., 42 states and Puerto Rico for overcharging state Medicaid programs by filling prescriptions with more expensive dosage forms of ranitidine, a generic form of Zantac and fluoxetine, which is a generic form of Prozac."