Ranitidine and increased pneumonia risk

[bibliojo]

Hi all,

A couple days ago, it was reported here in Canada that Dutch medical researchers have published a report that links Zantac and other heartburn drugs with an increased pneumonia risk. They say that if you take Zantac for an extended period of time there is a 50% increase in the liklihood of developing pneumonia. There is no mention of women taking rantidine while pregnant or the effects of the heartburn drugs on their yet to be born babies, but my question is this...how many of you have taken ranitidine (or any other heartburn drugs) during pregnancy and had their child develop pneumonia or an asthma like condition? My son has not had pneumonia but every cold/cough he gets settles in his bronchial tubes and lungs. There is no history of asthma in our family and he is perfectly fine when he is not sick. I have a friend who also had HG and took rantidine only with her third and final pregnancy and her daughter has the same thing. (Her other two kids don't have this condition.) And apparently she knows someone else who took rantidine and their child also has problems with this. We had often wondered if there was a link between the drugs we took and our children's conditions and then this study was published. If you want to read the news report regarding this, here is the link.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/s ... 2_94230821

What do you guys think? Is there something to this?

Joanna

[nomore]

Joanna,

I took Zantac for a long time (prior and during pregnancy) and my DD is on zantac for reflux still at 20 months. Nothing to report here. A couple of normal colds, but no PN

Hope that helps.

Robin

[bibliojo]

Hey Robin,

I'm glad to hear that your daughter is fine! Maybe it's something up here in the Canadian air??

BTW, how are you feeling? I've noticed you haven't posted much lately. Has the HG set in? How's your DH and Madison coping?

Thinking about you!

Joanna