Zantac and Insomnia

I find zantac much better at relieving my stomach issues than the PPIs. My main problem with it is that it unfortunately causes insomnia.

Can anyone tell me if this side effect lessens or goes over time?

Many thanks.
Noelle

Hi Noelle,

I don't know how helpful I can be because when I took Zantac at 150mg twice a day for a couple of months, I never had any problems sleeping because of it. I had trouble sleeping because my esophagus and stomach were in pain.

In those cases, I found drinking chamomille tea and meditation really helped me overcome the pain enough to help me fall asleep. I also made a point to be tired at night when I went to bed so I would go for walks to make sure I got enough exercise.

I hope this helps you.

Hey Noelle, I'm not sure how much help I can be here but I will share my experience!

I am currently trying to get off of my PPI and switching to an H2 blocker (carafate). I Eventually want to get onto zantac then ween off of that.

I am 21 years old and have suffered a life long bout of insomnia... I can only share a few things that have helped me over the years

1. My insomnia is usually in 4 month cycles for whatever reason. After about 4 months my symptoms change or things get temporarily better.

2. Reading until I fall asleep. I honestly can't stand to read for fun. If I can force myself to read a book until my eyes will no longer stay open I find it distracts my brain from thinking and wandering so my body falls asleep on its own naturally.

3. Journaling has always helped me. Even if I just sit there and write what I did that day, write my thoughts, write what I plan to do tomorrow, etc. Just writing until I am tired and somehow feel fulfilled

4. As Peabs had mentioned, meditation! I never regret meditating. Even if it is only for 5 minutes. If I can force myself to sit down and do it, whether morning, afternoon, or night, it always helps me.

5. Stretching! If you can stretch before bed even a little bit I find that helps. If you are laying there staring at the ceiling try to get up and stretch a little. Even with the lights off, seems to help me!

6. Going on a run in the evening seems to tired me out!

7. 4-7-8 breathing. My dad swears this knocks him out in a minute. Breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8 seconds. Try to do this for a minute. If anything it'll slow your heart rate and lower your BP, hopefully making your body more relaxed and tired.

I wish you the best of luck. So sorry you are dealing with this. Positive energy and prayers being sent your way!

Noelle3,

You are correct. Zantac (ranitidine) belongs to a class of drugs known as H2 antihistamines. Benadryl is an H1 antihistamine. Both have what is termed anticholinergic effects. These can include tachycardia, heart palpitations, Xerostomia and constipation. Each person has a slightly different metabolism, and this is true when it comes to metabolizing drugs.

When I had taken Zantac, I had also experienced heart palpitations, rapid heart rate and insomia. I switched to Famotidine, Pepcid AC 20 mg branded, not generic, and tolerate that well.

Hi Noelle, sorry to ask this in a random thread, but I could not find a way to private message you. Is there a way I could get in touch to ask about the restech Ph probe you were looking for in the UK :)