Not got an allergy but Zantac does reduce in effectiveness after a couple of weeks of consistent use. With respect to TUMS, they have a lot of additives in them which you may have a problem with, they give me some issues too, you could try an alternative antacid like Gaviscon or a cheap generic

Neither Zantac nor PPI are meant to be taken episodically. When you do that, you're playing games with your health.

Zantac specifically should be taken periodically on a strict schedule.

Long-term consumption of Tums can create kidney stones, and it shouldn't be necessary if you're on a proper regimen of Zantac.

If you did develop an allergy to Zantac, Pepcid may work for you. In theory Pepcid 20mg is equipotent to Zantac 150mg, but in my prolonged experience with both, Pepcid is weaker.

Pepcid is a cleaner overall drug than Zantac, but relies more on the kidneys to be processed. This shouldn't be a problem if you have healthy kidneys unburdened by other kidney-loading drugs.

And it's PepZin GI, not Pepsin. The difference in one letter is dramatic.

What are the symptoms of this alleged allergic reaction to Zantac & Tums?

Is it a side-effect rather than a true 'allergic' reaction?

Thanks for the responses. I don't need Zantac regularly as I no longer experience nausea all the time. But there are times when my stomach is more sensitive, or when eating out as food is richer and grenadier at home (even with healthier options) and then the nausea returns. This weekend I'm taking DH out for his birthday and this restaurant is so garlicky, I was nauseous for days last year. Now, I can't take the Zantac to help. Thanks for the tip about Pepcid.

As for tums, I only take it the I'd time when it's actually heartburn. It does help calm it.

And yes, it is an allergy as I break out in hives. The worst times were when I took Zantac or tums (not both at once) and then had my meal. Hives were huge and all over. The time I took Zantac with no food, there were domes hives but not as bad a reaction.

Gosh, I'm really surprised at the hives - as that is typically a sign of excess histamine in the body - which is confusing given that Zantac acts as a histamine blocker... although a H2 blocker rather than a H1 blocker.

To quote something I read "...Hives occur when mast cells (inflammatory cells of the skin) are triggered to release a chemical called histamine. Histamine affects the blood flow in the skin, causing the red itchy bumps. Anti-histamines are taken to block the effect of histamine in the body."

It might be worth doing some online googling & research about this to see if Zantac interferes with other histamine pathways or something in the body. Maybe the Zantac blocking the histamine receptors in the stomach causes excess histamine elsewhere?

I wonder if histamine intolerance is a possible cause of your gastritis? Worth researching that too.

Smilelike, strange isn't it? But it was definitely hives, and one time was 3am and the Zantac was all I took....and voil, the hives.

I have an appointment on Monday with an allergist so will see if he can explain. Perhaps it isn't the Zantac med per se, but some ingredient in the Zantac?

I had an allergy "patch" test and came up allergic to both Dexilant and Zantac (I made sure I was tested for both). I think it's the blue dye in the Dexilant and the red dye in the Zantac. Something is giving me horrible burning mouth syndrome...I think one of those is the culprit. I'm tapering off the Dexilant and if that doesn't help my mouth I'll switch from Zantac to Pepcid. (My stomach and throat are vastly improved, hence the PPI taper).I'm still on Pepzin GI and taking DGL, etc, as needed.