Aciloc 300 mg used for the following conditions:

   — To heal ulcers in the stomach, or the part that it empties into (the duodenum)

   — To prevent stomach ulcers that may occur due to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for arthritis.

   — To prevent ulcers from bleeding

   — To heal or stop problems caused by acid in the oesophagus (food pipe) or excessive acid in the stomach. This can contribute to indigestion or heartburn.

   — Stop acid coming up from the stomach while under anaesthetic during an operation.

Aciloc, for oral administration, contains the active ingredient ranitidine, an H2 receptor blocker, which reduces the amount of acid in your stomach.    

Duodenal ulcer or benign gastric ulcer - The recommended dose is 300 mg once daily at bedtime. It is not necessary to fix the diet concerning meals. In most cases of duodenal and benign gastric ulcers, healing will occur in four weeks. A small population of patients whose ulcers may not have fully healed will likely respond to further four weeks of treatment. In treating duodenal ulcers, 300 mg twice daily for four weeks may be beneficial when more rapid healing is required.    

Maintenance therapy - a lower dose of 150 mg may be prescribed as the maintenance dose once daily at bedtime.

Reflux esophagitis - 300 mg once daily at bedtime and before retiring for up to eight weeks. For long-term disease management, a low dose may be recommended twice daily.   

Dosage for the elderly - For all conditions listed above, the drug dosage for the elderly who are seriously ill should start at the lowest recommended dose and be adjusted as required with close supervision.

Aciloc is contraindicated for patients with hypersensitivity to Ranitidine or any of the ingredients in the medicine.

Patients should be warned of the following conditions while taking Aciloc 300 mg:

1. Gastric ulcer -Treatment with Ranitidine may mask symptoms associated with carcinoma of the stomach and may delay the diagnosis of that condition. Accordingly, where gastric acid is suspected, the possibility of malignancy should be removed before treatment with Acilok is instituted.

2. Vitamin 12 deficiency - The prolonged use of this medicine may impair the absorption of vitamin 12 deficiency and contribute to developing vitamin B 12 deficiency.

3. Concomitant NSAID use - Regular supervision of patients who are using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs concomitantly with Aciloc 300mg is recommended, especially in elderly patients and in those with a background of peptic ulcer.

4. Fertility - No evidence shows the effects of Ranitidine on fertility. There were no effects on male and female fertility in animal research studies.

5. Use in patients with a history of acute porphyria - Very few clinical reports suggest that Aciloc may contribute to acute porphyria attacks. Therefore, this medication should be avoided in patients with acute porphyria.

6. Use in pregnancy land nursing mothers - This medicine's safety in treating conditions where a controlled reduction of gastric secretion is needed during pregnancy has not been established. If the administration of Ranitidine is necessary, its use requires that the potential benefits be weighed against possible hazards to the patients and the fetus. The medicine is secreted in breast milk in lactating mothers, but the clinical significance of this has not been fully evaluated. Like any other pharmaceutical agent, Aciloc 300 mg should only be used during nursing if considered essential.

Side effects may include allergic reaction, skin rash, inflammation of blood vessels, inflammation of the liver, inflammation of the pancreas, slow/fast/irregular heartbeat, joint or muscle pain, diarrhoea, constipation, feeling sleepy, blurred vision, unusual hair loss, blurred vision, unable to maintain an erection etc. If you are concerned about the side effects, speak to your doctor immediately.