
If your symptoms resolve with PPI therapy, it is likely you have GERD. PPIs include brand name medications such as Nexium, Prevacid, and Prilosec, among others. Your doctor may try putting you on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a type of medication for GERD, for a period of time to see if symptoms resolve.

There are other ways to find out whether a cough is related to GERD. The barium swallow, once the most common test for GERD, is no longer recommended. Another test, known as MII-pH, can detect nonacid reflux as well. The 24-hour pH probe, which monitors esophageal pH, is also an effective test for people with chronic cough. The upper endoscopy, or EGD, is the test used most often in a complete evaluation of symptoms. This is because common conditions such as postnasal drip and asthma are even more likely to cause a chronic cough. GERD can be difficult to diagnose in people who have a chronic cough but no heartburn symptoms. Testing for GERD in people with chronic cough Famotidine is in the same class as ranitidine and works the same way but has not been found to contain unacceptable levels of NDMA.

Ranitidine, brand name Zantac, is now marketed as Zantac 360, which contains a different active ingredient (famotidine). Instead of taking unused ranitidine products to a drug take-back site, dispose of them according to the product’s instructions or by following the FDA’s guidance. If you’re taking OTC ranitidine, stop taking the drug and talk with your healthcare provider about alternative options. If you’re prescribed ranitidine, talk with your doctor about safe alternative options before stopping the drug. This recommendation was made because unacceptable levels of NDMA, a probable carcinogen (cancer-causing chemical), were found in some ranitidine products. In April 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that all forms of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine (Zantac) be removed from the U.S.
