Q: For acidity, earlier it was told that Rantidine is to be taken before food on an empty stomach. But, now it is advised that it can be taken after the meal. Why this change? How does this affect absorption? Are recent tablets like razo better than ranitidine?

A:Food has little effect on the absorption of ranitidine (sold under various brand names such as Consec, R-Loc); hence it can be taken at any time. Sometimes doctors advise patients to take it in between meals since that is the time when acidity is most bothersome; there is not much scientific evidence in support of such timing. Razo is a brand name that contain rabeprazole. The mechanism of action of ranitidine is different from prazoles (such as omeprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole etc.). It would be unscientific to label on medicine as superior or inferior to another since they belong to different groups. If at all one has to take a prazole, it should be omeprazole (brand name: Ocid).