The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked for the popular heartburn medication Zantac to be withdrawn from the market after it was linked to a known carcinogen. Now, drug manufacturers are facing civil actions by scores of consumers claiming they developed cancer after using Zantac.

Forty plaintiffs are attempting to have their cases consolidated in California. The defendants include pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline LLC (GSK), Pfizer, Sanofi, and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals.

Zantac Market Withdrawals

On April 1, the FDA requested a “manufacturers market withdrawal of ranitidine,” the main component of Zantac, meaning that no new or existing ranitidine products — prescription or over-the-counter– would be available in the U.S. The agency cited levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in ranitidine medications that increase over time, especially if the drug is left at higher than room temperatures. According to the FDA, it’s unlikely that ranitidine will become available again unless a drug maker can show low enough steady levels of NDMA in the drug.

Several countries have followed the FDA’s lead to restrict the sale of Zantac and its generic forms.

If you still have Zantac or other ranitidine drugs, the FDA recommends discarding it and seeking alternatives with your doctor. The FDA’s drug disposal guidelines state that Zantac and other ranitidine drugs can be safely thrown in the trash. If you’ve experienced a Zantac cancer scare, you may be able to seek compensation for Zantac you may have purchased or any medical expenses that may have been caused by its use.

Zantac Cancer Scare & NDMA

The FDA withdrew approval of ranitidine medications because of laboratory testing which showed levels of NDMA which increased beyond an acceptable threshold over time. This means the drug could jeopardize consumers’ health as NDMA is a known carcinogen. The FDA states that those taking an acceptable amount of NDMA per day aren’t at a greater risk of cancer but that some forms of ranitidine develop unsafe levels of NDMA.

ABC News reported that NDMA has been labeled a probable carcinogen with the Environmental Protection (EPA), but customer service representatives for Zantac manufacturer Sandoz claimed “there is no consistent evidence as to how much this substance may potentially increase cancer risk in humans.”

According to ABC News, signs that you may be experiencing the adverse effects of NDMA include jaundice, vomiting, fever, dizziness, and cramps. If you take ranitidine and have experienced any of these symptoms, contact your doctor. You could be experiencing a Zantac cancer scare.

Joining a Zantac Class Action

Currently, there are 40 people with cancer who are seeking to consolidate their California Zantac cases into a single complex litigation in California court. This consolidation would proceed in parallel with an existing multidistrict Zantac litigation in Florida. By coordinating these two proceedings, plaintiffs hope to gain power at the negotiating table.

According to the lawsuits, Zantac manufacturers have known since the 1980s that NDMA can increase in ranitidine if exposed to high enough temperatures. The complaints also claim that the drug companies sought to discredit studies showing the risks of its products in order to avoid scrutiny.

If you or a loved one has experienced a Zantac cancer scare, you may be able to join a Zantac class action lawsuit against GSK.