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Cimetidine is a stomach acid reducer that is used to treat and prevent certain types of stomach ulcer. Cimetidine is also used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus and causes heartburn.
Over-the-counter (nonprescription) cimetidine is used to treat heartburn with sour stomach and acid indigestion, or to prevent these conditions when caused by certain foods or beverages.
Cimetidine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.
Heartburn can mimic early symptoms of a heart attack. Get emergency medical help if you have chest pain that spreads to your jaw or shoulder and you feel anxious or light-headed.
You should not use cimetidine if you are allergic to cimetidine or other stomach acid reducers (such as ranitidine, famotidine, Zantac, Axid, and others)
Ask a doctor or pharmacist if cimetidine is safe to use if you have:
stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting;
trouble swallowing;
frequent chest pain;
heartburn with wheezing;
unexplained weight loss;
heartburn lasting longer than 3 months; or
liver or kidney disease.
Ask a doctor before using this medicine if you are pregnant.
You should not breastfeed while using cimetidine.
Do not give this medicine to a child without medical advice.
Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor.
Cimetidine is usually taken with meals or at bedtime.
To prevent heartburn from foods or beverages, take cimetidine within 30 minutes before eating or drinking.
Take this medicine with a full glass of water.
Measure liquid medicine carefully. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device (not a kitchen spoon).
It may take up to 8 weeks for an ulcer to heal. Use this medicine for the full prescribed length of time, even if your symptoms quickly improve.
Your ulcer may take longer to heal if you smoke cigarettes.
Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse.
Do not take over-the-counter cimetidine for longer than 14 days without your doctor's advice.
Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
Avoid taking other medications within 2 hours before or 2 hours after you take cimetidine. Cimetidine can make it harder for your body to absorb certain medicines you take by mouth.
Ask your doctor before using other stomach acid reducers or antacids, and use only the type your doctor recommends.
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning in your eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling).
Stop using cimetidine and call your doctor at once if you have:
pain when swallowing;
bloody or tarry stools, cough with bloody mucus or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
changes in mood, anxiety, agitation;
confusion, hallucinations; or
breast swelling or tenderness.
Serious side effects may be more likely in older adults and those who are ill or debilitated.
Common side effects may include:
headache; or
diarrhea.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using cimetidine with any other medications, especially:
ketoconazole;
phenytoin;
theophylline;
an antidepressant; or
a blood thinner--warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven;
heart or blood pressure medicine--nifedipine, propranolol; or
a sedative--chlordiazepoxide, diazepam.
This list is not complete and many other drugs may affect cimetidine, or be made less effective when taken at the same time as cimetidine. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.
Further informationRemember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
Medically reviewed by USARx EDITORIAL TEAM Last updated on 1/1/2020.
Source: Drugs.com Cimetidine (www.drugs.com/mtm/cimetidine.html).
More frequently reported side effects include: gynecomastia. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects.
For the ConsumerApplies to cimetidine: oral liquid and tablets, parenteral injection, parenteral injection for iv infusion only
Side effects include:
Headache, dizziness, somnolence, diarrhea.
With ≥1 month of therapy: gynecomastia.
With IM therapy: transient pain at injection site.
For Healthcare ProfessionalsApplies to cimetidine: compounding powder, intravenous solution, oral liquid, oral tablet
RenalVery common (10% or more): Increased plasma creatinine (up to 11%)
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Interstitial nephritis
Interstitial nephritis cleared with drug withdrawal.
Creatinine elevations usually occurred during the first week of treatment and were typically non-progressive, with values returning to pretreatment levels during therapy or up to 1 week after stopping treatment.
GastrointestinalCommon (1% to 10%): Constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, nausea, vomiting
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Acute pancreatitis/pancreatitis
Pancreatitis cleared with drug withdrawal.
MusculoskeletalCommon (1% to 10%): Musculoskeletal pain, myalgia/reversible myalgia
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Arthralgia/reversible arthralgia, exacerbation of joint symptoms, polymyositis
Nervous systemCommon (1% to 10%): Dizziness, drowsiness, headache
Headaches occurred more frequently in patients given 1600 mg/day compared to patients given 800 mg/day.
Somnolence and dizziness were usually mild and have been reported in patients receiving 800 to 1600 mg/day.
DermatologicHypersensitivity vasculitis usually cleared with drug withdrawal.
Common (1% to 10%): Rash/skin rashes
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Hypersensitivity vasculitis
Very rare (less than 0.01%): Epidermal necrolysis, erythema multiforme, generalized exfoliative erythroderma, reversible alopecia, severe generalized skin reactions, Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Frequency not reported: Severe skin rash
OtherFever cleared with drug withdrawal.
Common (1% to 10%): Tiredness
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Fever
PsychiatricConfusional states occurred within 2 to 3 days of starting treatment, were reversible within 3 to 4 days of stopping treatment and were more commonly reported in elderly patients and/or ill patients (e.g., renal dysfunction, organic brain syndrome).
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Confusional state, depression, hallucination
Frequency not reported: Agitation, anxiety, disorientation, mental confusion, psychosis
HepaticHepatitis and serum transaminase level elevations cleared with drug withdrawal.
Fatal hepatic effects have occurred with other histamine-2 receptor antagonists.
Severe parenchymal injury is considered highly unlikely due to the predominance of cholestatic features.
There was a report of biopsy-proven periportal hepatic fibrosis in a patient receiving this drug.
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hepatitis, reversible liver damage
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Cholestatic effects, increased serum transaminases, mixed cholestatic-hepatocellular effects
Very rare (less than 0.01%): Fatal hepatic effects
Frequency not reported: Periportal hepatic fibrosis, severe parenchymal injury
HematologicUncommon (0.1% to 1%): Leukopenia
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Agranulocytosis, aplastic anemia, decreased white blood cell counts, pancytopenia, thrombocytopenia
Very rare (less than 0.01%): Immune hemolytic anemia
Leukopenia and/or thrombocytopenia were reversible with withdrawal of treatment.
Agranulocytosis/decreased white blood cell counts have been reported, with some events recurring upon rechallenge. These events were more commonly reported in patients with serious concomitant illnesses and/or those who received drugs/treatments known to produce neutropenia.
CardiovascularUncommon (0.1% to 1%): Tachycardia
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Atrioventricular (AV) heart block/heart block, sinus bradycardia
GenitourinaryUrinary retention cleared with drug withdrawal.
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Reversible impotence
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Urinary retention
Very rare (less than 0.01%): Galactorrhea
EndocrineUncommon (0.1% to 1%): Gynecomastia
HypersensitivityAllergic reactions and anaphylaxis usually cleared with drug withdrawal.
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Allergic reactions, anaphylaxis
ImmunologicVery rare (less than 0.01%): Strongyloidiasis hyperinfection
RespiratoryIn a large epidemiological study, it was suggested that patients taking histamine-2-receptor antagonists had an increased adjusted relative risk of 1.63 (95% confidence interval of 1.07 to 2.48) of developing pneumonia compared to patients who stopped treatment. However, causal relationship between H2RA use and pneumonia has not been established.
Frequency not reported: Pneumonia
Medically reviewed by USARx EDITORIAL TEAM Last updated on 1/1/2020.
Source: Drugs.com Cimetidine (www.drugs.com/mtm/cimetidine.html).
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