Cimetidine (Page 4 of 5)

Pregnancy

Teratogenic Effects. Pregnancy Category B

Reproduction studies have been performed in rats, rabbits and mice at doses up to 40 times the normal human dose and have revealed no evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the fetus due to cimetidine tablets. There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Because animal reproductive studies are not always predictive of human response, this drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.

Nursing Mothers

Cimetidine is secreted in human milk and, as a general rule, nursing should not be undertaken while a patient is on a drug.

Pediatric Use

Clinical experience in children is limited. Therefore, therapy with cimetidine tablets cannot be recommended for children under 16, unless, in the judgement of the physician, anticipated benefits outweigh the potential risks. In very limited experience, doses of 20 to 40 mg/kg/day have been used.

Immunocompromised Patients

In immunocompromised patients, decreased gastric acidity, including that produced by acid-suppressing agents such as cimetidine, may increase the possibility of a hyperinfection of strongyloidiasis.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

Adverse effects reported in patients taking cimetidine tablets are described as follows by body system. Incidence figures of 1 in 100 and greater are generally derived from controlled clinical studies.

Gastrointestinal

Diarrhea (usually mild) has been reported in approximately 1 in 100 patients.

CNS

Headaches, ranging from mild to severe, have been reported in 3.5% of 924 patients taking 1,600 mg/day, 2.1% of 2,225 patients taking 800 mg/day and 2.3% of 1,897 patients taking placebo. Dizziness and somnolence (usually mild) have been reported in approximately 1 in 100 patients on either 1,600 mg/day or 800 mg/day.

Reversible confusional states, e.g., mental confusion, agitation, psychosis, depression, anxiety, hallucinations, disorientation, have been reported predominantly, but not exclusively, in severely ill patients. They have usually developed within 2 to 3 days of initiation of treatment with cimetidine tablets and have cleared within 3 to 4 days of discontinuation of the drug.

Endocrine

Gynecomastia has been reported in patients treated for 1 month or longer. In patients being treated for pathological hypersecretory states, this occurred in about 4% of cases while in all others the incidence was 0.3% to 1% in various studies. No evidence of induced endocrine dysfunction was found, and the condition remained unchanged or returned toward normal with continuing treatment with cimetidine tablets.

Reversible impotence has been reported in patients with pathological hypersecretory disorders, e.g., Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, receiving cimetidine tablets, particularly in high doses, for at least 12 months (range 12 to 79 months, mean 38 months). However, in large-scale surveillance studies at regular dosage, the incidence has not exceeded that commonly reported in the general population.

Hematologic

Decreased white blood cell counts in patients treated with cimetidine tablets (approximately 1 per 100,000 patients), including agranulocytosis (approximately 3 per million patients), have been reported, including a few reports of recurrence on rechallenge. Most of these reports were in patients who had serious concomitant illnesses and received drugs and/or treatment known to produce neutropenia. Thrombocytopenia (approximately 3 per million patients) and, very rarely, cases of pancytopenia or aplastic anemia have also been reported. As with some other H2 -receptor antagonists, there have been extremely rare reports of immune hemolytic anemia.

Hepatobiliary

Dose-related increases in serum transaminase have been reported. In most cases they did not progress with continued therapy and returned to normal at the end of therapy. There have been rare reports of cholestatic or mixed cholestatic-hepatocellular effects. These were usually reversible. Because of the predominance of cholestatic features, severe parenchymal injury is considered highly unlikely. However, as in the occasional liver injury with other H2 -receptor antagonists, in exceedingly rare circumstances fatal outcomes have been reported.

There has been reported a single case of biopsy-proven periportal hepatic fibrosis in a patient receiving cimetidine tablets.

Rare cases of pancreatitis, which cleared on withdrawal of the drug, have been reported.

Hypersensitivity

Rare cases of fever and allergic reactions including anaphylaxis and hypersensitivity vasculitis, which cleared on withdrawal of the drug, have been reported.

Renal

Small, possibly dose-related increases in plasma creatinine, presumably due to competition for renal tubular secretion, are not uncommon and do not signify deteriorating renal function. Rare cases of interstitial nephritis and urinary retention, which cleared on withdrawal of the drug, have been reported.

Cardiovascular

Rare cases of bradycardia, tachycardia and AV heart block have been reported with H2 -receptor antagonists.

Musculoskeletal

There have been rare reports of reversible arthralgia and myalgia; exacerbation of joint symptoms in patients with preexisting arthritis has also been reported. Such symptoms have usually been alleviated by a reduction in the dosage of cimetidine tablets. Rare cases of polymyositis have been reported, but no causal relationship has been established.

Integumental

Mild rash and, very rarely, cases of severe generalized skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, epidermal necrolysis, erythema multiforme, exfoliative dermatitis and generalized exfoliative erythroderma have been reported with H2 -receptor antagonists. Reversible alopecia has been reported very rarely.

Immune Function

There have been extremely rare reports of strongyloidiasis hyperinfection in immunocompromised patients.

Respiratory

A large epidemiological study suggested an increased risk of developing pneumonia in current users of histamine-2-receptor antagonists (H2 RAs) compared to patients who had stopped H2 RA treatment, with an observed adjusted relative risk of 1.63 (95% CI, 1.07 to 2.48). However, a causal relationship between use of H2 RAs and pneumonia has not been established.

OVERDOSAGE

Studies in animals indicate that toxic doses are associated with respiratory failure and tachycardia that may be controlled by assisted respiration and the administration of a beta-blocker.

Reported acute ingestions orally of up to 20 grams have been associated with transient adverse effects similar to those encountered in normal clinical experience. The usual measures to remove unabsorbed material from the gastrointestinal tract, clinical monitoring, and supportive therapy should be employed.

There have been reports of severe CNS symptoms, including unresponsiveness, following ingestion of between 20 and 40 grams of cimetidine, and extremely rare reports following concomitant use of multiple CNS-active medications and ingestion of cimetidine at doses less than 20 grams. An elderly, terminally ill dehydrated patient with organic brain syndrome receiving concomitant antipsychotic agents and 4,800 mg of cimetidine intravenously over a 24-hour period experienced mental deterioration with reversal on discontinuation of cimetidine.

There have been two deaths in adults who were reported to have ingested over 40 grams orally on a single occasion.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

Duodenal Ulcer

Active Duodenal Ulcer

Clinical studies have indicated that suppression of nocturnal acid is the most important factor in duodenal ulcer healing (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY: Antisecretory Activity: Acid Secretion). This is supported by recent clinical trials (see CLINICAL TRIALS: Duodenal Ulcer: Active Duodenal Ulcer). Therefore, there is no apparent rationale, except for familiarity with use, for treating with anything other than a once-daily at bedtime dosage regimen.

In a U.S. dose-ranging study of 400 mg at bedtime, 800 mg at bedtime and 1600 mg at bedtime, a continuous dose-response relationship for ulcer healing was demonstrated.

However, 800 mg at bedtime is the dose of choice for most patients, as it provides a high healing rate (the difference between 800 mg at bedtime and 1,600 mg at bedtime being small), maximal pain relief, a decreased potential for drug interactions (see PRECAUTIONS: Drug Interactions) and maximal patient convenience. Patients unhealed at 4 weeks, or those with persistent symptoms, have been shown to benefit from 2 to 4 weeks of continued therapy.

It has been shown that patients who both have an endoscopically demonstrated ulcer larger than 1.0 cm and are also heavy smokers (i.e., smoke 1 pack of cigarettes or more per day) are more difficult to heal. There is some evidence which suggests that more rapid healing can be achieved in this subpopulation with 1,600 mg of cimetidine tablets at bedtime. While early pain relief with either 800 mg at bedtime or 1,600 mg at bedtime is equivalent in all patients, 1,600 mg at bedtime provides an appropriate alternative when it is important to ensure healing within 4 weeks for this subpopulation. Alternatively, approximately 94% of all patients will also heal in 8 weeks with 800 mg of cimetidine tablets at bedtime.

Other regimens of cimetidine tablets in the United States which have been shown to be effective are: 300 mg 4 times daily, with meals and at bedtime, the original regimen with which U.S. physicians have the most experience, and 400 mg twice daily, in the morning and at bedtime (see CLINICAL TRIALS: Duodenal Ulcer: Active Duodenal Ulcer).

Concomitant antacids should be given as needed for relief of pain. However, simultaneous administration of cimetidine tablets and antacids is not recommended, since antacids have been reported to interfere with the absorption of cimetidine.

While healing with cimetidine tablets often occurs during the first week or two, treatment should be continued for 4 to 6 weeks unless healing has been demonstrated by endoscopic examination.

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