Effects of cimetidine on the elimination and actions of ethanol

J. Feely and A. J. Wood

The influence of cimetidine hydrochloride (300 mg four times daily for seven days) on plasma ethanol concentrations and the subjective assessment of intoxication after a single oral dose of ethanol (0.8 g/kg) were investigated in a randomized double-blind placebo controlled study in six volunteers. Compared with the placebo, cimetidine produced a small increase in both the peak plasma ethanol level (from 146 +/- 5.2 to 163 +/- 7.6 mg/dL, mean +/- SEM) and th area under the ethanol concentration time curve (from 717 +/- 17 to 771 +/- 44 mg/dLXhr). In addition, using a visual analogue scale, subjects rated themselves more intoxicated at their peak of intoxication while receiving cimetidine. These results suggest that cimetidine has a small effect on the handling of ethanol in humans.