LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Cimetidine: Treatment
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Cimetidine has yet to be proven to be an effective monotherapy for dermatological diseases. It seems that cimetidine is probably most effective when used in conjunction with other medications. In the same fashion that levamisole eventually was proven to be an effective secondary medication along with 5-fluorouracil in the treatment of cancer of the colon, cimetidine will probably be proven useful outside of its use as an antacid. Promising uses include treating urticaria in conjunction with other antihistamines, and treating warts in conjunction with levamisole. In addition, cimetidine's inhibitory effect on the metabolism of dapsone, chloroquine, and pyrimethamine can aid dermatological therapy by maintaining medication levels and decreasing toxicity. The multiple immunomodulating effects of cimetidine are significant but poorly understood.
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Cimetidine (Tagamet, SmithKline Beecham) is an H2 receptor antagonist used initially in the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers. It is currently sold "over-the-counter" to reduce gastric acid secretion and the resulting discomfort. Cimetidine has been widely prescribed for about 20 yr worldwide.
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Short-term treatment with Cimetidine can result in complete healing of a duodenal ulcer. However, there can be a recurrence of the ulcer after Cimetidine has been discontinued. The rate of ulcer recurrence may be slightly higher in people healed with Cimetidine rather than other forms of therapy. However, Cimetidine is usually prescribed for more severe cases.
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While short-term treatment with Cimetidine can result in complete healing of the duodenal ulcer, acute therapy will not prevent ulcer recurrence after Cimetidine has been discontinued. Some follow-up studies have reported that the rate of recurrence once therapy was discontinued was slightly higher for patients healed on Cimetidine than for patients healed on other forms of therapy; ... the Cimetidine-treated patients generally had more severe disease.
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Cimetidine is generally taken without ill effect. Its side effects include dizziness and mild somnolence (at doses of 800–1600 mg/day), a reversible state of confusion (especially in the elderly with preexisting renal or hepatic disease), gastrointestinal upset, gynecomastia (may occur if treatment period is greater than 1 month), reversible dose-related increase in serum transaminases, and dose-related elevations in plasma creatinine.
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Cimetidine has not yet been approved by the FDA for use in treating cancer, and it remains unclear how its effects may enhance or synergize with other cancer treatments. However, cimetidine's demonstrated effects suggest that it may markedly suppress the ability of certain cancers—particularly colorectal cancers—to grow and metastasize, even when used as a sole therapy. Further studies are needed to evaluate and document cimetidine's efficacy both alone and in concert with other cancer-fighting regimens.
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