Back to H2 Antagonists
Name: Famotidine
Pregnancy Category B
Drug classes
- Histamine2 (H2) antagonist
Therapeutic actions
Competitively blocks the action of histamine at the histamine (H2) receptors of the parietal cells of the stomach; inhibits basal gastric acid secretion and chemically induced gastric acid secretion.
Indications
- Short-term treatment and maintenance of duodenal ulcer
- Short-term treatment of benign gastric ulcer
- Treatment of pathologic hypersecretory conditions
- Short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophagitis due to GERD
Contraindications/cautions
- Allergy to famotidine; renal failure; pregnancy; lactation.
Adverse effects
- CNS: Headache, malaise, dizziness, somnolence, insomnia
- GI: Diarrhea, constipation, anorexia, abdominal pain
- Dermatologic: Skin rash
- Other: Muscle cramp, increase in total bilirubin, sexual impotence
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