cimetidine/ranitidine - Interstitial Cystitis Network Support Forum

Glynis · 12-31-2003, 02:12 AM

Hi

I live in the UK and have been taking ranitidine for a few weeks - it appreared to help. However, i have found out through the web that both it and cimetidine can reduce absorption of calcium - are any of you on these meds long term and have your drs/uros mentioned this to you as a possible problem with long term use.

Many thanks.

***ICNDonna*** · 12-31-2003, 02:17 AM

My doctor suggested high calcium antacids, such as Tums, to keep my calcium level up.

Donna

Glynis · 12-31-2003, 04:07 AM

Thanks Donna

I wonder if your dr means to use Tums as an antacid or as a calcium supplement with rantidine?

Here in the UK, cimetidine and ranitidne are prescribed for IC as they prevent release of a certain histamine, which then kicks off the production of gastric acid - they are thought to work by reducing histamine and reducing stomach acid.

Maybe they aren't used like this in the States?

Marti · 12-31-2003, 08:30 AM

Cimetadine for IC goes back to 1995 (at least that's when the first published article appears). But the mode of action appears to be different in the bladder. In this 2001 study:

Cimetidine in painful bladder syndrome: a histopathological study.
Dasgupta P, Sharma SD, Womack C, Blackford HN, Dennis P.
Department of Urology, Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust, Edith Cavell Hospital, Peterborough, UK. prokarurol@cs.com
The authors concluded:
CONCLUSIONS: Cimetidine is a useful medical treatment for bladder pain but the presence or absence of gastrin or histamine-like immunoreactivity does not explain its therapeutic benefit.

Ranitidine (Zantac) has the same mechanism, and both of these can be purchased over the counter. All the research on their use in IC has been done in the UK.

cheers
marti