Skip to main content
Log in

Cimetidine-induced alterations in desipramine plasma concentrations

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Concurrent administration of cimetidine for 4 days to eight patients taking maintenance doses of desipramine led to significant elevations of desipramine (P<0.001) and its hydroxylated metabolite 2-hydroxydesipramine (P<0.001). The mean increase in desipramine plasma levels was 51% and that for 2-hydroxydesipramine was 46%. The present results suggest that tricyclic antidepressant plasma level monitoring might be indicated for certain patients taking concurrent cimetidine and desipramine.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abernethy DR, Greenblatt DJ, Shader RI (1983) Imipramine-cimetidine interaction: Impairment of clearance and enhanced bioavailability. Clin Pharmacol Ther 33:237

    Google Scholar 

  • Amsterdam J, Brunswick D, Mendels J (1980) The clinical application of tricyclic antidepressant pharmacokinetics and plasma levels. Am J Psychiatry 137:653–662

    Google Scholar 

  • Åsberg M, Cronholm B, Sjoqvist F, Tuck D (1970) Correlation of subjective side effects with plasma concentrations of nortriptyline. Br Med J 4:18–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauman J, Kimelblatt B (1982) Cimetidine as an inhibitor of drug metabolism: Therapeutic implications and review of the literature. Drug Intell Clin Pharm 16:380–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Bock J, Nelson J, Gray S, Jatlow P (1983) Desipramine hydroxylation: Variability and effect of antipsychotic drugs. Clin Pharmacol Ther 33:322–328

    Google Scholar 

  • Brunswick D, Mendels J (1977) Reduced levels of tricyclic antidepressants in plasma from vacutainers. Commun Psychopharmacol 1:131–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Desmond PV, Patwardhan RV, Schenker S, Speeg KV (1980) Cimetidine impairs elimination of chlordiazepoxide (Librium) in man. Ann Intern Med 93:266–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutt MK, Moody P, Northfield TC (1981) Effect of cimetidine on renal function in man. Br J Pharmacol 12:47–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Feely J, Wilkinson GR, Wood AJJ (1981) Reduction of liver blood flow and propanolol metabolism by cimetidine. N Engl J Med 304:692–695

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenblatt DJ, Divoll M, Abernethy DR, Ochs HR, Shader RI (1983) Clinical pharmacokinetics of the newer benzodiazepines. Clin Pharmacokinet 8:233–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Klotz U, Reimann I (1980) Delayed clearance of diazepam due to cimetidine. N Engl J Med302:1012–1014

    Google Scholar 

  • Knapp AB, Maguire W, Keren G, Korman A, Levitt B, Miura DS, Somberg JC (1983) The cimetidine-lidocaine interaction. Ann Intern Med 98:174–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller DD, Macklin M (1983) Cimetidine-imipramine interaction: A case report. Am J Psychiatry 140:351–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Puurunen U, Sotaniemi E, Pelkonen O (1980) Effect of cimetidine on microsomal drug metabolism in man. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 18:185–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimann IW, Klotz U, Frolich JC (1982) Effects of cimetidine and ranitidine on steady-state propanolol kinetics and dynamics. Clin Pharmacol Ther 32:749–757

    Google Scholar 

  • Rendic V, Sunjic V, Toso R, Iajfez F, Ruf HH (1979) Interaction of cimetidine with liver microsomes. Xenobiotica 9:555–564

    Google Scholar 

  • Serlin MJ, Mossman S, Sibeon RG, Breckenridge AM (1979) Cimetidine: Interaction with oral anticoagulants in man. Lancet II:317–319

    Google Scholar 

  • Somogyi A, Gugler R (1982) Drug interactions with cimetidine. Clin Pharmacokinet 7:23–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Suckow RF, Cooper TB (1981) Simultaneous determination of imipramine, desipramine, and their 2-hydroxy metabolites in plasma by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with amperometric detection. J Pharm Sci 70:257–261

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Amsterdam, J.D., Brunswick, D.J., Potter, L. et al. Cimetidine-induced alterations in desipramine plasma concentrations. Psychopharmacology 83, 373–375 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00428548

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00428548

Key words

Navigation