cimetidine
This leaflet tells you about Tagamet Injection. Please read it before you are given your treatment.
If there is anything you do not understand, or if you want to know more about your treatment, ask your doctor or nurse.
Please keep this leaflet. You may want to read it again.
What is in Tagamet Injection?
Your injection contains the active ingredient cimetidine. Each ampoule contains 200 milligrammes (mg) cimetidine in 2 ml solution. Your injection also contains inactive ingredients. These are concentrated hydrochloric acid (E507) and water for injections.
Your medicine is available in boxes of 20 ampoules.
What is Tagamet and how does it work?
Your medicine is known as a histamine H2 antagonist. It works by reducing the natural production of acid in the stomach.
Who makes Tagamet Injection?
The Product Licence Holder is
Your medicine is manufactured by
What is Tagamet used for?
Your medicine is used to treat and relieve the symptoms of stomach and duodenal ulcers, oesophageal reflux disease and the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
It will also help the healing of ulcers and reduce the inflammation due to these conditions.
Your medicine may also be prescribed for a range of other medical conditions where the reduction of acid production in the stomach is needed.
Before you are given your medicine
If you answer YES to any of the following questions, tell your doctor or nurse BEFORE you are given your medicine. You may need to be given another medicine or the dose may need to be changed.
- Are you allergic to Tagamet (cimetidine)?
- Do you have a kidney problem?
- Do you have a blood disease?
- Have you had a stomach ulcer or a duodenal ulcer before?
You should discuss this with your doctor, particularly if you are taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). - Are you pregnant, or do you think you may be?
- Are you breast feeding?
Are you taking any of the medicines listed below?
- Medicines to thin your blood (coumarin anticoagulants), e.g. warfarin
If you are already taking these and you take Tagamet as well your blood will be checked more often - Medicines to prevent fits (anticonvulsants), e.g. phenytoin
- Antifungal medicines, e.g. ketoconazole, itraconazole or posaconazole
- Heart medicines, e.g. diltiazem, lidocaine, metoprolol, nifedipine, procainamide or quinidine
- Medicines for diabetes, e.g. glipizide or metformin
- Medicines or treatments for tumours or cancer, e.g. carmustine, fluorouracil, epirubicin or radiation therapy
- Strong pain killers, e.g. morphine
- Tricyclic antidepressants, e.g. amitriptyline
- Atanazir for AIDS/HIV
- Ciclosporin, which can be used to prevent organ rejection or rheumatism
- Tacrolimus, for eczema
- Theophylline, for respiratory diseases such as asthma or bronchitis.
Some patients may be at higher risk of chest infections when given Tagamet. If you are very elderly or have a pre-existing lung complaint talk to the doctor or nurse before you are given Tagamet. Also, if you develop a cough or chest infection while on Tagamet, you should tell the doctor.
How will you be given your medicine?
Your medicine will be given to you by injection into a muscle, or slowly into a vein. The length of treatment will be decided by your doctor.
The usual adult dose of Tagamet by injection is 200-400 mg every four to six hours.
The dose of Tagamet for children varies with body weight. The usual dose is 25-30 mg for each kg of body weight each day. This is given in divided doses. The maximum recommended dose of Tagamet is 2.4 g a day.
If you think you have missed an injection or that you have been given too much, speak to a nurse or a doctor.
What unwanted effects might your medicine cause?
Side effects with your medicine are usually mild and do not last long. Rarely Tagamet may be associated with some of the following serious effects. If any of the following symptoms occur, seek immediate medical treatment: sudden signs of an allergic reaction such as:
- Rash
- itching or hives on the skin
- swelling of the face, or other parts of the body
- shortness of breath, wheezing or trouble breathing.
Some male patients may notice enlarging of the breasts. Very rarely male or female patients may experience unexpected secretion of breast milk. Contact your doctor should this occur.
The most common side effects that have been reported are headache, diarrhea, skin rashes, muscle pain, joint pain, dizziness and tiredness.
Other effects occurring rarely are:
- hair loss
- mouth ulcers, infections of the throat
- fever
- kidney problems (symptoms may include changes in the amount of urine passed and its colour, nausea, vomiting, confusion, fever and rash)
- confusion (usually in the elderly or ill patients)
- A rare type of anaemia in which the red and white blood cells and platelets are all reduced in number (symptoms might include tiredness, being short of breath, looking pale, frequent infections, bruising more easily or nose bleeds)
- liver inflammation, which might cause one of the following: nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick), loss of appetite, feeling generally unwell, fever, itching, yellowing of the skin and eyes and dark coloured urine
- slowing of heartbeat, irregular heartbeat or fainting
- trouble getting or keeping an erection (impotence)
- feelings of sadness, depression
- hallucinations - seeing/feeling/hearing things that are not there.
All of these conditions should return to normal when you stop taking Tagamet.
Please also see Before you are given your medicine.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of these effects or any other unwanted effects not mentioned above (text in a box)
Storing your medicine
- Your medicine should be stored below 30°C and protected from light, until it is administered to you.
- The doctor or nurse should check that the expiry date on the pack has not been passed.
Leaflet date August 2008
Tagamet is a registered trademark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies
© 2008 GlaxoSmithKline group of companies
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