Famotidine

In gastroenterology, famotidine is a competitive Histamine H2 antagonist. Its main pharmacodynamic effect is the inhibition of gastric secretion.

History

Pepcid brand of famotidine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. It is available as a generic, and also in over-the-counter forms.

Pharmacology

Administration

It is most commonly administered orally, as a tablet or suspension. An intravenous preparation is approved for hospitalized patients.

Toxicity

Drug toxicity includes

Clinical use

Veterinary medicine

Famotidine is useful for gastrointestinal irritation in cats. It is most commonly administered as a tablet, always a challenge in cats. For human use, oral suspensions are approved, but before use in cats, the "inert ingredients" must be checked to ensure that the preparation does not contain xylitol or other sugar alcohols as sweeteners. These are toxic in cats, and cats, in any event, cannot taste sweetness.

The parenteral preparation may also be administered subcutaneously, which may well be less stressful, for home care, both to cat and human.

External links

The most up-to-date information about Famotidine and other drugs can be found at the following sites.

• Famotidine - FDA approved drug information (drug label) from DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
• Famotidine - Drug information for consumers from MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
• Famotidine - Detailed information from DrugBank.