Interaction Of Cimetidine And Alcohol-reply

Abstract

In Reply.— The data in our article demonstrated a small increase in plasma alcohol levels when patients received cimetidine concurrently with alcohol. Although the mechanism responsible for these changes is unclear, the various possibilities, including increased absorption, were fully discussed in our article. It seems that Dr Tan and colleagues have data that show an increased peak plasma alcohol concentration after cimetidine administration, compatible with our findings, but no notable change in the rate of alcohol absorption. It is unclear, therefore, why they think that increased gastric motility is responsible for the increased alcohol concentrations with cimetidine seen in our study not only at peak levels but for eight hours after administration. The only published reference cited by Dr Tan and colleagues 1 in support of their claim is a letter published by themselves that measured skin oxygen tension on the face after alcohol consumption with and without H 1 and