Mania-like episodes associated with ranitidine and the cough that would not go away...

Sometimes, the internet can be your best friend, despite its sometimes paranoid inducing onslaught of informational seepage...


I am going to print this out the next time I see my stomach doctor - the one who told me that Zantac would give me little if any side effects on my system (as I'm taking it for my ulcers).

Just when I thought I was really going crazy, the answer might have been as simple as this.

or could it be something more complicated?
I'm going off cold turkey as of today.

I'll keep you posted...


There have been reports of other neuropsychiatnic disorders-
drowsiness, confusion, delirium, visual hallucinations
(2-4), and depression-following treatment with H2 receptom
blockers (ranitidine or cimetidine), but we believe this to
be the first report of acute mania.

The mechanism is unknown, but ranitidine crosses the
blood-brain barrier (2), and there is experimental evidence in
animals of cerebral H1 and/or H2 histaminic receptors that
have the capacity to bind not only antihistamines but also
some antidepressant drugs (5, 6). However, the therapeutic
effects of these may be related to other mechanisms.

REFERENCES
1. Billings RF, Stein MB: Depression associated with ranitidine.
Am J Psychiatry 1986; 143:915-916

2. Price W, Coli L, Brandstetter RD, et at: Ranitidine-associated
hallucinations. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1985; 29:375-376

3. Mani RB, Spellun JS, Frank JH, et at: H2 receptor blockers and
mental confusion (letter). Lancet 1984; 2:98

4. Silverstone PH: Ranitidine and confusion (letter). Lancet 1984;
1: 1071

S. Coupet J, Szuchs-Myers VA: Brain histamine H1 and H2
receptors and histamine sensitive adrenylate cyclase: effects of
antipsychotics and antidepressants. Eur J Pharmacot 1981; 74:
149-155