Cimetidine Impairs Elimination of Chlordiazepoxide (Librium) in Man

  1. PAUL V. DESMOND, M.B., B.S.;
  2. RASHMI V. PATWARDHAN, M.D.;
  3. STEVEN SCHENKER, M.D.; and
  4. K. V. SPEEG, Jr., M.D., Ph.D.
  1. Nashville, Tennessee

    Abstract

    We have studied chlordiazepoxide (Librium) disposition and elimination in eight normal subjects before and after 1 week of Cimetidine therapy, 300 mg orally four times a day. Cimetidine strikingly impaired the clearance of chlordiazepoxide from plasma, and this was, at least in part, due to decreased demethylation of the drug to N-desmethylchlordiazepoxide. Since the volume of distribution of chlordiazepoxide was not altered by cimetidine, the elimination half-life of chlordiazepoxide was also significantly prolonged by cimetidine therapy.

    Article and Author Information

    • ▸From the Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Nashville Veterans Administration Medical Center; Nashville, Tennessee.

    • ▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to K. V. Speeg, Jr., M.D.; Veterans Administration Medical Center, 1310 24th Avenue South; Nashville, TN 37203.

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    1. Ann Intern Med August 1, 1980 vol. 93 no. 2 266-268
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