Lack of effect of omeprazole, cimetidine, and ranitidine on the pharmacokinetics of ethanol in fasting male volunteers.

The effects of three gastric antisecretory drugs on the pharmacokinetics of ethanol have been studied in a randomized crossover experiment. Male medical students (n = 12) took ethanol 0.8 g/kg body weight at 08.00 h after an overnight fast. On seven successive days before drinking ethanol they were given omeprazole 20 mg, cimetidine 800 mg, ranitidine 300 mg, or no drug, with a period of at least 7 days between treatments. The peak blood ethanol concentration of 21.9 to 22.8 mmol.l-1 occurred at 64 to 70 min after the end of drinking. The rate of disappearance of ethanol from the blood ranged from 3.0 to 3.3 mmol.l-1.h-1 and the rate of removal from the whole body ranged from 8.0 to 8.5 g.h-1. The apparent volume of distribution of ethanol was almost the same for all four treatments: mean 0.68 l.kg-1, corresponding to a mean total body water of 44 l (59% body weight). Mean areas under the concentration-time profiles of ethanol ranged from 83 to 87 mmol.l-1.h for the four treatments. It is concluded that omeprazole, cimetidine and ranitidine do not alter the kinetics of a moderate dose of ethanol.