[Effects of the histamine H2 receptor antagonist roxatidine acetate on stomach and liver alcohol dehydrogenase and serum alcohol level].

Some histamine-H2-receptor antagonists block gastric first-pass metabolism of ethanol and lead to increased blood alcohol concentrations after ingestion of a low dose (0.15 and 0.3 g/kg) of alcohol. To investigate whether the histamine-H2-receptor antagonist roxatidine acetate has a similar effect, we administered a low dose (0.3 g/kg) of ethanol to eleven volunteers before and after seven days treatment with roxatidine acetate (150 mg once daily). No effect of the drug on mean peak serum alcohol concentrations or on areas under the serum alcohol curves was found. In vitro, roxatidine acetate and its active metabolite roxatidine had almost no effect on guinea-pig gastric alcohol dehydrogenase activity. We conclude that roxatidine acetate does not block gastric first-pass metabolism of ethanol and can be considered as a safe histamine-H2-receptor antagonist in individuals who do not refrain from alcohol consumption under treatment for gastric or duodenal ulcer disease.