Cimetidine and Acute Intermittent Porphyria
Authors: Jose Halabe Cherem, Jose Malagon, Haiko Nellen
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2005)

Letters1 November 2005Cimetidine and Acute Intermittent PorphyriaJose Halabe Cherem, MD, Jose Malagon, MD, and Haiko Nellen, MDJose Halabe Cherem, MDFrom Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglio XXI IMSS, 06720 Mexico D.F., Jose Malagon, MDFrom Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglio XXI IMSS, 06720 Mexico D.F., and Haiko Nellen, MDFrom Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglio XXI IMSS, 06720 Mexico D.F.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-143-9-200511010-00023 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Background: Management of acute porphyric crisis involves withdrawal of offending drugs, treatment of symptoms with appropriate medications, and attempts to reverse factors that increase aminolevulinic acid synthetase activity. Hematin, the standard therapy for porphyria, is not always immediately available. Cimetidine may have a role in the treatment of acute intermittent porphyria by inhibiting heme oxidase activity, decreasing heme consumption, and inhibiting aminolevulinic acid synthetase through a negative feedback mechanism (1-4). We successfully treated 4 patients with acute intermittent porphyria with cimetidine; the drug also appeared to be effective for secondary prevention of subsequent episodes.Objective: To determine ...References1. Baccino E, Lan Cheong Wah LS, Bressollette L, Mottier D. Cimetidine in the treatment of acute intermittent porphyria [Letter]. JAMA. 1989;262:3000. [PMID: 2810642] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Siepmann M, Stolzel U, Sieg I, Leo-Rossberg I, Riecken EO, Doss MO. [Cimetidine in treatment of acute intermittent porphyria]. Z Gastroenterol. 1993;31:246-9. [PMID: 8493805] MedlineGoogle Scholar3. Horie R, Yatomi Y, Wakabayashi T, Ohno Y, Eriguchi M, Higashihara M, et al. Primary gastric T-cell lymphomas: report of two cases and a review of the literature. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 1999;29:171-8. [PMID: 10225702] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Rogers PD. Cimetidine in the treatment of acute intermittent porphyria. Ann Pharmacother. 1997;31:365-7. [PMID: 9066947] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglio XXI IMSS, 06720 Mexico D.F.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByDetecting rare diseases in electronic health records using machine learning and knowledge engineering: Case study of acute hepatic porphyriaAcute hepatic porphyrias: Current diagnosis & managementHistamine 2 Receptor Antagonists and Proton Pump InhibitorsThe Porphyrias and Sideroblastic AnemiasLa porfiria aguda intermitente, un problema diagnósticoPorfiria aguda intermitente y elevación crónica de las transaminasasOxidative Stress in Porphyria and Carriers 1 November 2005Volume 143, Issue 9Page: 694-695KeywordsAbdominal painDrugsElectromyographyHemeHyponatremiaLigasesNeuropathyPorphyriaSodiumSurgery ePublished: 1 November 2005 Issue Published: 1 November 2005 CopyrightCopyright © 2005 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...