N.Y. clinical trial for famotidine (Pepcid) and COVID-19

[Mary]

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/202...y-tests-heartburn-remedy-against-coronavirus#

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/he...ovid-19-treatment/ar-BB13fflX?ocid=spartandhp

fwiw, several years ago my doctor had me try something like this - I can't remember if it was Pepcid, it was some kind of heartburn medicine, in an attempt to boost my immune system. Unfortunately it caused a very black mood which I couldn't handle so had to stop it.

eta: I rememberd the name of the heartburn drug I tried unsuccessfully for my immune system several years ago: cimetidine, or tagamet.

 

[Hip]

I actually tried famotidine some years ago, in an attempt to improve my emotional flatness and anhedonia.

Unfortunately in my case it just made me feel extremely vague mentally (detailed in this post), although that side effect might not happen with others.

 

[Sushi]

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/202...y-tests-heartburn-remedy-against-coronavirus#

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/he...ovid-19-treatment/ar-BB13fflX?ocid=spartandhp

fwiw, several years ago my doctor had me try something like this - I can't remember if it was Pepcid, it was some kind of heartburn medicine, in an attempt to boost my immune system. Unfortunately it caused a very black mood which I couldn't handle so had to stop it.

I was given IV Pepcid during prep for a cardiac procedure. It is an H2 antagonist and histamine can be released during anesthesia and surgery. I don’t know if there’s any relationship between this and what they are investigating for COVID-19 though, but it was interesting that the anesthesiologist gave it.

 

[andyguitar]

Looks like its being used to block an enzyme that help viruses to replicate. So if it does work it will reduce the viral load. Sounds interesting.

 

[wigglethemouse]

That's the last thing people who take pepcid need. Ranitidine was removed from the market by the FDA, and Nizatidine has issues too. That leaves cimetidine or famotidine as the only H2 blockers left. MCAS folks are reporting pepcid is now very hard to get.

 

[valentinelynx]

I was given IV Pepcid during prep for a cardiac procedure. It is an H2 antagonist and histamine can be released during anesthesia and surgery. I don’t know if there’s any relationship between this and what they are investigating for COVID-19 though, but it was interesting that the anesthesiologist gave it.

We (anesthesiologists) routinely give H2 blockers pre-op for the purpose of increasing the pH of the stomach (reducing acid productions) so that in the rare case of aspiration, it reduces the harm to the lungs from stomach juices.

 

[valentinelynx]

Looks like its being used to block an enzyme that help viruses to replicate. So if it does work it will reduce the viral load. Sounds interesting.

That is interesting. I take famotidine twice a day as part of my MCAS treatment. Perhaps it would be helpful if I contract Covid-19?

Actually, now that I look into it, it's annoying. It appears that everyone and their brother has decided to buy all the famotidine in the stores and on Amazon, so those of us who need it can't get it!

 

[Avena]

I’ve read a lot about Pepcid in Mast Cell-realated anectodes. Covid-19 is known to cause a Cytokine Storm, something that is also found in Mastocytosis...

 

[Learner1]

A lot of things can cause a cytokine storm.

 

[andyguitar]

Pepcid blocks the H2 receptors in the stomach. But I would doubt it has any Effect on cytokine release in the respiritory tract. No H2 receptors there. Always possible that it could be having an unknown effect but I would put my money on it reducing virus replication. Pretty good news if it does work. Cheapish drug.

 

[Mary]

That is interesting. I take famotidine twice a day as part of my MCAS treatment. Perhaps it would be helpful if I contract Covid-19?

Actually, now that I look into it, it's annoying. It appears that everyone and their brother has decided to buy all the famotidine in the stores and on Amazon, so those of us who need it can't get it!

Could you switch to cimetidine? It's available on Amazon. I wonder if it would have the same effect on COVID-19 as famotidine apparently has.

 

[andyguitar]

Could you switch to cimetidine? It's available on Amazon. I wonder if it would have the same effect on COVID-19 as famotidine apparently has.

Looking into this suggests to me that Cimetidine might be more effective, both it and famotidine have shown an effect in reducing HIV replication. Lots about it from years ago so it's not a new idea. Try putting this into your search box..... effect of Cimetidine on HIV replication.... Sounds encouraging to me

 

[PatJ]

This info from other PR posts might be relevant:

From ArtVandelay on PR:
Dr. Jay Goldstein in the late 1970s and early 1980s claimed that cimetidine (Tagamet) and ranitidine (Zantac) were effective in combating herpes infections; particularly EBV.

Cimetidine, ranitidine, and Epstein-Barr virus infection. Goldstein JA. Ann Intern Med. 1986 Jul;105(1):139.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=(ranitidine[Title/Abstract])+AND+Goldstein+JA[Author]

Also, Treatment of chronic Epstein-Barr virus disease with H2 blockers. Goldstein JA. J Clin Psychiatry. 1986 Nov;47(11):572).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3021713

From zzz on PR:
The best documented, most scientific alternative EBV treatment (which should really be mainstream) is the one Dr. Jay Goldstein developed for treating his mononucleosis patients in 1979. He used Tagamet (an H(2) blocker), but once Zantac came out, he switched to that, because it had far fewer side effects. For 90% of his mono patients, Zantac 150 twice a day got rid of all mono symptoms in a day or two. Over the years, this treatment was done on well over a hundred patients. This treatment was also very helpful for 20% of his CFS patients.

There are papers published on this, but no clinical studies. Why? Here's Dr. Goldstein's explanation:

As a probably predictable aside, I should mention no one evinced the slightest curiosity about how these results [the rapid termination of LSD effects using niacin] were accomplished, and this "antidote" remains little known thirty years later, much like my discovery in 1979 that cimetidine made acute infectious mononucleosis in teenagers or adults (and varicella, too) resolve in one or two days. I am getting tired of whining about it, but hardly anyone is aware of this treatment, even now [in 2004, 25 years after its discovery]. Although I reported a 90 percent cure rate in over 100 patients (rather high for a placebo response), the results were "anecdotal". Naturally, I was unable to get a grant to perform a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment. "But Tagamet (and later Zantac) is for ulcers," the reviewers would write. The fact that the chairman of the department of infectious diseases at the local medical school was my coinvestigator on the grant proposal did not grease the wheel at all.​

And the drug companies wouldn't pay for such a study - the antivirals are so much more profitable than Zantac.

 

[ZeroGravitas]

Happened to have just watched a MedCram video on this:

He says the Covid-19 treatment protocol [with Pepcid] is 9 times regular dose, intravenously.

Sounds like its especially promising because of clinical evidence (retrospective analysis of borderline significance) plus simulated molecular action against that viral protein @andyguitar mentioned. (Seems like vit-D might be more useful, still, from the comments section.)

 

[Strawberry]

Could you switch to cimetidine? It's available on Amazon. I wonder if it would have the same effect on COVID-19 as famotidine apparently has.

I need to get this ordered then! I've had a hard time finding famotidine as it was, then Monday hit... I have a 50 day supply, but now I feel the need to stock up even more.

 

[valentinelynx]

Could you switch to cimetidine? It's available on Amazon. I wonder if it would have the same effect on COVID-19 as famotidine apparently has.

I'm actually surprised that cimetidine is still on the market. It's very rarely prescribed in my experience anymore because it is problematic for many reasons. One major reason is that it is a potent inhibitor of metabolism of many drugs by the liver. It also can cause confusion in the elderly and causes hormonal disruptions, for example, gynecomastia in men. Here's a reference.

 

[godlovesatrier]

Am I right that Pepcid is the only h2 blocker left on the market? Zantac and tagamet both discontinued, nizatidine has issues apparently but I'm not aware of what they are and I'm not sure if this drug was discontinued or not.

So basically it seems like all of them apart from pepcid and its potentially dark suicidal/depressive side effects is available?

Considering it's ebv blocking potential that's very annoying. Tagamet seemed like the best drug overall.

 

[godlovesatrier]

Related

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1525790342921920512

Seems to also have action on the vagus nerve. I'm not literate enough to understand whether the study is any good or not.

So that's three modes of action, lowering cytokines, inhibiting histamine? And blocking ebv protein replication.