carvedilol vs cimetidine

PlainMeds reviewed this comparison against our methodology in August 2026. It places FDA and CMS record fields side by side, without recommending either medication.

Side-by-side comparison of carvedilol and cimetidine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Cimetidine increased AUC by about 30% but caused no change in C max [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.5 )] .

Drug Class
carvedilol Beta-Blocker (Alpha/Beta)
cimetidine H2 Receptor Antagonist
Type
carvedilol Prescription
cimetidine Over-the-Counter
Summary
carvedilol

Carvedilol is a medicine that lowers blood pressure and helps your heart work better. It belongs to a class of drugs called alpha/beta-blockers.

cimetidine

Cimetidine (Tagamet) reduces stomach acid. It is used to treat ulcers, heartburn, and other conditions where too much acid is produced.

What It Treats
carvedilol

Carvedilol treats a few different heart conditions. It is used for long-term heart failure to help you live longer and go to the hospital less. It also helps people who had a heart attack and have a weak heart pump. Carvedilol can also treat high blood pressure.

cimetidine

Cimetidine treats active duodenal ulcers for short periods. It can also be used long-term at a lower dose to prevent ulcers from returning. This medicine also treats active benign gastric ulcers for a short time. Additionally, it can help with erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which damages the esophagus.

How It Works
carvedilol

Carvedilol works by blocking the effects of certain natural chemicals in your body, such as adrenaline. This helps to relax blood vessels and slows down your heart rate. As a result, it lowers blood pressure and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood.

cimetidine

Cimetidine is an H2 receptor antagonist. This means it blocks histamine from attaching to certain cells in your stomach. By blocking histamine, cimetidine reduces the amount of acid your stomach makes.

Common Side Effects
carvedilol
  • Dizziness
  • Tiredness
  • Low blood pressure
  • Diarrhea
  • High blood sugar
cimetidine
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Diarrhea
FAERS Reports
carvedilol
  • Fatigue 8,669
  • Dyspnoea 8,178
  • Diarrhoea 6,867
  • Dizziness 6,776
  • Nausea 6,492
cimetidine
  • Chronic Kidney Disease 1,264
  • Acute Kidney Injury 710
  • Renal Failure 694
  • Nausea 681
  • Fatigue 598
Serious Warnings
carvedilol

Do not stop taking carvedilol suddenly if you have heart problems. This can make chest pain worse and may cause a heart attack. If you need to stop taking carvedilol, your doctor will slowly lower your dose over 1 to 2 weeks. Carvedilol can also cause your heart rate to slow down too much or lower your blood pressure too much. If your pulse rate drops below 55 beats per minute, talk to your doctor about lowering the dose.

cimetidine

Reversible confusional states (like mental confusion, agitation, or hallucinations) have been reported, mostly in severely ill patients. These usually appear within 2-3 days of starting treatment and clear up within 3-4 days of stopping the drug.

Pregnancy
carvedilol

It is not known if carvedilol will harm your unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Beta-blockers like carvedilol may cause low blood pressure, slow heart rate, and breathing problems in newborns.

cimetidine

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. The effects of cimetidine during pregnancy are not fully known. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking cimetidine while breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This carvedilol vs cimetidine Comparison

carvedilol is classified in the Beta-Blocker (Alpha/Beta) drug class, while cimetidine sits within the H2 Receptor Antagonist class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are split between OTC and prescription status, which affects access and supervision.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, carvedilol has 36,982 submissions while cimetidine has 3,947. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to cimetidine interferes with how your body processes carvedilol, causing the total amount of carvedilol in your blood to increase by about 30%.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for carvedilol or cimetidine.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.