cimetidine vs terbinafine
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 cimetidine and terbinafine. 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
Drug interactions have also been noted with cimetidine, fluconazole, cyclosporine, rifampin, and caffeine. Terbinafine clearance is increased 100% by rifampin, a CYP450 enzyme inducer, and decreased 33% by cimetidine, a CYP450 enzyme inhibitor.
Tagamet
Lamisil
Cimetidine (Tagamet) reduces stomach acid. It is used to treat ulcers, heartburn, and other conditions where too much acid is produced.
Terbinafine is an antifungal medicine. It is used to treat fungal infections of the fingernails and toenails.
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.
Terbinafine treats onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the toenails or fingernails. Before you start taking this medicine, your doctor should take a nail sample. This is to make sure the infection is caused by a fungus.
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.
Terbinafine belongs to a class of medicines called allylamine antifungals. It works by stopping the growth of fungi. This eventually kills the fungus causing the infection.
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Diarrhea
- • Headache
- • Diarrhea
- • Rash
- • Upset stomach
- • Abnormal liver enzyme tests
- Chronic Kidney Disease 1,264
- Acute Kidney Injury 710
- Renal Failure 694
- Nausea 681
- Fatigue 598
- Rash 391
- Pruritus 316
- Fatigue 300
- Nausea 280
- Ageusia 270
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.
Terbinafine can cause liver problems, including liver failure. Your doctor should check your liver before you start taking it and regularly while you are taking it. Tell your doctor right away if you have nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness, vomiting, pain in your upper right belly area, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or pale stools. If you have taste changes, stop taking terbinafine. These changes can be severe, long-lasting, or even permanent. Tell your doctor if you feel depressed or have other mood changes.
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.
Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if terbinafine will harm your unborn baby. Terbinafine passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while taking this medicine.
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How to Read This cimetidine vs terbinafine Comparison
cimetidine is classified in the H2 Receptor Antagonist drug class, while terbinafine sits within the Allylamine Antifungal 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, cimetidine has 3,947 submissions while terbinafine has 1,557. 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 slows down the process of removing terbinafine from your body by blocking certain liver enzymes.. 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 cimetidine or terbinafine.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.