cimetidine vs valproate

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

major Known Drug Interaction

Cimetidine and Ranitidine Cimetidine and ranitidine do not affect the clearance of valproate.

Drug Class
cimetidine H2 Receptor Antagonist
valproate Anticonvulsant / Mood Stabilizer
Type
cimetidine Over-the-Counter
valproate Prescription
Summary
cimetidine

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

valproate

Valproate sodium injection is used when you cannot take valproate pills. It helps control seizures.

What It Treats
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.

valproate

This medicine treats certain types of seizures. It can be used alone or with other medicines to treat complex partial seizures. It also treats simple and complex absence seizures, and multiple seizure types that include absence seizures.

How It Works
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.

valproate

Valproate affects the levels of certain chemicals in your brain. These chemicals help to control seizures. This medicine helps to reduce the frequency of seizures.

Common Side Effects
cimetidine
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Diarrhea
valproate
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Pain at the injection site
FAERS Reports
cimetidine
  • Chronic Kidney Disease 1,264
  • Acute Kidney Injury 710
  • Renal Failure 694
  • Nausea 681
  • Fatigue 598
valproate
  • Drug Interaction 1,185
  • Foetal Exposure During Pregnancy 1,043
  • Somnolence 950
  • Epilepsy 813
  • Toxicity To Various Agents 757
Serious Warnings
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.

valproate

Valproate can cause life-threatening liver problems, especially in the first 6 months of treatment. Children under 2 and people with mitochondrial disorders have a higher risk. Valproate can also harm an unborn baby, causing birth defects and lower IQ. It can also cause pancreatitis, which can be fatal.

Pregnancy
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.

valproate

Valproate can cause serious birth defects if taken during pregnancy. Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant unless other medicines don't work for you. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take valproate during pregnancy; call 1-888-233-2334 to enroll.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This cimetidine vs valproate Comparison

cimetidine is classified in the H2 Receptor Antagonist drug class, while valproate sits within the Anticonvulsant / Mood Stabilizer 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 valproate has 4,748. 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 major interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to cimetidine does not interfere with how the body breaks down or clears valproate. this means the amount of valproate in your blood should remain stable.. 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 valproate.

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