Drug interactions
Cimetidine + Polysaccharide iron
Severity: Moderate
Cimetidine and Polysaccharide iron: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Reduced gastric acidity can lessen the absorption of oral iron, potentially blunting the response to iron therapy. Polysaccharide iron complexes are somewhat less pH dependent than ferrous salts.
What this interaction means in plain words
Cimetidine and Polysaccharide iron can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Higher gastric pH decreases iron solubility and conversion to absorbable forms.
What to do
Monitor hemoglobin and ferritin response; if response is poor, give iron apart from acid suppression or consider intravenous iron.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Cimetidine
- Cimetidine + Dofetilide Contraindicated
- Cimetidine + Fezolinetant Contraindicated
- Alfentanil + Cimetidine Major
- Atazanavir + Cimetidine Major
- Carmustine + Cimetidine Major
- Cimetidine + Citalopram Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Cimetidine with Polysaccharide iron?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Cimetidine and Polysaccharide iron can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Reduced gastric acidity can lessen the absorption of oral iron, potentially blunting the response to iron therapy. Polysaccharide iron complexes are somewhat less pH dependent than ferrous salts.
How serious is the interaction between Cimetidine and Polysaccharide iron?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor hemoglobin and ferritin response; if response is poor, give iron apart from acid suppression or consider intravenous iron.
What other medicines interact with Cimetidine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Cimetidine with, for example, Dofetilide, Fezolinetant, Alfentanil. The full list is on the Cimetidine page.
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