Tagamet patients should beware of tyramine - drug interferes with normal liver elimination of tyramine

Nutrition Health Review, Fall, 1990

Tagamet Patients Should Beware Of Tyramine

A 77-year-old woman who was taking cimetidine (Tagamet) for more than three years for treatment of a hiatus hernia began to complain of severe headaches and sudden rise of blood pressure.

Investigation revealed that the patient had consumed a cup of beef-extract drink and cheddar cheese, both rich in the amino acid tyramine. By reducing the dosage of Tagamet and changing to a very low tyramine diet, her headaches subsided and blood pressure returned to normal.

The attending physicians believe a possible explanation for the reactions is that Tagamet interfered with normal liver elimination of tyramine. (Reported in the Drug Intelligence and Clinical Pharmacy Journal 21:219:2/87.)