# Cimetidine in Nigeria

Cimetidine has 23 active NAFDAC registrations in our October 2026 copy of the register, from 16 registration holders; 28 further listings have lapsed.

- Source: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/cimetidine/
- Drug class: Histamine H2-receptor antagonist (Digestive Health)
- Also known as: Tagamet, Cimetidine tablets, Gasrol
- Prescription required: no
- Last updated: October 2026

## Price in Nigeria

As of October 2026, Cimetidine sells for about ₦1,315 online in Nigeria (₦1,000–₦1,630) at Supermart.ng. The online price is roughly unchanged since August 2026. Open-market prices (e.g. Idumota, Ogbogwu) are often lower.

## What is Cimetidine?

Cimetidine reduces stomach acid by blocking histamine H2 receptors on the acid-producing cells of the stomach lining. It was the first drug of its kind anywhere — launched in the 1970s as Tagamet, it was the world's best-selling medicine for years and turned ulcers from a surgical problem into a prescription. Every H2 blocker since is a descendant.

In Nigeria cimetidine remains extremely common. Our copy of the NAFDAC register shows around twenty-three active cimetidine registrations from about sixteen companies, and — unusually — the great majority are made in Nigeria: MeCure, Fidson, Richygold, Sam Pharmaceutical and others. It is cheap, sold widely over the counter, and it is the tablet most Nigerians mean when they say they are 'taking something for ulcer'.

It is also the H2 blocker that medicine elsewhere has largely moved on from, for two reasons: proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole suppress acid far more effectively, and cimetidine interferes with more other medicines than any of its relatives. Neither of those makes it a bad drug for occasional heartburn. Both make it the wrong drug for someone with a real ulcer, or someone on warfarin, phenytoin or several other common medicines.

## What is Cimetidine used for?

- Heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion
- Duodenal and gastric ulcers — though a proton pump inhibitor is now usually preferred
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
- Preventing stomach damage from long-term NSAIDs such as diclofenac
- Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, a rare acid-overproduction disorder
- Not a treatment for the CAUSE of most Nigerian 'ulcer' — see the note on H. pylori below

## Dosage

Always follow a doctor's or pharmacist's instructions; this is general reference information.

- Adults: For heartburn and indigestion, 200mg up to four times daily is typical, or 400mg at night. For a diagnosed ulcer the usual course is 400mg twice daily or 800mg at night for four to eight weeks. Take it with or after food, and the night-time dose at bedtime, since acid production peaks overnight. Occasional heartburn does not need a long course; ulcer treatment does, and stopping early is why ulcers recur.
- Children: Cimetidine is used in children only on medical advice and dosed by weight. Persistent vomiting or feeding difficulty in a child needs a diagnosis, not an acid tablet bought at a counter.
- Elderly: Older adults are more prone to cimetidine's effects on the brain — confusion, agitation and drowsiness — particularly if kidney function is reduced, which it usually is with age. Lower doses are used, and an alternative is often better.

If your 'ulcer' keeps coming back, the missing piece is usually Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial infection of the stomach lining that causes most duodenal ulcers. No acid-reducing tablet cures it — it needs a specific course of two antibiotics plus a proton pump inhibitor, and it can be tested for. Years spent buying cimetidine every few months for a recurring ulcer is years of treating a symptom. And seek medical attention rather than more tablets for weight loss, difficulty swallowing, vomiting blood, or black tarry stools.

## Side effects

Common: Diarrhoea; Headache and dizziness; Tiredness; Muscle aches; Rash.

Serious (seek medical help immediately): Breast enlargement and tenderness in men (gynaecomastia), and reduced libido or erectile difficulty — cimetidine has anti-androgen activity that other H2 blockers do not; Confusion, agitation or hallucinations, especially in older adults and in kidney impairment; Slow heart rate; Liver enzyme disturbance and, rarely, hepatitis; Low blood counts — rare.

When to see a doctor: See a doctor rather than continuing to self-treat for weight loss, difficulty or pain on swallowing, persistent vomiting, vomiting blood, or black tarry stools — those are alarm symptoms and need investigation, not acid suppression. Report breast swelling or tenderness in men, new confusion, or yellowing of the eyes or skin. Heartburn needing treatment for more than two weeks deserves a diagnosis.

## Warnings

Do not take if: Known hypersensitivity to cimetidine; Use with caution in significant kidney or liver impairment — the dose must be reduced; Not the first choice in older adults, where confusion is more likely; Should not mask the alarm symptoms above; treating them with acid suppression delays diagnosis.

Interactions: Warfarin — cimetidine raises the INR and bleeding risk substantially; this is the classic and dangerous interaction; Phenytoin, carbamazepine and theophylline — levels rise toward toxicity; Clopidogrel — cimetidine may reduce its antiplatelet effect; Ketoconazole and itraconazole — need stomach acid to be absorbed; cimetidine reduces their effectiveness; Metformin — levels rise; Many others: cimetidine inhibits several liver enzymes at once, which is the single biggest reason it has been displaced elsewhere. Tell a pharmacist everything you take..

Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Cimetidine has a long record of use and is not known to cause harm in pregnancy, though heartburn in pregnancy is usually managed first with antacids and posture. It passes into breast milk. As with any medicine in pregnancy, use it on advice rather than habit.

## Brands in Nigeria

Well-known NAFDAC-registered brands: MeCure's Cimetidine 400 mg Tablets (Me Cure Industries Limited, made in Nigeria); Cimetidine 400 Tablets (Fidson Healthcare PLC, made in Nigeria); RGI Cimetidine-200 Tablets (Richygold International Limited, made in Nigeria); Gasrol Tablet (Sam Pharmaceutical Limited, made in Nigeria); Coco Cemitab 200 (KCH Consumer Healthcare Limited, made in Nigeria).
Full searchable brand list: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/cimetidine/brands/

## How to verify it is genuine

1. Check the NAFDAC number on the pack — MeCure's Cimetidine 400mg carries A11-0265 and Fidson's Cimetidine 400 carries A11-100353 in our copy of the register.
2. Other registered products include RGI Cimetidine-200 (A4-1517), Gasrol (04-1373) and Coco Cemitab 200 (A4-5614).
3. Confirm any brand with our NAFDAC checker — with around twenty companies holding active registrations, a genuine cimetidine should be easy to find in the register.
4. Most registered cimetidine is made in Nigeria, so a locally made brand here is the norm rather than a compromise.
5. Avoid loose tablets sold by the piece; a blister with a batch number and expiry date is worth the small extra cost.

Verify any NAFDAC number free (no login): https://ogbogwu.com/nafdac-checker/

## FAQs

### Is cimetidine or omeprazole better for ulcer?

For a diagnosed ulcer, omeprazole. Proton pump inhibitors suppress acid far more completely than H2 blockers, heal ulcers faster, and are taken once a day. Cimetidine is still reasonable for occasional heartburn and indigestion, where its milder effect is enough and it is cheap. The bigger point is that most duodenal ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pylori infection, and neither drug cures that on its own — it needs antibiotics alongside a proton pump inhibitor.

### Can cimetidine cause breast enlargement in men?

Yes. Cimetidine has weak anti-androgen activity, and long courses or high doses can cause breast enlargement and tenderness in men, reduced libido and erectile difficulty. It is uncommon at low over-the-counter doses and usually reverses when the drug is stopped, but it is a real effect and it is specific to cimetidine — ranitidine, famotidine and the proton pump inhibitors do not do it. If it happens, tell a doctor and switch rather than persevere.

### Why does my ulcer keep coming back?

Most often because the cause was never treated. Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium living in the stomach lining, causes the majority of duodenal ulcers and a large share of gastric ones. Acid-reducing tablets settle the symptoms and let the ulcer heal, but as soon as they stop the bacteria are still there and the ulcer returns. H. pylori can be tested for and eradicated with a one- or two-week course of two antibiotics plus a proton pump inhibitor. If you have been buying ulcer tablets for years, that test is the conversation to have.

### How much is cimetidine in Nigeria?

It is one of the cheaper medicines on the market — an old off-patent drug with around twenty companies holding active registrations, most manufacturing locally, which keeps prices low and supply reliable. Check the price section of this page for current sampled figures. If cost is why you are choosing cimetidine over omeprazole for a real ulcer, note that generic omeprazole is also inexpensive in Nigeria and is the better treatment.

### Can I take cimetidine with other medicines?

Check first — this is cimetidine's main weakness. It inhibits several liver enzymes at once and raises the blood levels of a long list of other drugs, including warfarin, phenytoin, carbamazepine and theophylline. With warfarin in particular the result can be dangerous bleeding. It also reduces the absorption of ketoconazole and itraconazole. If you take anything else regularly, show your pharmacist the full list before buying cimetidine; famotidine or omeprazole may suit you better.

### Is cimetidine sold over the counter in Nigeria?

Yes, it is widely available without a prescription and is one of the most commonly self-prescribed medicines in the country. That accessibility is useful for occasional heartburn and unhelpful for everything else, because it lets people treat the symptoms of a condition nobody has diagnosed. Two weeks of self-treatment is a sensible limit; beyond that, or with any alarm symptom, see a doctor.

## Sources

- NAFDAC Greenbook (official register of approved products in Nigeria)
- British National Formulary (BNF)
- Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines (Federal Ministry of Health)