Cimetidine disposition in patients with Laennec's cirrhosis during multiple dosing therapy.

The disposition of cimetidine after oral and intravenous administration during multiple dosing was studied in 11 patients with Laennec's cirrhosis. The average metabolic clearance of cimetidine in these patients was 15 l/h, similar to values reported for normal subjects. However, in 4 subjects with plasma prothrombin times above normal, the metabolic clearance was significantly decreased and ranged between 4.3 and 13.0 l/h. The renal clearance of cimetidine was proportional to the creatinine clearance in all subjects, regardless of the severity of the liver disease. The clearance of cimetidine in patients with Laennec's cirrhosis, therefore, appears to be predictable from creatinine clearance and prothrombin time.