Famotidine, sold under the brand name Pepcid among others, is a histamine H2 receptor antagonist medication that decreases stomach acid production. It is used to treat peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. It is taken by mouth or by injection into a vein. It begins working within an hour.Common side effects include headache, intestinal upset, and dizziness. Serious side effects may include pneumonia and seizures. Use in pregnancy appears safe but has not been well studied while use during breastfeeding is not recommended.Famotidine was patented in 1979 and came into medical use in 1985. It is available as a generic medication. In 2019, it was the 104th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 6 million prescriptions. Medical uses
Relief of heartburn, acid indigestion, and sour stomach
Treatment for gastric and duodenal ulcers
Treatment for pathologic gastrointestinal hypersecretory conditions such as Zollinger–Ellison syndrome and multiple endocrine adenomas
Treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Treatment for esophagitis
Part of a multidrug regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication, although omeprazole may be somewhat more effective. Prevention of NSAID-induced peptic ulcers. Given to surgery patients before operations to reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonitis. Pharmacokinetics
Famotidine has a delayed onset of action, beginning after 90 minutes. However, famotidine has a duration of effect of at least 540 minutes (9.0 h). At its peak effect, 210 minutes (3.5 h) after administration, famotidine reduces acid secretion by 7.3 mmol per 30 minutes.
An externally attached leech will detach and fall off on its own accord when it is satiated on blood, which may take from twenty minutes to a few hours; bleeding from the wound may continue for some time. Internal attachments, such as inside the nose, are more likely to require medical intervention.Bacteria, viruses, and protozoan parasites from previous blood sources can survive within a leech for months, so leeches could potentially act as vectors of pathogens. Nevertheless, only a few cases of leeches transmitting pathogens to humans have been reported.Leech saliva is commonly believed to contain anaesthetic compounds to numb the bite area, but this has never been proven. Although morphine-like substances have been found in leeches, they have been found in the neural tissues, not the salivary tissues. They are used by the leeches in modulating their own immunocytes and not for anaesthetising bite areas on their hosts. Depending on the species and size, leech bites can be barely noticeable or they can be fairly painful. In human culture
The leech appears in Proverbs 30:15 as an archetype of insatiable greed. More generally, a leech is a persistent social parasite or sycophant.The medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis, and some other species, have been used for clinical bloodletting for at least 2,500 years: Ayurvedic texts describe their use for bloodletting in ancient India.