Drugs in this category have a "tidine" suffix, with examples such as cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine and nizatidine.
These drugs decrease parietal acid secretion to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD typically presents as regurgitation, dysphagia, heartburn when lying down, and patients may also experience night-time cough with dyspnea.
These drugs are effective against peptic ulcer disease. They promote the healing of duodenal and gastric ulcers, although recurrence is common when used alone.
These drugs work by reversibly blocking H2 receptors as competitive inhibitors. This leads to a reduction of histamine-stimulated gastric acid secretion. Histamine is one of the primary stimulators of parietal cell acid secretion, in addition to gastrin and acetylcholine. These drugs are rapidly absorbed and effects are observed quickly.
Gastic parietal cells have a number of receptors, including the histamine H2 receptor at which these drugs are competitive inhibitors.
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