Abstract
A 68-year-old man was admitted for evaluation of upper abdominal pain. Gastrointestinal fiberscopy revealed multiple erosions in the body and antrum of the stomach. An acute gastric mucosal lesion was diagnosed. Famotidine, 20mg, was administered every 12 hours. The next day the patient experienced hallucinations and disorientation and loitered. The symptons persisted, and on day 4 famotidine was discontinued. His neurologic symptons relolved within 24 hours.
Neurologic symptons due to H2-receptor antagonists are known, but few cases have been reported. The reported cases were either caused by large doses or were in elderly patients or patients with liver or renal failure. Our patient was an elderly man with normal liver and renal function. Famotidine is being used with increasing frequency, and its adverse effects are often neglected. We advocate careful usage since side effects, such as those seen in our patient, could happen.
