# Famotidine

Category: Drugs & Compounds

Also known as: Pepcid

Famotidine is an over-the-counter histamine H2 receptor antagonist, sold under the trade name Pepcid, that has been identified as a potent serotonin antagonist capable of stopping acute serotonin syndrome, a condition with a lethality rate over 40%. Georgi Dinkov has emphasized…

8 passages · 1 author · 2019–2023 · Most-cited: [Georgi Dinkov](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/voices/georgi-dinkov/index.md)

Canonical page: https://bioenergeticoracle.com/concepts/famotidine

## Synthesis

**Famotidine** is an over-the-counter histamine H2 receptor antagonist, sold under the trade name Pepcid, that has been identified as a **potent serotonin antagonist** capable of stopping acute serotonin syndrome, a condition with a lethality rate over 40%. [Source 1, 2, 5] Georgi Dinkov has emphasized that at a dosage of just 20 milligrams, a single pill can produce a profound anti-serotonin effect, and studies have demonstrated it can rapidly drop blood sugar in type 2 diabetics from a range of 180–200 mg/dL to below 100 mg/dL, an effect attributed to its interruption of serotonin's drive on cortisol. [Source 1, 4] Unlike the newer proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as Prilosec and Nexium, which Dinkov describes as highly toxic and capable of inducing *atrophic gastritis*—a precursor to gastric cancer—famotidine is an older drug that actually has a **trophic effect on the gastric mucosa**, making it therapeutic for healing gastritis rather than merely suppressing acid. [Source 1, 2, 8]

Dinkov has written that famotidine's anti-serotonin action extends to resolving symptoms of intestinal irritation that manifest as systemic allergies, and he notes that people with asthma and severe allergies see these symptoms disappear when taking it, even though it is not classified as an H1 antagonist. [Source 6] He has also reported that a single 20 mg dose can stop the wave of endotoxin symptoms—low-grade fever, chills, and shivering—permanently, sometimes more reliably than cyproheptadine. [Source 5] The drug's mechanism is further broadened by its action as a **carbonic anhydrase inhibitor**, which Dinkov states is even more powerful than vitamin B1 or acetazolamide, and likely explains its observed benefit in COVID-19 by alleviating carbon dioxide deficiency and hypoxia. [Source 7] This inhibition of carbonic anhydrase positions famotidine as a tool for improving cellular respiration and CO2 retention. [Source 7]

In the context of digestive health, Dinkov contrasts famotidine sharply with PPIs, which he argues decimate stomach acid production and allow bacterial colonization of the *small intestine*, causing hard-to-eradicate intestinal overgrowth and endotoxemia. [Source 8] Famotidine, by acting as an antihistamine and anti-serotonin agent, handles acid-related issues without abolishing acid production entirely, making it one of the best interventions for digestion. [Source 8] It is also recommended as an accessible anti-serotonin remedy for food poisoning, where it helps with nausea and the underlying effects, and can be combined with charcoal or coconut oil to increase gastric motility and cleanse the tract. [Source 3] Dinkov has noted that its only known side effect, inhibition of platelet aggregation, is consistent with its anti-serotonin profile and is shared by aspirin and cyproheptadine. [Source 5]

## People also ask

### How does famotidine stop serotonin syndrome?

Georgi Dinkov emphasized that famotidine is a potent serotonin antagonist, and a single 20 mg dose can produce a profound anti-serotonin effect capable of halting acute serotonin syndrome.

### Why is famotidine considered safer than PPIs for the stomach?

Dinkov argued that unlike proton pump inhibitors, which can induce atrophic gastritis, famotidine has a trophic effect on the gastric mucosa and handles acid issues without abolishing acid production entirely.

### What explains famotidine's observed benefit in COVID-19?

Dinkov stated that famotidine acts as a powerful carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, even stronger than acetazolamide, which likely alleviates carbon dioxide deficiency and hypoxia.

## Related concepts

- [Aspirin](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/aspirin/index.md)
- [Acidosis](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/acidosis/index.md)
- [Autophagy](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/autophagy/index.md)
- [Beef](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/beef/index.md)
- [Bohr effect](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/bohr-effect/index.md)
- [Depression](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/depression/index.md)

## Cited passages

Passage numbers match the `[Source N]` markers in the synthesis above.

### Source 1 — Health, Diet and Maximizing Masculinity With Returning Guest Georgi Dinkov | Fireside Chat 190

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Sep 9, 2021

> **Georgi Dinkov:** And that happens to be the formulations most commonly sold in most drugstores and grocery stores, usually 25 or 50 milligram capsules. So if it's a 25 milligram capsule, one capsule, you know, one, two, three times daily, maybe even four, but the cutoff seems to be 150 milligrams daily. Anything above that turns Benadryl into, it still remains an anti-allergy drug, but it starts acting serotonergically, and that's not a good thing. It actually may end up exacerbating symptoms. Another drug... which used to have almost no side effects and it's available over the counter and it's safe in virtually any dose that has been tried in humans. And by the way, it's been now being tried for treating Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, both of which, as I mentioned, now have a serotonin implicated in the cause, is the anti-acid drug famotidine, also known under the trademark Pepsin. It's sold as an acid blocker in stores. It's a second generation acid blocker. The third generation, the most modern ones, which also means the most toxic ones, are the so-called proton pump inhibitors, which include things like Prilosec, Nexium, Omeprazole, right? So the second generation are actually histamine antagonists, similar to Benadryl, but act on a different receptor, histamine receptor 2. Benadryl acts on the histamine receptor 1. But older studies demonstrated there is no such thing as a selective histamine blocker. A drug that acts on one receptor at a sufficiently high dosage will act on all of them. Anyways, long story short, famotidine has been found to have a very potent anti-serotonin effect, so potent that it's capable of stopping a full-blown acute serotonin syndrome in the hospital, which is... It has a lethality rate of over 40%, and so far has been known to be only stoppable by the anti-serotonin drug ciproheptadine, which is another drug developed as an allergy medication for kids, available in most countries over the counter.

### Source 2 — #03: Vitamin E, Cancer, Thyroid, Sugar, and Aspirin with Georgi Dinkov

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · May 31, 2019 · https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Wg95vNQK5aJT717Av49Yn

> **Georgi Dinkov:** Gastritis is actually – it's considered an inflammatory disease and it could be chronic, right? But it has been shown – the typical treatment is with proton pump inhibitors, these notorious drugs. And for a long time, they thought that, you know, the cause of gastritis was excessive acid production. The same thing as, you know, they thought that was the cause for GERD, right? But it turns out that both GERD, gastrointestinal reflux disease, and gastritis are actually inflammatory conditions. And the proton pump inhibitors, they don't treat them. They actually, they just switch the gastritis from the relatively benign one in which the lining of the stomach is simply irritated into the very dangerous one called atrophic gastritis, which is a precursor condition to gastrointestinal cancer. So initially when the proton pump inhibitor drugs were being developed and tested and submitted to FDA for approval, not many people know, but FDA actually rejected the first two applications for what is it called, Prilosec? And I think, I forget what was the other one, but basically two of the Prozol drugs were initially rejected for approval because FDA had serious concerns about their potential to cause gastric cancer. And of course, the pharmaceutical companies quickly concealed that data. They got approved. But gastritis is an inflammatory condition. If you want to use a drug to treat it, the most successful one to date is the older histamine H2 antagonist known as famotidine. It's available over-the-counter as the drug Pepsin. And actually, initially, it was developed as a treatment for gastritis and not so much as an anti-acid drug. Later on, they found out that it has those effects as well. So, famotidine has a number of different... Not only it is anti-inflammatory, but it has a highly trophic effect specifically on the gastric mucosa, which is crucial for alleviating gastritis, for curing it, actually.

### Source 3 — #17: Progesterone/DHEA Study Results, Field Biology, NAFLD, and Vitamin E with Georgi Dinkov

Georgi Dinkov (with Danny Roddy) · Interview · Feb 21, 2020 · https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Ari0W9sBDaSeJPiyQo5nb

> **Danny Roddy:** Your microphone actually sounds like way, way better.
>
> **Georgi Dinkov:** By pointing upwards. Yeah, that was the ticket.
>
> **Danny Roddy:** Okay. Yeah, it sounds just like more like radio broadcast. More crisp. Sounds very good. Okay, Gabriel Tarouchi. I'm sure I butchered your last name. For $10, thank you so much, Gabriel. He says, how about a food poisoning? Horrendous experience. What can be done if someone is experiencing this? Can you recommend any anti-nausea substances, natural, over-the-counter, or prescription? Thank you.
>
> **Georgi Dinkov:** Well, if there's food poisoning, probably the best remedy is charcoal. And in my experience, anti-serotonin chemicals help as well a lot both for the nausea and for the actual effects of the food poisoning. I guess since most people don't have access to cyproheptadine, in terms of anti-serotonin chemicals, famotidine, which is sold as an anti-acid drug, has repeatedly been shown to also have a very potent anti-serotonin effect as well. So you can get it from any store in the United States. You just go and ask for Pepsid or just ask the pharmacist for famotidine. They'll show you where it's sold. You can probably find it on the shelves as well. And like I said, for food poisoning. And then I've also noticed that I was reading on specific techniques in Ayurveda for treating food poisoning. And actually, they give a higher dosage of coconut oil because it increases gastric motility. So basically, if there's anything stuck in your gastrointestinal tract, if you take like an ounce, it's quite a bit. But if you take an ounce of, let's say, coconut oil, apparently that's enough to trigger like a cleansing effect. You know, you'd be running to the bathroom, but it helps get rid of whatever it is that you ingested that's causing trouble.

### Source 4 — Health, Diet and Maximizing Masculinity With Returning Guest Georgi Dinkov | Fireside Chat 190

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Sep 9, 2021

> **Georgi Dinkov:** Unfortunately, not in the United States over the counter, but you may be able to get it. But famotidine is over the counter, and in dosages of about 20 milligrams, which happen to be only one pill, it should be able to have a profound anti-serotonin effect. studies have also demonstrated that they may actually be able to cure on the spot a type 2 diabetic and drop their blood sugar from the mid, so let's say from a range of about 180 to 200 to below 100, even a single dosage of famotidine. Now, there is no other drug known on the market that is capable of doing that by manipulating blood sugar levels. The only possible explanation is that famotidine works on a system that controls blood glucose levels, and it's known that serotonin... increases the levels of cortisol, and cortisol can cause directly type 2 diabetes. Cortisol blockers, such as RU486, are now being tried in multiple clinical trials to actually cure type 2 diabetes. And in fact, it's being used already off the label in several countries. Again, back to the serotonin. So tremors, almost invariably driven by serotonin and or high stress hormones. Adrenaline can make you shake. Most people know that. But it tends to be a relatively short-lived shaking. And usually if you eat or you go to bed or sleep or you're calm, you don't shake. If the shaking continues, then it's an indication that it's more of a serotonin issue. And for motilin or eating more salt, salt can lower both adrenaline and also the increase the deactivation of serotonin. So maybe ask your mom to maybe eat slightly. saltier meal before going to bed and maybe take a pill from otterine and see how she feels All right.

### Source 5 — #05: Global Warming, Serotonin, Dopamine, Nitric Oxide, Depression, and BPA with Georgi Dinkov

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Jun 29, 2019 · https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IH5gP5oQMxEcgEikcoiEs

> **Georgi Dinkov:** It still had beneficial effects in all the schizophrenics And on the glucose and the free fatty acids, but without the suppression of the gastric acid, which is what we don't want, right? And it's not known to cause weight gain. The only side effect that it is known to have, which also confirms its anti-serotonin effects, is inhibiting platelet aggregation, which is anti-serotonin drugs do. Cyproheptamine has the same side effect. Aspirin has the same side effect. But anyways, 20 milligrams of famotidine should be able to achieve something similar to... even though not cyproheptadine, similar to the TPH inhibitor fenclonine, which is, it may be actually preferable because instead of relying on a receptor antagonist, right, which acts on specific receptors, you know, you're actually cutting off the serotonin synthesis altogether. You're dramatically inhibiting it. I've tried for more and I actually have nothing but good things to say about it. If I feel bloated for whatever reason or I feel like this wave of endotoxin is hitting me, which is like the low-grade fever, chills, shivering, right, even in the middle of the summer, one tablet of 20 milligrams stops it and basically never comes back. With cyproheptadine, sometimes I've had to take multiple doses for that to happen because I like to use the lower doses. Maybe cyproheptadine will work if you take more, but I don't want to take more. But famoridin, and it's sold in this dosage over-the-counter, 20 milligrams, single tablet, usually resolves the issues for good.

### Source 6 — The ThermoDiet Podcast Episode 124 - Georgi Dinkov

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Feb 19, 2023 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aRyulc5-RM

> **Thermo Diet:** so would you be a fan of like doing maybe two smaller carrot salads multiple or multiple ones throughout the day or Depending on the food.
>
> **Georgi Dinkov:** So I would usually eat the carrot salad with the largest meal of the day because it's the amount of food that also matters. There's basically your digestive tract is like a limited capacity for absorption of some of the nutrients. So which means that, you know, if you eat more than you can absorb, obviously it's going to get to the large intestine and reach the microbiome and then all hell breaks loose, right? So, you know, I don't think it needs to be eaten with every meal because it will also absorb some of the things that you want to mean it will absorb and prevent the absorption of some of the beneficial things such as vitamins and minerals so i think once a day is okay out of personal experience my somebody has a very sensitive stomach and basically eating you know eating even a very small meal gives them like a stress reaction then i think eating the carrot salad or taking a capsule just a single one capsule of charcoal it's probably warranted until their their symptoms subside or try to take the some of the antihistamine drugs Like famotidine seems to be a very good one because now it's been proven to have effect not only on histamine, but also on serotonin. And even though it's advertised as an H2 specific antagonist, several studies have shown that there is no such thing as... a receptor-specific histamine antagonist. All of them are capable of antagonizing all of the receptors if taken in sufficiently high dosage. And I know people who have asthma and have several severe allergies. And when they take famotidine, these symptoms disappear, even though famotidine is not supposed to help because it's not an H1 antagonist. It's only H2 antagonist.

### Source 7 — Episode 7: Georgi Dinkov (Haidut) on Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Testosterone

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Jun 12, 2020 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztzIGcwMu3M

> **Georgi Dinkov:** And by taking this acetazolamide they improve their condition, but the idea is that this drug is from the 60s, it has been used for decades, and the only side effects known from it are that if you eat too much calcium, which most people do not do, you even eat too little, and you take acetazolamide, it may increase the risk of forming kidney stones from this excess calcium. This is its only unpleasant side effect that is known. But for the vast majority of people, acetazolamide is safe even in high doses. Recently some very interesting articles came out showing that vitamin B1, which now turned out to help with the synthesis of carbon dioxide, it turns out that vitamin B1 is just as powerful an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase as acetazolamide. And with one shot you kill so many rabbits already that it becomes almost inconvenient. Medicine can take its little bag and leave, because it turns out that substances which are harmless, which exist on the common market and everyone can buy them for pennies, turn out to be able to beat even established drugs like acetazolamide, which have been used for decades. The final thing I will mention, because it is connected with COVID and we talked about this topic, the drug famotidine turned out to be even more powerful than vitamin B1 and more powerful than acetazolamide as an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase, and most likely this is the reason that, as I said in the last episode, it helps for COVID-19. These people die from hypoxia. They die from being put on a ventilator and stuffed, and stuffed with oxygen. And if they are given something that alleviates carbon dioxide deficiency, like famotidine, well the expectation is that they will get better. And so far it has been shown that most people who are infected and take famotidine survive. There you go.

### Source 8 — Estrogen, Histamine, Serotonin & Endotoxin with Georgi Dinkov | Rooted In Resilience Podcast #3

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Mar 6, 2023 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FUmAsj8KEE

> **Georgi Dinkov:** And also, if you're taking, I really think the PPI drugs, the proton pump inhibitors, the anti-acid drugs are really nasty. They can actually give you the endotoxemia, even if you're starting as a healthy person without a lot of metabolic baggage, because they inhibit the production of the stomach acid, and that allows the bacteria from the food to colonize your small intestine. which is even worse than being in the in the colon because we always have some bacteria there and kind of the colon has like a thicker layer of cells to protect but the small intestine where most of the absorption of the food happens um basically so you don't want any bacteria there and by taking these anti-acid drugs you're really decimating the production of acid and you're giving yourself a an intestinal overgrowth which is kind of hard to get rid of afterwards. Only antibiotics, to my knowledge, can actually do it. Or taking a lot of charcoal, taking a lot of, you know, eating a lot of insoluble fiber. So if you're taking a PPI drug, talk to your doctor potentially about switching to the older drugs, which of course invariably always turn out to be better for us than the latest and greatest crap. The so-called histamine antagonists. Speaking of histamine. These drugs, specifically famotidine, recently acquired a little fame because it was demonstrated to actually stop the COVID-19 disease. In fact, they have now several clinical trials with famotidine to actually prevent people from dying, even the people that are susceptible.

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