Can either famotidine or azelastine cause nausea?

Can Famotidine or Azelastine Cause Nausea?

Famotidine does not cause nausea as a side effect, while azelastine nasal spray is not associated with nausea in clinical trials.

Famotidine Side Effect Profile

• Famotidine is effective in reducing gastric acidity and volume perioperatively but is not documented to cause nausea as an adverse effect 1
• The evidence from anesthesiology guidelines demonstrates that famotidine (administered orally or intramuscularly) reduces gastric volume and acidity during the perioperative period, with no mention of nausea as a side effect 1

Azelastine Side Effect Profile

The most common side effects of azelastine nasal spray are bitter taste, epistaxis, somnolence, and headache—nausea is not reported as an adverse effect 2, 3

Documented Side Effects:

• Bitter taste is the most frequently reported side effect, occurring in 4.5-19.7% of patients 3, 4
• Somnolence occurs in 0.4-11.5% of patients, generally less than with first-generation antihistamines 2, 3, 4
• Headache and epistaxis (nosebleeds) are other common side effects 2, 3

Clinical Trial Safety Data:

• In double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, the frequencies of adverse events were similar between azelastine and placebo groups 5
• The only adverse experience occurring with statistically significantly greater incidence in the azelastine group compared to placebo was bitter taste (19% vs 2%) 5
• No gastrointestinal side effects including nausea were reported in multiple clinical trials evaluating azelastine for both allergic and vasomotor rhinitis 6, 7, 5

Clinical Implications

• If a patient reports nausea while taking either famotidine or azelastine, investigate alternative causes rather than attributing it to these medications 1
• The absence of nausea as a documented side effect in extensive clinical trials and guidelines suggests these medications are safe choices for patients concerned about gastrointestinal tolerability 1, 2, 3