Severe lactic acidosis and acute pancreatitis associated with cimetidine in a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus taking metformin

Abstract

An 82-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and unstable angina presented with severe lactic acidosis and acute kidney injury (AKI) accompanied by acute pancreatitis. Her medical history revealed that she had taken cimetidine for two weeks while taking other medications, including metformin. Continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) was initiated under diagnosis of lactic acidosis due to metformin and AKI caused by cimetidine-induced acute pancreatitis. In three days of CVVHDF, the levels of serum biochemical markers of lactic acidosis and AKI improved and the patient's urine output reached over 1 L/day. The pancreatitis improved over time. © 2013 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.