Skip to main content
PMC home page
Gut logoLink to Gut
. 1979 Jun;20(6):526–530. doi: 10.1136/gut.20.6.526

Controlled trial of maintenance cimetidine treatment in healed duodenal ulcer: short and long-term effects.

M W Dronfield, A J Batchelor, W Larkworthy, M J Langman
PMCID: PMC1412460  PMID: 381127

Abstract

Forty-two patients with endoscopically diagnosed duodenal ulcer were studied in a double-blind trial after their ulcers had been healed with cimetidine. Cimetidine was effective in preventing relapse, only five of the 20 patients allocated to cimetidine 400 mg twice daily relapsing during the six months' treatment, compared with 16 of the 22 on placebo treatment (P less than 0.01). Cimetidine was safe in the dosage and duration used, no symptomatic, haematological, or biochemical abnormalities occurring during the trial. Subsequent follow-up at the end of the trial when treatment had been stopped showed that relapse was frequent, particularly in the cimetidine group, making the cumulative relapse rate eight months after completion of the trial similar in the two groups (75% in the cimetidine group, 86% in the placebo group). It seems likely that maintenance cimetidine treatment has to be continued indefinitely in patients with duodenal ulcer, and, until such treatment is shown to be safe and effective, surgical treatment remains a logical option for many patients.

Full text

PDF
529

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Blackwood W. S., Maudgal D. P., Northfield T. C. Prevention by bedtime cimetidine of duodenal-ulcer relapse. Lancet. 1978 Mar 25;1(8065):626–627. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)91135-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Carlson H. E., Ippoliti A. F. Cimetidine, an H2-antihistamine, stimulates prolactin secretion in man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1977 Aug;45(2):367–370. doi: 10.1210/jcem-45-2-367. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Delle Fave G. F., Tamburrano G., De Magistris L., Natoli C., Santoro M. L., Carratu R., Torsoli A. Gynaecomastia with cimetidine. Lancet. 1977 Jun 18;1(8025):1319–1319. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)91358-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gray G. R., Smith I. S., McKenzie I., Crean G. P., Gillespie G. Oral cimetidine in severe duodenal ulceration. A double-blind controlled trial. Lancet. 1977 Jan 1;1(8001):4–7. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)91650-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gudmand-Høyer E., Jensen K. B., Krag E., Rask-Madsen J., Rahbek I., Rune S. J., Wulff H. R. Prophylactic effect of cimetidine in duodenal ulcer disease. Br Med J. 1978 Apr 29;1(6120):1095–1097. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6120.1095. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hall W. H. Letter: Breast changes in males on cimetidine. N Engl J Med. 1976 Oct 7;295(15):841–841. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197610072951514. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Saunders J. H., Wormsley K. G. Long-term effects and after-effects of treatment of duodenal ulcer with metiamide. Lancet. 1977 Apr 9;1(8015):765–767. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)92954-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Wallace W. A., Orr C. M., Bearn A. R. Perforation of chronic peptic ulcers after cimetidine. Br Med J. 1977 Oct 1;2(6091):865–866. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6091.865. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Gut are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES