Antacid vs placebo in hospitalized gastric ulcer patients: a controlled therapeutic study

Antacids are widely accepted as agents that promote healing and relieve pain of gastric ulcer. Well-controlled studies designed to test this belief are few. 28 patients with endoscopically proven gastric ulcer were treated for 3 weeks in hospital, 13 receiving a liquid placebo and 15 an antacid. All were followed by endoscopy to complete healing or until surgery was performed. 10 patients healed satisfactorily in the placebo group and 11 in the antacid group. All patients were free of pain during their hospitalization. From this study it is concluded that in gastric ulcer patients hospitalized for 3 weeks, the rate of healing of the ulcer and the relief of pain is not influenced by treatment with a standard antacid preparation.