Antacids for duodenal ulcer: current role

Recent years have witnessed significant progress in antacid therapy of duodenal ulcer disease, consisting in the demonstration that the doses required for ulcer healing are much smaller and less frequent that those regarded as necessary or optimal in the past. Antacids at these dosages proved to be as effective as H2-blockers both in terms of healing capacity and in relieving ulcer symptoms and are associated with negligible gastrointestinal side-effects. In addition, there has been a renewed interest in the tablet formulation, which now appears more acceptable to the patient. All these characteristics make antacids competitive with other anti-ulcer agents, especially in terms of the cost/benefit ratio.