[Combined antisecretory therapy in patients with duodenal ulcer]

The ulcer healing effect of the combination of pirenzepine and cimetidine was compared to the cimetidine monotherapy in 60 duodenal ulcer patients, in whom previous cimetidine monotherapy (at the dose of 1000 mg/day for 4 weeks) had not produced any healing effect. The study was conducted in a prospective, double blind, random fashion. In 30 patients the cimetidine monotherapy was continued at the dose of 1000 mg/day. The other 30 patients received the combination of pirenzepine (75 mg/day) and cimetidine (400 mg at bedtime). Endoscopy was carried out before and after 4 weeks therapy. In the cimetidine group the ulcers have been cured in 12 cases. The cure rate was higher with the combination therapy: control endoscopy showed healed ulcers in 24 patients in this group. The difference between the two groups is statistically significant (chi 2-Test: 10.0, p less than 0.001). These results indicated a higher effectiveness of the pirenzepine-cimetidine combination in duodenal ulcer patients who had not previously responded to cimetidine alone.