Efficient treatment of gastric ulcer with proglumide (Milid) in outpatients (double blind trial)

Eleven male and five female gastric ulcer outpatients as well as twenty eight male and seven female duodenal ulcer outpatients received Proglumide (1200 mg/day) or magnesiumtrisilicate (1320 mg/day) in a prospective double blind study. The sizes of the ulcers were assessed by endoscopy before and after 4 weeks therapy. A complete healing of gastric ulcers was observed in 75% (n = 8) of the patients receiving Proglumide and 25% (n = 8) of the antacid treated controls (p less than 0.05; x2 test). The healed area was significantly (p less than 0.05) larger in the Proglumide 91 mm2) than in the anticida group (23 mm2). In addition, the half time of the ulcer-healing was significantly (p less than 0.05) shorter in the Proglumide treated patients (18 days and 26 days respectively). There was no significant effect of the drug on the duodenal ulcers. The spontaneous healing rate was 61% in the antacid (n = 18) and 59% in the Proglumide treated (n = 17) patients. The drug does not effect the basal and pentagastrin stimulated gastric secretion nor the serum gastrin concentration. No side effects on blood pressure, blood cell count, transaminases or blood glucose concentrations could be observed.