Cimetidine, 800 mg at night, in the treatment of duodenal ulcers

One hundred and eight patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcers were randomly allocated to treatment with cimetidine, either 400 mg twice daily or 800 mg at night for 4 to 8 weeks in a double-blind study. There was no significant difference between the healing rates of the two groups. Thus, 45 of 52 (87%) healed on cimetidine twice daily and 43 of 51 (84%) healed on 800 mg at night after 4 weeks' treatment. The corresponding healing rates after 8 weeks were 51 of 52 (98%) and 50 of 51 (98%). The intensity of pain decreased more rapidly in the group treated with 800 mg cimetidine at night. These results indicate that 800 mg cimetidine at night is as good as 400 mg given twice daily.