Antacid regimen in reducing gastric fluid acidity--comparison of conventional oral antacids with cimetidine

281 patients, divided into two groups, were given single 30 ml dose of five different conventional oral antacids (sodium citrate, 0.3 M Maalox, Gelusil, Alludrox and Mucaine), separately and in combination with Cimetidine to study their effect on decreasing the acidity of stomach contents. In 181 patients receiving varying types of conventional oral antacids, 2-10 percent of the patients had pH less than 3, regardless of the antacid received. In 100 patients of Cimetidine plus antacid group, none of the patients had pH less than 4.83, maximum being 8.2. With thick particulate oral antacids, no-mix between gastric juice and antacid was noticed in approximately 5-10 percent of cases. Cimetidine combined with oral antacid was the safest regimen to reduce the gastric fluid acidity.