Maintenance therapy for duodenal ulcer--a trial comparing cimetidine with a prostaglandin synthetase promoter

The effect of treatment on maintenance of remission was examined in 90 patients with healed duodenal ulcer shown by endoscopy. They were randomized to take treatment for 6 months with a prostaglandin synthetase promoter (263E) 500 mg three times daily or cimetidine 400 mg at night or an identical placebo. Sixty-five patients completed the trial or had a relapse of symptoms. The percentage of patients who had recurrent ulcers or duodenitis alone on endoscopy was 29% on 263E, 36% with cimetidine, and 50% on placebo. These figures did not differ significantly. Trials of this design are now difficult to conduct because patients take and H2 receptor antagonist soon after recurrence of symptoms, before their next clinic appointment.