[Ranitidine in stomach ulcer. Controlled clinical trial of a comparison of administration after the evening meal or before bedtime].

In a randomized, double-blind comparative trial, 44 patients with gastric ulcer received one dose of ranitidine 300 mg following the evening meal (between 17.30 and 20.00 hours), and a placebo tablet just before retiring for the night (21.30 to 23.00 hours) (R-P group). In the comparative group, 43 patients received the same substances in the reverse order (P-R group). After four weeks' treatment, the endoscopic follow-up examinations revealed a 76% healing rate in the R-P group and a 63% healing rate in the P-R group. After six weeks, cumulative healing rates of 98% and 81%, respectively (p less than 0.05) were obtained, showing a better healing effect after early evening ingestion of ranitidine. The number of symptoms recorded at the start of treatment had, after four weeks of treatment, decreased considerably more following early-evening ingestion of ranitidine than after late-evening ingestion (p = 0.05). The results of this trial suggest that, in the treatment of gastric ulcers, the early-evening administration of ranitidine 300 mg is more effective than other modes of ingestion.