[Treatment of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced damage to gastric mucosa using ranitidine. Comparison of the effectiveness of 2 dosages].

339 patients with rheumatic diseases suffering from dyspepsia and endoscopically proven gastroduodenal lesion entered an open multicenter study with ranitidine 150 mg bid or ranitidine 300 mg administered at night in a single dose over 4 weeks. For entry the patients had to have been treated for at least 3 months with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs diclofenac, indomethacin and piroxicam. During the trial all patients were continued on NSAID. The data of 248 patients were evaluable. At entry, patients in both treatment groups had a total gastric damage score of 2.0. The duodenal lesion score was on average 1.43 in the ranitidine 150 mg bid group, and 1.8 in the 300 mg single dose ranitidine at night group. After 4 weeks of treatment the mean lesion score was significantly reduced in the stomach as well as in the duodenum with both ranitidine regimens, no differences being seen between the groups. In addition, rapid symptomatic relief was observed in both groups. After 4 weeks of treatment more than 80% of the patients were symptom-free or markedly improved.