Effect of intermittent weekend therapy with omeprazole on basal and postprandial serum gastrin concentrations in patients with duodenal ulcer.

We have studied the effect on serum gastrin concentrations of weekly 3-day courses of 20 mg/day omeprazole followed by a 4-day period without medication (weekend therapy) for 4 weeks in 10 patients with duodenal ulcer. Basal and postprandial serum gastrin concentrations were measured in week 1, before (day 1) and immediately after the 3-day omeprazole course (day 4), and further on day 6 and day 8, immediately before the next course, and at similar intervals in week 4 (days 22, 25, 27, and 29). Basal serum gastrin concentrations were not significantly different from day 1, but postprandial peak gastrin concentrations on days 6, 8, 22, 25, 27, and 29 and integrated postprandial gastrin secretion on days 25 and 27 were significantly increased (p less than 0.01 to p less than 0.05). However, the increases in serum gastrin concentration were modest and clinically irrelevant. It is concluded that this intermittent weekend schedule of omeprazole therapy does not induce marked hypergastrinemia and may therefore be suitable for long-term therapy with this drug.