Comparison of two doses of cimetidine and placebo in the treatment of duodenal ulcer: a multicentre trial.

Endoscopy, clinical assessment, and laboratory studies were used to compare, in a double-blind multicentre trial, the effects on patients with duodenal ulceration of treatment for four weeks by either placebo or 1 g/day cimetidine, or 2 g/day cimetidine. Ulcer healing occurred in 28% of patients on placebo, 61% of patients on 1 g cimetidine daily, and 70% of patients on 2 g cimetidine daily. Thus cimetidine conferred an advantage over placebo, but the effects of the two doses of cimetidine were not shown to be different. Symptomatic improvement in patients given cimetidine was usually marked and occurred early. Patients were required to report all symptoms, but the only symptom which might have been caused by cimetidine was headache in 5% of patients. Biochemical studies showed significant (though slight) rises in serum uric acid, and serum creatinine but no significant changes occurred in the serum levels of liver enzymes. This study confirms that 1 g is a suitable daily dose of cimetidine for the treatment of duodenal ulceration.