Treatment of duodenal ulcer with antacids in combination with trimipramine or cimetidine.

Ninetyfive patients with endoscopically verified duodenal ulcer were randomly allocated in a double blind manner to 3 different treatments. Thirtyfive patients were treated with trimipramine 25 mg nocte, 32 patients with cimetidine 400 mg nocte and 26 patients with cimetidine 200 mg 3 times a day and 400 mg nocte (standard dose). In addition all patients got intensive antacid treatment with LinkR, 20 ml 1 and 3 hours after meals. Two patients were excluded from the trial. After 6 weeks of treatment re-endoscopy revealed healed ulcer in 35 patients (86%) in the trimipramine group, in 32 patients (85%) in the group treated with low dose of cimetidine and in 26 patients (100%) in the group treated with standard dose of cimetidine. The differences in healing rate were not significant. The time until complete relief of pain was significantly longer in the trimipramine group than in the cimetidine groups. The drugs were well tolerated but constipation was reported by 31% of the patients.