Tri-potassium di citrato bismuthate chewing tablets and cimetidine tablets in the treatment of duodenal ulcers. A double-blind double-dummy comparative study.

A randomized, double-blind, double-dummy comparative 6-week study of tri-potassium di-citrato bismuthate (TDB) (Ulcerone; De-Nol) chewing tables and cimetidine was carried out in 60 patients suffering from duodenal ulceration. The data on 51 patients (27 on TDB and 24 on cimetidine) were analysed (9 patients absconded). Both treatments appeared to be highly effective in ulcer healing at the 6-week endoscopic assessment. The healing rate for TDB chewing tablets was 89% and that for cimetidine tablets 92%. Both forms of therapy were comparable in respect of improvement of pain and effect on all other observed symptoms. Neither drug had a statistically significant effect on any of the haematological or clinical chemical parameters tested during the trial, except that the cimetidine-treated group showed a significant linear reduction in white blood cell count. No side-effects were reported. It is suggested that TDB chewing tablets are a safe, effective and cheaper alternative to cimetidine in the treatment of patients with duodenal ulceration.