Double-blind clinical, endoscopic and histological comparison of hydrotalcite/dimethicone suspension and magnesium hydroxide/aluminum hydroxide suspension in the treatment of symptomatic gastritis.

A double-blind, randomized trial was undertaken to compare the clinical, endoscopic and histological response to 6-weeks' treatment with hydrotalcite/dimethicone suspension or magnesium hydroxide/aluminum hydroxide suspension in 36 patients with symptomatic gastritis. Significantly more patients (P less than 0.05) showed symptomatic improvement in the antacid-treated group than in the hydrotalcite/dimethicone-treated group and more had a reduction in histological inflammatory scores (P less than 0.01), although there was little correlation between histology and symptoms. There was no evidence from this study that the bile acid binding and anti-foaming properties of hydrotalcite/dimethicone suspension were of any benefit in the treatment of patients with symptomatic gastritis.