Nizatidine in therapy and prevention of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced gastroduodenal ulcer in rheumatic patients.

Two hundred and sixty-nine patients with various rheumatic disorders who had been treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) for at least 3 weeks were enrolled in this randomized double-blind multicentre trial. Entry criteria were the presence of an ulcer in the gastric and/or duodenal mucosa (> 3 mm and < 20 mm in diameter) and dyspeptic symptoms. The patients were treated with 150 mg nizatidine nocte (n = 86), 2 x 150 mg/d (n = 93) and 2 x 300 mg/d (n = 90) nizatidine. All patients continued to take their original NSAID medication. The three nizatidine groups were well matched with respect to important patient characteristics. After 8 weeks of treatment more than 90% of gastric and duodenal ulcers (DU) had healed under all three nizatidine dosages. There was a tendency to higher healing rates in the case of gastric ulcers after 4 weeks following the higher dose of nizatidine. Erosion, in the stomach and duodenum as well as oesophagitis, improved to a similar degree with all nizatidine doses. There were similar improvements in clinical symptoms such as epigastric pain, heartburn etc. Consumption of additional antacids were similar in all three groups. In the subsequent prevention trial, 237/221 patients were followed for 3/6 months. In addition to their continued antirheumatic medication 116/107 received nizatidine 150 mg nocte and 121/114 patients 2 x 150 mg nizatidine daily. The cumulative relapse rates within 6 months averaged 5.5% in the low and 1.8% in the high dose group (NS). The safety of nizatidine was assessed as good in both the therapeutic and the preventive trial.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)