Ranitidine 300 mg at bedtime is effective for gastric ulcers: a 12-wk, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison. The Ranitidine 300 mg HS Gastric Ulcer Study Group.

Ranitidine 150 mg twice daily is effective for the treatment of gastric ulcers. We proposed that ranitidine 300 mg once daily would also be effective. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, parallel-group study, adults with an endoscopically verified acute gastric ulcer > or = 5 mm were treated with either ranitidine 300 mg (n = 183) or placebo (n = 178) at bedtime for up to 12 wk. Gastric ulcer healing, determined by endoscopy, was achieved in 65% and 89% of ranitidine-treated patients by 6 and 12 wk, compared with 45% and 72% of placebo-treated patients by 6 wk and 12 wk (p < 0.001). Throughout the 12-wk study, ranitidine 300 mg was significantly more effective than placebo in relieving pain (p < 0.05), with ranitidine-treated patients also using fewer antacid tablets. Ranitidine 300 mg had a safety profile similar to that of placebo. We conclude that ranitidine 300 mg at bedtime is safe and effective for healing acute gastric ulcers.