Does co-prescription of sucralfate with ranitidine therapy enhance the healing of gastric ulcers?

It has been suggested that the co-administration of ranitidine and sucralfate may enhance peptic ulcer healing more than administration of either drug alone. This study compared the frequency of healing of gastric ulcers treated with either ranitidine 300 mg nocte plus sucralfate 1 g tds or with ranitidine 300 mg nocte plus placebo. Patients (n = 259) were treated initially for 4 wk, and this period was extended to 8 wk for those patients whose ulcers had not healed. Ulcer healing and patient symptom data were assessed at 4 and 8 wk, whereas patients recorded the presence of ulcer pain on a daily basis. Ulcer healing rates were 63% and 66% at 4 wk, and were 93% and 91% at 8 wk, in the ranitidine-plus-sucralfate group and the ranitidine-plus-placebo group, respectively. Both treatments were equally effective in relieving symptoms. Thus, combination therapy with sucralfate provided no additional benefit over treatment with ranitidine alone.