H2antagonists and gastric ulcer: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled study comparing nizatidine with ranitidine

An 8-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind study was performed with the aim of comparing nizatidine 300 mg at bedtime with nizatidine 150 mg twice daily (BID) and with ranitidine 150 mg twice daily in 114 patients with benign acute gastric ulcer. Healing rates did not significantly differ among groups at 4 weeks, but they were lower in the once-daily group (53%) than in the BID groups (approximately 69%). At 8 weeks, healing rates with nizatidine 150 mg BID (97%) were significantly higher than those observed in the groups that received nizatidine 300 mg at bedtime (78%) or ranitidine 150 mg BID (83%). Smoking was found to affect the therapeutic efficacy of the bedtime dosing. The results of this study show that nizatidine is an efficacious and safe drug in the treatment of benign acute gastric ulcer when given twice daily, especially in smokers. © 1993 Excerpta Medica, Inc. All rights reserved.