Does Helicobacter pylori eradication depend on the period of amoxicillin treatment? A retrospective study

In this study, the effect of different periods of amoxicillin (AMPC) treatment on the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori in 173 patients with peptic ulcers (gastric ulcer, 109; duodenal ulcer, 64) was investigated. AMPC (1.5 g/day) was administered for 2, 4, or 6 weeks with omeprazole (20 mg/day) and plaunotol (240 mg/day), a mucoprotective drug, for 8 weeks. The H. pylori eradication rate was 46.7% for 2 weeks' treatment, 83.4% for 4 weeks' treatment, and 100% for 6 weeks' treatment. The eradication rate had a good correlation with the period of AMPC treatment. The healing rates of peptic ulcer at 4 and 8 weeks were 93.3% and 100%, respectively, in the 2-week group, 98.0% and 99.3% in the 4-week group, and 85.7% and 100% in the 6-week group. The recurrence rate of gastric and duodenal ulcers was 3.5% and 0% respectively, in the patients in whom H. pylori was eradicated and 30.0% and 40%, respectively, in the patients in whom H. pylori was not eradicated for 12 months after the H. pylori eradication treatment. Adverse effects of this regimen were observed in 5 (2.9%) of the 173 patients. Diarrhea was observed in 3 patients and eruption in 2. These adverse effects disappeared within a few days after only AMPC was withdrawn. Therefore, these may be caused by AMPC. The eradication rate of H. pylori depends on the period of AMPC treatment. This regiment, AMPC (1.5 g/day) + omeprazole (20 mg/day) + plaunotol (240 mg/day), is safe and well tolerated for eradication of H. pylori. Received Oct. 17, 1996; accepted June 27, 1997