Dynamism of cytoprotective and antisecretory drugs in patients with unhealed gastric and duodenal ulcers

Abstract A continuous multiclinical, randomized and prospective study has been carried out in our department to compare the efficacy of different cytoprotective (sucralfate, DE-NOL, Vitamin A) and antisecretory drugs (atropine, cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine, pirenzepine) on ulcer healing in patients with chronic gastric ulcer (GU) and duodenal ulcer (DU).
A total of 441 patients were randomized in different groups. The patients were treated with atropine (1 mg/day), cimetidine (1000 mg/day), ranitidine (300 mg/day), famotidine (80 mg/day), pirenzepine (50 mg/day), sucralfate (1000 mg/day), Vitamin A (3 × 50 000 IU/day) alone or in combination with cyproheptadinum (3 × 4 mg/day) DE-NOL (3 × 5 mL/day) and Tisacid® (Al-Mg-hydroxycarbonicum; in different doses). Endoscopy (planimetric evaluation of ulcer sizes), measurements of clinical changes in patients' complaints, antacid consumption and laboratory tests (blood count, urine, kidney and liver functions, electrolytes, pH status) were carried out at the beginning and 2, 4 and 6 weeks after treatment with different drugs. The incidence of ulcers, changes of ulcer sizes, subjective pain score and antacid consumption were noted at the abovementioned times. There were 20 or more patients in each group. The dynamism of ulcer healing rate was studied on the unhealed GU and DU.
Our results showed that the ulcer size decreased significantly in all groups in GU and DU patients treated with cytoprotective and antisecretory drugs. Summed pain score (expressed as per cent of basic values) and antacid consumption decreased significantly in all groups. As well, some differences were found in the dynamism of ulcer healing at 2 weeks after the treatment. No significant differences were found in the dynamism of gastric and duodenal ulcers in patients treated with cytoprotective and antisecretory drugs at 4 and 6 weeks of treatment.