Comparison of misoprostol and cimetidine in the treatment of gastric ulcer
Fich, A.; Goldin, E.; Zimmerman, J.; Ligumsky, M.; Rachmilewitz, D.
Israel Journal of Medical Sciences 21(12): 968-972
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-2180 PMID: 3937820 Document Number: 249612
The efficacy of misoprostol (a synthetic analogue of prostaglandin E1) and cimetidine in the treatment of gastric ulcer was evaluated. Thirty-two patients with endoscopically proven gastric ulcer were randomized, in a double-blind manner, in one of three groups that received four daily doses of either misoprostol, 50 or 200 micrograms, or cimetidine, 300 mg. Ulcer healing was assessed endoscopically after 4 weeks of treatment. The three groups were fairly comparable in their alcohol and caffeine intake, previous ulcer history and ulcer size. A relatively high proportion of patients in the cimetidine-treated group was smokers. Only one patient was withdrawn from the study. On the misoprostol low dose, healing of the ulcer was observed in 20% of the patients. In contrast, healing on the high dose of misoprostol (70%) was not significantly different from that on cimetidine (73%). No important clinical side effects were observed in any of the patients. These results (part of a multicenter, international study) suggest that the divided daily dose of 800 micrograms misoprostol is safe and effective in the short-term treatment of gastric ulcer.