Ranitidine and duodenal ulceration: a short-term and maintenance study.

Forty-eight patients successfully completed a six-week, double blind, placebo controlled trial of ranitidine hydrochloride 200mg twice daily for active duodenal ulceration. Following endoscopy 68% of the patients taking ranitidine had healed, compared to 35% of those who were taking placebo. Nineteen of the patients who had not healed then took a further six weeks of open active treatment; of these, 14 were successfully treated. Thirty-one of the patients who had healed duodenal ulcers then took ranitidine hydrochloride 100mg at night as a maintenance treatment for one year: 71% remained endoscopically and symptomatically in remission. No serious side effects were encountered.