title: Relapse rate of duodenal ulcer after cessation of long-term cimetidine treatment: a double-blind controlled study.
abstract: Patients with a healed duodenal ulcer and who were symptom-free following 12 months of maintenance treatment with cimetidine 400 mg twice daily were randomized double-blind to a further 6 months therapy with either cimetidine 400 mg twice daily or placebo 2 tablets twice daily. Twenty-six patients received placebo and 15 patients cimetidine. Relapse was defined as symptoms for 3 out of 7 consecutive days and ulcer recurrence was confirmed by independent endoscopy. One of 15 patients on cimetidine relapsed: 20 of 26 patients on placebo relapsed. This relapse rate (77%) is similar to that found in previous studies after only 6 weeks cimetidine therapy (71%). This study suggests that 12 months cimetidine does not change the tendency of duodenal ulcer to recur and that the relapse rate is no greater than after 6 weeks cimetidine.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006146:Guanidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D006146:Guanidines; D010919:Placebos; D002927:Cimetidine