Controlled trial of cimetidine for symptomatic treatment of duodenal ulcers

Over 10% of the population may expect to have a duodenal ulcer during their lifetime; most are treated with cimetidine. Most trials so far have concentrated on completely healing ulcers using short term courses of this drug. Prob Probably, many patients take the drug only until their symptoms resolve, after one to two weeks. We therefore conducted a prospective trial of cimetidine taken for six weeks versus cimetidine taken only until symptoms were relieved in patients with active duodenal ulceration.