Deduction of duodenal ulcer recurrence by healing with cimetidine plus sulpiride.

The effect of combined treatment with sulpiride plus cimetidine was compared against that of cimetidine alone on the healing of duodenal ulcer and on the subsequent relapse rate. In a double blind study, 35 patients with duodenal ulcer diagnosed by endoscopy were randomly assigned to receive cimetidine 800 mg daily and 38 patients to receive cimetidine 800 mg plus sulpiride 200 mg daily. Sixty patients whose ulcers were healed at three months continued to be observed after stopping treatment and underwent endoscopy to detect recurrences when symptomatic or at three and at six months if asymptomatic. Recurrence was observed in 18 (72%) of 25 patients whose ulcers had healed on cimetidine alone, but in only 11 (38%) of 29 patients whose ulcers healed on cimetidine plus sulpiride.