Until 1950 the clinical treatment of peptic ulcer disease relied on dieting and antacids. However, recent controlled studies suggest that the natural course of peptic ulcer disease is not affected by diet. Antacids are primarily used to relieve distress, although high-and low-dose antacid regimens have been reported to promote duodenal ulcer healing. Initial favorable reports following the introduction of synthetic anticholinergic drugs have not been confirmed. Pirenzepine is an anticholinergic compound with a specific action on the muscarinic receptors of the parietal cells. Although pirenzepine appears effective in peptic ulcer, the results obtained in different centers have not been uniform. Sucralfate and tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate both act locally by coating the ulcer crater, the latter agent also liberating prostaglandins. Most prospective studies suggest that both drugs are effective when compared with placebo. Carbenoxolone heals 70 of gastric ulcers but is less effective against duodenal ulcers, and has a high incidence of side-effects. Treatment of peptic ulcer in the 1980s has been dominated by the advent of the H2-blockers, cimetidine and ranitidine. Peptic ulcer healing rates are similar with both drugs, and the main problem is how often and how much should be given in order to provide acceptable healing and to prevent ulcer recurrence. Other H2-blockers are being tested and they may be more effective either by healing more ulcers or healing them earlier. The clinical treatment of peptic ulcers will in future be advanced by the addition of two new classes of drugs, the prostaglandins and the benzimidazole derivatives, which are currently being investigated and appear extremely promising.
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