Influence of Oral Cimetidine and Ranitidine on Gastric Emptying in Active Duodenal Ulcer

The effect on gastric emptying of 400 mg cimetidine and two doses of ranitidine (150 and 300 mg) given orally was evaluated in 45 patients with endoscopically proved duodenal ulcer and in 28 healthy controls. Gastric emptying of a radiolabeled solid phase meal was assessed. Cimetidine was confirmed not to have any significant influence on gastric emptying in duodenal ulcer patients or in healthy subjects. The significant delay in gastric emptying observed with ranitidine was dose dependent, and at the same time more pronounced in patients with duodenal ulcer than in healthy subjects. Early ulcer healing was unrelated to the changes in gastric emptying elicited by the tested drugs.