Sucralfate in duodenal ulcer disease: a double-blind trial

ABSTRACT

Seventy-five patients with endoscopically confirmed duodenal ulcer disease received either sucralfate [34 patients] or placebo [41 patients] for 6 weeks in a double-blind clinical trial. Nineteen males and 15 females received sucralfate, and 29 males and 12 females received placebo. At 6 weeks significantly more complete ulcer healing had occurred in patients receiving sucralfate [82.4%] compared with those receiving placebo [24.4%]. The sucralfate group had a significant reduction in their symptoms after 1 week of the drug intake, compared to the placebo group in which the reduction did not reach significance. Constipations, nausea, dry mouth, and skin reach occurred more in patients taking sucralfate compared to the placebo group; in one patient constipation was severe enough to stop the medicine and drop out of the trial. Systemic aluminum toxicity, hypophosphatemia, and diarrhea were not reported in any patient in the sucralfate group