RANITIDINE THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC GASTRIC-ACID HYPERSECRETION - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

One hundred twenty-four patients with idiopathic gastric acid hypersec retion (basal acid output greater than 10.0 meq/hr) were prospectively evaluated and treated with ranitidine twice a day. Fifty-four patient s (44%) required standard doses of ranitidine 300 mg/day for adequate treatment, and the other 70 patients (56%) required increased doses of ranitidine (mean 994 mg/day, range 600-3000 mg/day). Mean basal acid outputs for these two groups were 14.0 and 16.6 meq/hr, respectively, which were not significantly different. Nevertheless, there was a sign ificant correlation between basal acid output and daily ranitidine dos e required for therapy (r = 0.18, P = 0.05). The duration of ranitidin e therapy consisted of: <1 year (N = 46), 1 year (N = 16), 2 years (N = 19), 3 years (N = 22), 4 years (N = 15), 5 years (N = 6). Only five patients required progressive increases in ranitidine during the time of treatment, which consisted of an average of 0.5 dose adjustments pe r year. No side effects occurred with any of these high doses of ranit idine. These results indicate that, as in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, ranitidine is effective therapy for patients with idiopathic gastric a cid hypersecretion; however, markedly increased doses as large as 3000 mg/day may be required.