Sucralfate maintenance therapy in duodenal ulcer disease. A review.

There are a large number of patients with chronic duodenal ulcer disease who warrant long-term maintenance therapy to diminish the risk of recurrence and thereby the risk of further complications such as gastrointestinal bleeding. The efficacy of sucralfate has been compared with both placebo and histamine (H2)-receptor antagonists and sucralfate in a dose of 1 g twice a day or 2 g taken at night. It is a safe and effective medication in preventing duodenal ulcer recurrence. However, duodenal ulcer relapse rates always exceed 20 percent and frequently approach 50 percent, whether the therapy be H2-receptor antagonists or sucralfate, and the use of dosages that are half the healing dose seems irrational. It would therefore seem reasonable to continue maintenance therapy at the healing dose, whatever medication is used. Any increased costs for drugs should be outweighed by savings in indirect costs.