Intestinal blood loss after a new anti-inflammatory drug, sulindac.

Sulindac was tested for fecal blood loss in 40 healthy male subjects whose red cells had been labeled with Na2 51 CrO4. Two daily dose levels of 240 mg and 400 mg were compared with 4.8 gm of aspirin and placebo for 2 wk. At day 15, aspirin-induced blood loss was greater than that of both dose levels of sulindac and of placebo (p less than 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two sulindac groups and the placebo group. Aspirin caused more adverse reactions than sulindac, 240 mg (p less than 0.05), 400 mg (p less than 0.05), and placebo (p less than 0.05).