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Single Bedtime Dose of Famotidine: Assessment of Its Antisecretory Action by 24‐Hour Intragastric pH Monitoring
Author(s) -
Savarino Vincenzo,
Picciotto Antonino,
Magnolia Maria Rita,
Scalabrini Patrizia,
Mela Giuseppe Sandro,
Celle Guido
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1987.tb02998.x
Subject(s) - famotidine , bedtime , morning , medicine , antagonist , regimen , evening , pharmacology , gastroenterology , anesthesia , receptor , astronomy , physics
The antisecretory efficacy of a single bedtime dose of famotidine, a new potent H 2 ‐receptor antagonist, was evaluated by means of continuous 24‐hour intragastric pH monitoring. Of 20 patients with duodenal ulcers, ten randomly received famotidine 40 mg at 10 PM and ten were monitored without medication for control. Famotidine regimen led to a remarkable reduction of gastric acidity in patients who were treated for duodenal ulcer and the drug‐induced pH levels were significantly different ( P < .0001) from those of untreated controls. The antisecretory action lasted for 12 hours, which comprised the nocturnal period, whereas no important difference was found between the two groups for the most part of the daytime. The drug was able to keep intragastric pH above 4 units during almost 50% of the whole 24‐hour period. These results confirm that famotidine is a powerful and long‐acting H 2 blocker that relieves gastric acidity during the night and morning hours when administered as a single bedtime dose of 40 mg.