ArticleBowers JH, Forbes JA, Freston JW.
J Clin Pharmacol. 1978 Jul;18(7):365-71.
Anisotropine methyl bromide, an anticholinergic, 80 mg given orally at 8 P.M., suppresses gastric acid secretion through the night without significant side effects. Thirty patients with endoscopy-proved symptomatic duodenal ulcer disease completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of nighttime anisotropine methyl bromide therapy. Eleven (69 per cent) of 16 anisotropine methyl bromide-treated and six (43 per cent) of 14 placebo-treated subjects healed their ulcers within two weeks of starting treatment. The anisotropine methyl bromide-treated subjects averaged 0.63 +/- 0.27 (mean +/- S.E.) episodes of nocturnal pain during the treatment period versus 2.71 +/- 1.08 episodes in the placebo group (P = 0.06). This is the first reported study of this type designed to evaluate the efficacy of an anticholinergic agent in the healing of duodenal ulcers. Although not conclusive, the results suggest nighttime anisotropine methyl bromide therapy may be useful in the treatment of duodenal ulcer disease. Further studies seem warranted.