Defective or ineffective use of coping strategies may be an important etiology in functional constipation and subsequently reflected in abnormal anorectal physiology.

The efficacy of sucralfate (1 g four times daily) and ranitidine (150 mg twice daily) in the short-term healing of duodenal ulcers has been assessed in a randomized single-blind trial involving 104 patients with three drop-outs. The healing rate at 3 weeks of 83% for sucralfate and 84% for ranitidine improved to 96% and 92%, respectively, at 6 weeks. The difference between the two treatment groups was not statistically significant. Smoking and male sex had no influence on the healing rates. Constipation was a prominent symptom in sucralfate treatment which was otherwise a safe and effective therapy.