SUMMARY Ninety patients with duodenal ulcer, divided randomly into three groups, were treated continuously for one year with either glycopyrronium, 1-hyoscyamine (as a sustained-release preparation) or inert tablets. Dosage with active tablets was so adjusted that the patient experienced definite but tolerable side-effects. Basal and maximal gastric acid secretion were measured immediately before and one week after cessation of treatment. There was no significant change in the means of these measurements in patients who received placebo or 1-hyoscyamine. In Wales, 1966) it was stated that reduced levels of acid secretion persisted for up to 30 months after the drug had been stopped. This maintained reduction was thought to reflect the course of the underlying disorder rather than a direct effect of the anticholinergic drug.In this report, we describe our findings in a group of 90 patients with duodenal ulcer who were treated continuously for one year with anticholinergic drugs.
PATIENTS AND METHODSAll patients were male, had a duodenal ulcer recently demonstrated by radiograph, and had had symptoms within six months of the first examination. They were taking part in a trial of long-term anticholinergic therapy, full details of which will be published shortly, and were allocated randomly to one of three groups.