From: trigonometry1972 on
PPI med BID compared to PPI med OD with H2-AR ON
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Gastroenterology. 2002 Mar;122(3):625-32.

Comment in:
Rev Gastroenterol Disord. 2003 Winter;3(1):56-7.

Long-term effect of H2RA therapy on nocturnal gastric acid
breakthrough.

Fackler WK, Ours TM, Vaezi MF, Richter JE.

Center for Swallowing and Esophageal Disorders,
Department of Gastroenterology,
Cleveland Clinic Foundation,
Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.

BACKGROUND & AIMS:
Adding histamine 2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) to
proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy is a common practice
to block nocturnal acid breakthrough (NAB). Controversy
exists over its efficacy because of H2RA intolerance.
No prospective study has addressed this issue.

METHODS:
Twenty-three healthy volunteers and 20 gastroesophageal
reflux disease (GERD) patients were studied. Ambulatory pH
monitoring was performed with one electrode in the gastric
fundus and the other 5 cm above the lower esophageal
sphincter. Baseline pH testing was performed and repeated
after 2 weeks on PPI twice daily before meals (omeprazole
20 mg). All subjects then received 28 days of
PPI plus H2RA Qhs (ranitidine 300 mg) with repeat
pH testing on days 1, 7, and 28.

RESULTS: Eighteen controls and 16 GERD patients
completed all 5 studies. Compared with baseline,
all 4 medication regimens decreased supine % time
pH < 4 (P = 0.001). The administration of PPI + 1 day
of H2RA was the only therapy that significantly
decreased % time gastric pH < 4 for the supine period
compared with PPI twice daily alone (P < 0.001).
There was no difference in % time supine gastric pH < 4
between 2 weeks of PPI twice daily alone and
either 1 week or 1 month of PPI + bedtime H2RA.

CONCLUSIONS:
The combination of H2RA and PPI therapy reduced NAB
only with the introduction of therapy.
Because of H2RA tolerance, there is no
difference in acid suppression between PPI twice daily
and PPI twice daily + H2RA after 1 week of combination therapy.

PMID: 11874994