Treatment of gastric ulcer with carbenoxolone: antagonistic effect of spironolactone.

Abstract

Controlled trials have shown that the rate of healing of gastric ulcers is increased by treatment with carbenoxolone sodium, but that fluid retention is produced as a side effect sufficiently often to limit the freedom with which the drug can be prescribed (Doll, Hill, Hutton, and Underwood, 1962; Doll, Hill, and Hutton, 1965; Horwich and Galloway, 1965). We have, therefore, sought a method of using carbenoxolone which would minimize the side effects without reducing its therapeutic value and have examined the effect of two dose levels of the drug and two different diuretic regimes.