Morning versus evening dosing of lansoprazole 30 mg daily on twenty-four-hour intragastric acidity in healthy subjects

Background: Morning dosing is usually recommended with proton pump inhibitors, but there are few data from 24-h intragastric acidity studies comparing times of dosing. Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed on the seventh day of dosing to compare the effects of lansoprazole 30 mg given either in the morning or evening on 24-h intragastric acidity in 32 healthy volunteers. Results: The median integrated 24-h intragastric acidity on the seventh day of morning dosing with lansoprazole 30 mg was decreased to 36% of the placebo value, compared with 42% for evening dosing. For each daytime meal-related interval, morning dosing was signficantly more effective for controlling acidity, but there was no significant difference between the regimens during the night interval (23.00-08.00 h). Conclusions: These data favour morning dosing of lansoprazole 30 mg for routine use, but patients with mainly nocturnal symptoms may be best treated by evening dosing.