HIGH-DOSE OMEPRAZOLE PLUS AMOXICILLIN OR CLARITHROMYCIN CURES HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN DUODENAL-ULCER DISEASE

Treatment with omeprazole plus amoxicillin or clarithromycin resulted in encouraging Helicobacter pylori cure rates in pilot and controlled studies, The present prospective randomized study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of amoxicillin and clarithromycin as constituents of omeprazole-enhanced antibiotic therapy of H. pylori infection. Fifty patients with active duodenal ulcer disease and histologically and/or culturally confirmed H. pylori colonization of the gastric mucosa were treated with omeprazole (day 1-14: 40 mg twice daily, day 15-42: 20 mg once in the morning). The patients were randomly assigned to receive either amoxicillin (1 g twice daily; group I: n 25) or clarithromycin (500 mg twice daily; group II: n = 25) during the first 2 weeks of treatment. The patients of group I and II had comparable demographic and clinical characteristics. One patient of group I was lost to followup. H. pylori infection was cured in 87.5% of group I and 84.0% of group II (p = 1.00). All ulcers had healed after 6 weeks of omeprazole treatment. Pain relief occurred within the first day of treatment in the majority of patients of both groups (p = 0.89). Minor side effects were recorded in 6 patients of group I and in 4 patients of group II(25 vs. 16%; p = 0.50). In 1 female patient amoxicillin had to be withdrawn after 3 days because of nausea and emesis. In conclusion, 2 weeks of treatment with omeprazole plus amoxicillin or clarithromycin are highly and equally effective regimens to cure H. pylori infection in patients with duodenal ulcer disease.