The effectiveness of ranitidine in reducing gastric acid-secretion decreases with continued therapy.

To examine whether changes in inhibition of gastric acid secretion occur during chronic ranitidine therapy, duodenal ulcer patients in remission were studied before and after 9 months of maintenance ranitidine therapy (150 mg nocte). At each time, the effect of a bolus i.v. dose of ranitidine (50 mg) on pentagastrin-stimulated maximal acid output was measured. Oral and intravenous pharmacokinetic studies were also performed to examine whether...