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From: dyer@spdcc.UUCP (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Re: Tetracycline and Antacids
Message-ID: <19@spdcc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Feb-86 00:00:49 EST
Article-I.D.: spdcc.19
Posted: Thu Feb 27 00:00:49 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 01:25:47 EST
References: <801@cylixd.UUCP> <1002@whuxl.UUCP> <2279@aecom.UUCP>
Reply-To: dyer@spdcc.UUCP (Steve Dyer)
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Comsulting, Cambridge MA
Lines: 16
Summary: cimetidine, antacids and chronic in[di]gestion

>	Further note: it was recently shown that Antacids (and for that
>matter Cimetidine) do no better than a Sugar pill placebo to releive
>chronic ingestion.  Of course, it could be argued (and was duly noted) that
>those people enrolled in the study probably went to the doctor in the
>first place because their home remedies didn't work.

This was reported recently in the NEJM.  Chronic indigestion (a rather
diffuse and non-specific condition) should be differentiated from
ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, and other situations associated with
excessive acid secretion, for which cimetidine and antacids are generally
helpful.  It just happens that "indigestion" isn't always due to stomach
acid.
-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@harvard.HARVARD.EDU
{bbncca,bbnccv,harvard}!spdcc!dyer