A review on the efficacy and safety of gabapentin in the treatment of chronic cough

• Published in: Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy Vol. 16; no. 1; p. 135
• Main Author: Ryan, Nicole M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-01-2015
• Subjects: Amines - adverse effects; Amines - therapeutic use; Antitussive Agents - adverse effects; Antitussive Agents - therapeutic use; Chronic Disease; Cough - drug therapy; Cough - physiopathology; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids - adverse effects; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids - therapeutic use; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - adverse effects; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - therapeutic use; Humans; Neuralgia, Postherpetic - drug therapy; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; toxicity; central sensitization; sensory laryngeal neuropathy; chronic cough; gabapentin
• ISSN: 1744-7666
• DOI: 10.1517/14656566.2015.981524

Effective antitussives available to control cough are limited. Consolidation among different afferent branches of the vagus nerve is needed to bring about cough. A general, widely accepted view is that the chronic increase in the sensitivity of the cough reflex is associated with inflammatory hypersensitivity such as from gastro-esophageal reflux disease. There is increasing evidence that an important mechanism is a sensory disorder of the laryngeal branches of the vagus nerve. Neuromodulating drugs are effectively used in the treatment of chronic pain and neuropathic disorders and may have a role in the treatment of refractory chronic cough (CC).
Current evidence on the efficacy and safety of gabapentin in the treatment of CC is reviewed. Relevant randomized controlled trials, case reports and reviews were identified through a PubMed search of English-language literature referring to cough, sensory neuropathy and gabapentin over the last 10 years.
Gabapentin appears to be effective and well tolerated in the treatment of CC and in other sensory neuropathic disorders. Relevant clinical trials investigating its efficacy and safety profile in the treatment of cough are limited and further studies are needed. Gabapentin has been shown to cause minimal to no toxicity in overdose.