Epilepsy Drug Gabapentin Calms Chronic Cough Nearly 3 in 4 Users
Had Improved Quality-of-Life Scores Aug. 27, 2012 -- A drug used
to treat epilepsy and chronic pain after shingles also appears
to be effective for another persistent condition: chronic cough.
About 1 in 10 people suffers from chronic cough, and for many
the cause is unknown. Chronic cough is a cough that lasts for
longer than eight weeks. Treatment tends to focus on the
underlying cause of the cough, which may be due to conditions
like asthma, acid reflux, or postnasal drip. The condition is
increasingly common, poorly understood, and difficult to treat,
experts tell WebMD. “Chronic cough can have a profound impact on
quality of life, but most people, including many physicians,
know very little about it,” says cough researcher Kian Fan
Chung, MD, of Imperial College in London. He was not involved
with the research. Chronic Cough Improved With Gabapentin In the
new study, published in the journal Lancet, researchers in
Australia report that the