Conditions: Cough GERD
Keywords: Cough GERD
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 40
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
The purpose of this research study is to investigate different doses of proton pump inhibitors in reducing cough symptoms felt to be associated with Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Proton pump inhibitors are medicines used to treat GERD, which work by lowering the amount of acid in the stomach.

The proton pump inhibitor used in this study is called, Esomeprazole (brand name Nexium), and is already marketed for treating GERD. Patients with GERD may experience all or some of the following symptoms: stomach acid or partially digested food re-entering the esophagus (which is sometimes referred to as heartburn or regurgitation), belching and coughing. Even very small, unnoticeable amounts of rising stomach acid may cause patients to cough.

Because there may be a link between chronic cough and GERD, study doctors are interested in learning if giving high-dose Nexium (40 milligrams, twice daily) will help in treating chronic cough.

Detailed description:
This study will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, comparative parallel-group trial of subjects with chronic cough of unknown origin presenting to the Otolaryngology/ Head and Neck Surgery, Pulmonary Medicine, and Gastroenterology outpatient clinics at the University of North Carolina Hospital system.

Potential subjects with chronic cough of unknown origin will be identified through the above outpatient clinics. Those who meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be asked to join the study testing the efficacy of twice daily esomeprazole 40 mg taken for 3 months in the setting of chronic cough. Potential subjects will be consented for the study prior to leaving the enrolling clinic. A total of 40 subjects will be recruited into our study.

Arms:
arm 1: 40mg Esomeprazole BID arm 2: placebo capsules

Interventions: intervention 1: Esomeprazole intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 40mg capsule BID for 12 weeks intervention 2: placebo capsule BID for 12 weeks

Protocol document: