Fluvoxamine efficacy in severe, dry cough in neoplasmatic diseases

Feliks Błaszczyk; Anna Orońska; Małgorzata Krajnik; Zbigniew Żylicz

Vol 4, No 1 (2005): Polish Palliative Medicine

Original articles

Published online: 2005-01-19

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Fluvoxamine efficacy in severe, dry cough in neoplasmatic diseases

Feliks Błaszczyk, Anna Orońska, Małgorzata Krajnik, Zbigniew Żylicz

Advances in Palliative Medicine 2005;4(1):17-20.

Vol 4, No 1 (2005): Polish Palliative Medicine

Original articles

Published online: 2005-01-19

Abstract

Introduction. Dry cough may complicate many specific and non specific lung diseases including malignancies. Recently it was suggested that paroxetine, drug known for its antidepressive properties, can effectively inhibit dry cough without affecting expectoration. The aim of this study was to confirm or reject the notion that this effect is specific to paroxetine or it can be extended to the whole group of specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Material and methods. Fluvoxamine 50 mg o.d. was administered to 6 patients who were suffering dry cough.
Results. Cough inhibition was seen in all 6 patients, but it was full only in the first day. Later on, during the follow up, cough intensity was about half the intensity from before the treatment.
Conclusion. It is not known whether the drug is truly weaker than paroxetine or its dose was too low.