TITLE:
The effect of melatonin in functional heartburn: A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial
AUTHORS:
Patrick P. Basu, Hemanth Hempole, Nitya Krishnaswamy, Niraj J. Shah, Mark M. Aloysius
KEYWORDS:
Melatonin; Functional Heartburn; Nortriptyline; HRQOL
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Gastroenterology,
Vol.4 No.2,
February
8,
2014
ABSTRACT: Background:
Melatonin is a safe and effective treatment for patients with functional pain
and gastrointestinal disorders. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and
safety of melatonin for 3 months in patients with functional heartburn.
Methods: In the randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study, patients with
functional heartburn were treated with omeprazole 20 mg before breakfast and randomized to receive either
melatonin 6 mg (n = 20),
nortripty line 25 mg (n = 20), or
placebo (n = 20) at bedtime for 3
months. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health-Related
Quality of Life (GERD-HRQOL) scores were assessed at baseline and at the
end of the study. Results: Melatonin improved GERD-HRQOL scores compared with
nortriptyline (P = 0.0015) and
placebo (P