title: Amitriptyline for symptomatic treatment of idiopathic chronic laryngeal irritability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the safety and efficacy of amitriptyline hydrochloride in treating idiopathic chronic laryngeal irritability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review identified patients treated with amitriptyline for laryngeal irritability in an academic otolaryngology practice. Subjects who had documented medication compliance and a follow-up evaluation performed within 3 months after initiation of treatment were included. Symptoms, demographic information, and response to therapy were abstracted from the records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-six subjects were identified, comprising 48 women and 18 men. The ethnicities were black, 42%; Hispanic, 27%; white, 20%; Asian, 6%; and other or unspecified, 5%. The response to treatment was judged complete in 32% of subjects, partial in 24%, and without improvement in 36%; the remaining 8% were unable to tolerate treatment. Overall, 56.1% of subjects improved (95% confidence limit, 43.3% to 68.3%). No significant differences in response rates were seen based on gender (p = 0.484), age (p = 0.590), or race (p = 0.846). Sedation was reported by 23% of individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that more than 50% of subjects who received amitriptyline for chronic laryngeal irritability experienced improvement, and most subjects tolerated this treatment. No differences in efficacy were seen among racial, age, and gender subgroups. A prospective randomized trial of this therapy appears warranted.
authors.affiliation: Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: J Pieter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Noordzij
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007827:Laryngitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000639:Amitriptyline