The potential therapeutic effect of melatonin in Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the role of exogenous melatonin in treating GERD, either alone or in combination with omeprazole.
Results Summary
Melatonin improved GERD symptoms when used alone or with omeprazole, though omeprazole alone was more effective. Melatonin effectively relieved epigastric pain and heartburn.
Population
36 persons divided into 4 groups (control, melatonin alone, omeprazole alone, combination therapy).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
4 and 8 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin | decrease | Gastro-esophageal reflux disease | patients with reflux disease | - | has a role in the improvement | #1 |
melatonin and omeprazole combination | decrease | Gastro-esophageal reflux disease | patients with reflux disease | - | has a role in the improvement | #2 |
omeprazole | decrease | GERD | patients with reflux disease | - | is better used in the treatment | #3 |
oral melatonin | decrease | GERD | - | - | is a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment | #4 |
oral melatonin | decrease | epigastric pain and heartburn | - | - | is an effective line of treatment in relieving | #5 |
BACKGROUND: Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) defined as a condition that develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications. Many drugs are used for the treatment of GERD such as omeprazole (a proton pump inhibitor) which is a widely used antiulcer drug demonstrated to protect against esophageal mucosal injury. Melatonin has been found to protect the gastrointestinal mucosa from oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species in different experimental ulcer models. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of exogenous melatonin in the treatment of reflux disease in humans either alone or in combination with omeprazole therapy. METHODS: 36 persons were divided into 4 groups (control subjects, patients with reflux disease treated with melatonin alone, omeprazole alone and a combination of melatonin and omeprazole for 4 and 8 weeks) Each group consisted of 9 persons. Persons were subjected to thorough history taking, clinical examination, and investigations including laboratory, endoscopic, record of esophageal motility, pH-metry, basal acid output and serum gastrin. RESULTS: Melatonin has a role in the improvement of Gastro-esophageal reflux disease when used alone or in combination with omeprazole. Meanwhile, omeprazole alone is better used in the treatment of GERD than melatonin alone. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that oral melatonin is a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of GERD. It is an effective line of treatment in relieving epigastric pain and heartburn. However, further studies are required to confirm the efficacy and long-term safety of melatonin before being recommended for routine clinical use. TRIAL REGISTRATION: QA13NCT00915616.