Nebulized lidocaine in the treatment of intractable cough.

Cough is one of the most common symptoms prompting patients to be seen by health care providers in the United States. Persistent cough can disrupt daily activities such as conversation, eating, breathing, and sleeping, and it can become extremely debilitating both physically and mentally. Pharmacological treatments include dextramethorphan, opioid cough suppressants, benzonatate, inhaled ipratropium, and guaifenesin. Successful cough suppression has also been demonstrated in several studies with the use of nebulized lidocaine. Nebulized lidocaine also appears to be well tolerated by patients with minimal side effects including dysphonia, oropharyngeal numbness, and bitter taste. Studies conducted thus far have been small, so larger randomized control trials comparing nebulized lidocaine to placebo need to be conducted in the future.