Gabapentin is though used to treat epileptic seizures or pain, says a group of researchers from the University of Newcastle in Australia, it can prove an effective remedy for sufferers of chronic cough, a report lately published online in the Lancet uncovers.

“The addition of gabapentin to chronic cough standard practice guidelines should be considered, although replication studies are necessary before this happens", said Nicole Ryan, clinical research scientist after a study to test the medicine.

Chronic cough, as per the findings, has the power to cause malfunctioning of a brain’s part that is initially responsible for coughing. Some 11 to 16% people tend to get the deadly cough each year.

The study enrolled 52 people, who had been suffering from chronic cough since two months or more but had failed to respond to any treatment meant for the same. Providing them with gabapentin or placebo on a random basis for a ten-week period, researchers found that participants on gabapentin had improved not only cough severity or frequency, but quality of life as well.

However, placebo dependents were not showing improvements. The findings are based on a questionnaire that checked social, psychological and physical effect of the cough over time. A detailed investigation into the drug is now being planned.