Esophageal Infusion of Menthol Does Not Affect Esophageal Motility in Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.
Peter Bánovčin, Peter Lipták, Diana Vážanová and 3 others
PMID 37728794WHAT IT FOUND
Infusing menthol directly into the esophagus caused heartburn in all GERD patients but did not change how the esophagus squeezed or how tight the valve to the stomach remained.
The burning sensation comes from nerve stimulation, not from muscle relaxation or reflux mechanics.
Key findings
01Menthol infusion did not significantly affect esophageal peristalsis or lower esophageal sphincter barrier function in either healthy volunteers or GERD patients.
02All 11 GERD patients reported heartburn during the menthol infusion, with significantly higher pain intensity scores compared to healthy volunteers.
03The rate of ineffective swallows did not change significantly after menthol infusion in either group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study did not include a placebo (saline) infusion control, so minor changes in motility parameters could be due to a placebo effect or natural variation. The sample size was small, particularly the subgroup of patients with confirmed GERD via pH/impedance testing (only 6 patients). Most GERD patients were enrolled based on symptoms alone rather than confirmed acid exposure, meaning some may have had reflux hypersensitivity rather than true GERD. The study only assessed primary peristalsis and LES function, leaving open questions about effects on secondary peristalsis, esophageal clearance, or transient LES relaxations.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic and Comenius University in Bratislava. No commercial conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that menthol is safe for all GERD patients based on this study. While it did not worsen motility mechanics, it consistently triggered painful heartburn in all patients with GERD, confirming that sensory irritation remains a significant clinical issue even if the muscle function is unchanged.