Increased Sensitivity to Pain Caused by Opioids in People Who Have Abused Prescription Opioids

NCT ID: NCT01821430

Last Updated: 2017-02-09

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

TERMINATED

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

4 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2013-03-31

Study Completion Date

2016-02-29

Brief Summary

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Managing pain in patients who abuse prescription opioids presents many challenges, including the development of opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). Hyperalgesia is a condition in which something that usually feels slightly painful is perceived as something very painful. The proposed study will test the efficacy of the well-known neurological medication pregabalin to diminish OIH and chronic pain in persons who are in Suboxone (buprenorphine) or methadone treatment for prescription drug abuse.

Detailed Description

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The clinical management of pain in prescription opioid abusers presents a challenge to the health care professional. Investigators have novel pilot data showing that the GABA-agonist gabapentin (GPN) significantly decreases opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) in methadone patients (Compton et al., 2009), providing the first empirical evidence of a pharmacotherapy for OIH in opioid abusers. The work of Gore and colleagues (2011) showed that pregabalin (PGB), a GABA analogue succeeding GPN, was shown to decrease opioid use in patients with neuropathic pain in patients, suggesting an anti-hyperalgesia effect not observed in the matched cohort receiving GPN. The proposed research will comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of PGB in treating opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) in a well-described population of prescription opioid abusers (POAs) with chronic pain and on Suboxone (buprenorphine) or methadone therapy. A pressing need for such investigation is presented by the rising number of POAs presenting for treatment (SAMHSA, 2010; 2011), and for whom, chronic pain is a common co-morbidity. The proposed work is anticipated to provide vital and timely information on the efficacy of PGB in the treatment of OIH in prescription opioid abusers on Suboxone or methadone therapy.

Following recruitment and screening, 75 subjects assigned to the active medication group will receive pregabalin 400 mg/day, a dose well-within published guidelines of 300-600 mg/day for the treatment of neuropathic pain (http://www.pfizerpro.com/hcp/lyrica/phndosing). During the first week of treatment, subjects will be quickly titrated up to the assigned daily PGB dose of 400 mg/day PO (50mg BID x 2 days; 100mg BID x 2 days; 150mg BID x 2 days, with full dosage of 400mg administered on day 7 ), or maximum dose tolerated) for six weeks. 75 subjects will be assigned to receive matched and undergo identical titration and study activities under double-blind conditions. Study staff will evaluate subjects daily by phone during titration; thereafter they will be seen weekly at study sessions. Tapering of medication will begin at the end of week 6. The severity of chronic pain will be measured at each time point using two standardized self report tools which report on pain severity (McGill Pain Questionnaire) and pain-related disability (Brief Pain Inventory). Opioid-induced hyperalgesia will be measured at each time point using a standardized cold pressor trial, and performance at baseline will be compared to performance following PGB/placebo administration over time.

Conditions

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Chronic Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Pregabalin

Pregabalin 400mg / Day

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Pregabalin

Intervention Type DRUG

Titration of intervention will begin with 50mg PO BID x 2 days, then 100mg PO BID x 2 days, then 150mg PO BID X 2 days, then on day 7 full dose of Pregabalin 400mg PO QD for six weeks

Placebo Control

Placebo Tablet

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo group will follow the same titration as the pregabalin group

Interventions

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Pregabalin

Titration of intervention will begin with 50mg PO BID x 2 days, then 100mg PO BID x 2 days, then 150mg PO BID X 2 days, then on day 7 full dose of Pregabalin 400mg PO QD for six weeks

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Placebo group will follow the same titration as the pregabalin group

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Lyrica

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Be between the ages of 21 and 65 years of age.
2. Have a DSM-IVR diagnosis (used through 10/1/2014) of prescription opioid abuse or dependence disorder or a DSM-5 diagnosis of opioid use disorder.
3. Be enrolled and compliant in Suboxone or methadone treatment and on a stable dose \[Suboxone (6-24mg/day); of methadone (60-120mg/day)\] x at least 10 days.
4. Provide urine sample absent of any non-prescribed drugs of abuse at screening.
5. Screening cold-pressor pain tolerance \< 70 seconds
6. Have chronic lower back pain or arthritis pain (duration six or more months).
7. Be otherwise in good physical health, or in the case of a medical condition needing ongoing treatment, be in the care of a physician who is willing to take responsibility for such treatment. The same conditions apply in cases of patients with a psychiatric disorder needing ongoing treatment.
8. Be agreeable to and capable of signing an informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Have known sensitivity to pregabalin or gabapentin.
2. Potential participants must not be taking the following medications: pregabalin or gabapentin, tiagabine, vigabatrin, valproate, phenobarbital or primidone for the treatment of epilepsy; SNRI or TCA antidepressants; baclofen; or carbamazepine, oxycarbazepine or lamotrigine for the treatment of chronic pain.
3. Currently be substance dependent on alcohol, benzodiazepine, methamphetamine, cocaine or other drugs of abuse (except nicotine).
4. Have any acute medical condition that would make participation medically hazardous, (e.g., acute hepatitis, unstable cardiovascular disease, liver or renal disease) or have liver enzyme values (AST or ALT) greater than 5 times normal range.
5. Be acutely psychotic, severely depressed and in need of inpatient treatment, or an immediate suicide risk.
6. Have a neurological or psychiatric illness (i.e., schizophrenia, Raynaud's disease, urticaria, stroke) that would affect pain responses.
7. Be currently taking opioid analgesic medication for a painful condition on a regular basis.
8. Be a nursing or pregnant female, or a female or male who does not agree to not become pregnant or father a child during the course of, and six months following completion of the study. If a subject becomes pregnant or fathers a child during the study, they must immediately notify the study investigator.
9. Have a history of heart disease, stroke, liver or kidney disease, epilepsy or acute hepatitis, or currently have a pacemaker or uncontrolled high blood pressure.
Minimum Eligible Age

21 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Georgetown University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Peggy Compton

Professor and Associate Dean

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Peggy Compton, RN, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Georgetown University

Locations

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Georgetown University

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Backonja MM. Anticonvulsants (antineuropathics) for neuropathic pain syndromes. Clin J Pain. 2000 Jun;16(2 Suppl):S67-72. doi: 10.1097/00002508-200006001-00012.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Barrett AC, Smith ES, Picker MJ. Capsaicin-induced hyperalgesia and mu-opioid-induced antihyperalgesia in male and female Fischer 344 rats. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2003 Oct;307(1):237-45. doi: 10.1124/jpet.103.054478. Epub 2003 Sep 3.

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Ben-Menachem E. Pregabalin pharmacology and its relevance to clinical practice. Epilepsia. 2004;45 Suppl 6:13-8. doi: 10.1111/j.0013-9580.2004.455003.x.

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Compton P, Charuvastra VC, Ling W. Pain intolerance in opioid-maintained former opiate addicts: effect of long-acting maintenance agent. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2001 Jul 1;63(2):139-46. doi: 10.1016/s0376-8716(00)00200-3.

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Compton PA, Ling W, Torrington MA. Lack of effect of chronic dextromethorphan on experimental pain tolerance in methadone-maintained patients. Addict Biol. 2008 Sep;13(3-4):393-402. doi: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2008.00112.x. Epub 2008 May 26.

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Compton P, Kehoe P, Sinha K, Torrington MA, Ling W. Gabapentin improves cold-pressor pain responses in methadone-maintained patients. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2010 Jun 1;109(1-3):213-9. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.01.006. Epub 2010 Feb 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Gore M, Tai KS, Zlateva G, Bala Chandran A, Leslie D. Clinical characteristics, pharmacotherapy, and healthcare resource use among patients with diabetic neuropathy newly prescribed pregabalin or gabapentin. Pain Pract. 2011 Nov-Dec;11(6):528-39. doi: 10.1111/j.1533-2500.2011.00450.x. Epub 2011 Mar 16.

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Tassone DM, Boyce E, Guyer J, Nuzum D. Pregabalin: a novel gamma-aminobutyric acid analogue in the treatment of neuropathic pain, partial-onset seizures, and anxiety disorders. Clin Ther. 2007 Jan;29(1):26-48. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2007.01.013.

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Other Identifiers

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U01DA029580

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

Pro00000669

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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