Oral Ketorolac for IUD Pain Reduction

September 4, 2026 updated by: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Timing of Oral Ketorolac for Pain Reduction in IUD Insertion: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

To determine if oral ketorolac given at different timepoints prior to intrauterine device (IUD) insertion influences pain experienced during this procedure.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a single-site prospective interventional randomized controlled trial to examine the timing of administration of ketorolac for IUD pain control. 108 patients will be recruited to the study and they will be randomized into three study arms in a 1:1:1 ratio. Information including demographics, medical history, and obstetric history will be collected during enrollment. Patients will arrive 3 hours prior to their IUD appointment. Study group "K2" will receive ketorolac 20mg per os (PO) at 2 hours prior to IUD insertion, then they will receive a placebo pill at 1 hour prior to IUD insertion. In contrast, study group "K1" will receive the inverse: they will be given a placebo pill at 2 hours prior to IUD insertion, then they will receive ketorolac 20mg PO at 1 hour prior to IUD insertion. Study group "K0" will receive placebo pills at both timepoints. The patients will then receive a standard IUD insertion by an OBGYN physician. Both patients and providers will be blinded to the study medications received. The standard pain control regimen for IUD insertion includes offering vaginal lidocaine gel self-administered 5 minutes prior to IUD insertion as well as offering lidocaine paracervical block (PCB). All patients will be offered these standard pain control methods including the "K0" group. Patients may utilize one, both, or neither of these offered interventions in addition to the randomized study medication. During the IUD insertion, pain scores at 7 different timepoints will be measured via a visual analog scale (VAS). The VAS is a 100mm visual tool that allows patients to rate the pain they are experiencing at each time interval. The 7 timepoints include: pre-procedure, tenaculum placement, block injection, uterine sounding, IUD deployment, overall (measured immediately post-procedure), and 10 minutes post-procedure. Information on Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) and patient satisfaction will be collected during their appointment. After the 10-minute post-procedure VAS score and questionnaire, patients will be discharged from the study.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
108

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Hillsborough, North Carolina, United States, 27278
        • University of North Carolina - Hillsborough Campus

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18 years or older
  • Able to consent
  • Desires IUD insertion

Exclusion Criteria:

  • IUD placement under sedation or oral anxiolytic
  • IUD replacement (removal with insertion)
  • Daily narcotic or NSAID use
  • Contraindications to IUD placement
  • Current: pregnancy, genital/pelvic infection
  • Lifetime history: uterine anomaly, pelvic inflammatory disease, allergy to levonorgestrel or copper
  • Contraindications to ketorolac
  • Current: weight under 50 kilograms
  • Lifetime history: allergy to NSAIDs, liver disease, renal disease, peptic ulcer disease, cerebrovascular bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: K2 - Ketorolac 2-hour
Receives Ketorolac 20mg PO at 2 hours prior and placebo at 1 hour prior to IUD
Drug: Ketorolac
The experimental condition to be examined by this study is the timing of administration of ketorolac prior to IUD insertion. Ketorolac 20mg PO has proven beneficial at certain timepoints during IUD insertion in prior studies, but pharmacokinetics indicate that it could require more time until peak analgesia.
Other Names:
  • Toradol
Drug: Placebo
Placebo will be used to control the timing of administration and be used to compare ketorolac to baseline standard pain control regimens
Active Comparator: K1 - Ketorolac 1-hour
Receives placebo at 2 hours and Ketorolac 20mg PO at 1 hour prior to IUD
Drug: Ketorolac
The experimental condition to be examined by this study is the timing of administration of ketorolac prior to IUD insertion. Ketorolac 20mg PO has proven beneficial at certain timepoints during IUD insertion in prior studies, but pharmacokinetics indicate that it could require more time until peak analgesia.
Other Names:
  • Toradol
Drug: Placebo
Placebo will be used to control the timing of administration and be used to compare ketorolac to baseline standard pain control regimens
Placebo Comparator: K0 - Placebo control
Receives placebo at 2 hours and at 1 hour prior to IUD
Drug: Placebo
Placebo will be used to control the timing of administration and be used to compare ketorolac to baseline standard pain control regimens

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Difference in mean VAS pain scores between study arms at 7 timepoints during and after IUD insertion
Time Frame: All VAS pain scores will be measured during their IUD appointment. 5 timepoints will be measured during IUD insertion (~10 total minutes), 1 immediately after the procedure, 1 ten minutes afterwards
To compare the mean VAS pain scores between study arms (K2 vs K1 vs K0) at each timepoint during and after IUD insertion (pre-procedure, tenaculum placement, PCB injection, uterine sounding, IUD deployment, overall (measured immediately post-procedure), and 10 minutes post-procedure). To assess VAS scores, a 100mm ruler will be presented to the patient at the listed timepoints. The patient will adjust a slider on the ruler to correspond to their pain level, with 0mm representing no pain and 100mm representing worst possible pain. The VAS scores will be reported as means and compared via repeated measure ANOVA test yielding confidence intervals and p-values and to assess for significance.
All VAS pain scores will be measured during their IUD appointment. 5 timepoints will be measured during IUD insertion (~10 total minutes), 1 immediately after the procedure, 1 ten minutes afterwards

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Difference in mean VAS pain scores between study arms at 7 timepoints during and after IUD insertion, controlling for parity
Time Frame: Parity is recorded during intake 1 week prior to IUD. VAS pain scores will be measured during their IUD appointment. 5 timepoints will be measured during IUD insertion (~10 total minutes), 1 immediately after the procedure, 1 ten minutes afterwards
To compare the mean VAS pain scores between study arms (K2 vs K1 vs K0) at each timepoint during and after IUD insertion (pre-procedure, tenaculum placement, PCB injection, uterine sounding, IUD deployment, overall (measured immediately post-procedure), and 10 minutes post-procedure) with respect to parity. To assess VAS scores, a 100mm ruler will be presented to the patient at the listed timepoints. The patient will adjust a slider on the ruler to correspond to their pain level, with 0mm representing no pain and 100mm representing worst possible pain. This will determine if nulliparous patients experienced more pain relief with different timings of ketorolac administration. The VAS scores for nulliparous and multiparous patients will be reported as means and compared via repeated measure ANOVA test with interaction term yielding confidence intervals and p-values to assess for significance.
Parity is recorded during intake 1 week prior to IUD. VAS pain scores will be measured during their IUD appointment. 5 timepoints will be measured during IUD insertion (~10 total minutes), 1 immediately after the procedure, 1 ten minutes afterwards
Difference in rate of "severe pain" (VAS pain scores 70-100mm) between study arms at 7 timepoints during and after IUD insertion
Time Frame: All VAS pain scores will be measured during their IUD appointment. 5 timepoints will be measured during IUD insertion (~10 total minutes), 1 immediately after the procedure, 1 ten minutes afterwards
To compare the rate of "severe pain" (VAS pain scores 70-100mm) between study arms (K2 vs K1 vs K0) at each timepoint during and after IUD insertion (pre-procedure, tenaculum placement, PCB injection, uterine sounding, IUD deployment, overall (measured immediately post-procedure), and 10 minutes post-procedure). To assess VAS scores, a 100mm ruler will be presented to the patient at the listed timepoints. The patient will adjust a slider on the ruler to correspond to their pain level, with 0mm representing no pain and 100mm representing worst possible pain. The rate of severe pain will be reported as percentage of patients and will be compared via chi-square test yielding confidence intervals and p-values to assess for significance.
All VAS pain scores will be measured during their IUD appointment. 5 timepoints will be measured during IUD insertion (~10 total minutes), 1 immediately after the procedure, 1 ten minutes afterwards
Difference in rate of change of VAS pain scores between study arms at 7 timepoints during and after IUD insertion
Time Frame: All VAS pain scores will be measured during their IUD appointment. 5 timepoints will be measured during IUD insertion (~10 total minutes), 1 immediately after the procedure, 1 ten minutes afterwards
To compare the rate of change of VAS pain scores between study arms (K2 vs K1 vs K0) at each timepoint during and after IUD insertion (pre-procedure, tenaculum placement, PCB injection, uterine sounding, IUD deployment, overall (measured immediately post-procedure), and 10 minutes post-procedure). To assess VAS scores, a 100mm ruler will be presented to the patient at the listed timepoints. The patient will adjust a slider on the ruler to correspond to their pain level, with 0mm representing no pain and 100mm representing worst possible pain. The pain scores will be plotted at the listed 7 timepoints and a generalized estimating equation will be used to assess the change in slope from timepoint to timepoint. The change in slope will be reported as means and compared between study arms via repeated measure ANOVA test yielding confidence intervals and p-values and to assess for significance.
All VAS pain scores will be measured during their IUD appointment. 5 timepoints will be measured during IUD insertion (~10 total minutes), 1 immediately after the procedure, 1 ten minutes afterwards
Difference in rate of acceptable pain levels between study arms at 7 timepoints during and after IUD insertion
Time Frame: All PASS responses will be measured during their IUD appointment. 5 timepoints will be measured during IUD insertion (~10 total minutes), 1 immediately after the procedure, 1 ten minutes afterwards
To compare the rate of acceptable pain levels (Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) binary yes/no variable) between study arms (K2 vs K1 vs K0) at each timepoint during and after IUD insertion (pre-procedure, tenaculum placement, PCB injection, uterine sounding, IUD deployment, overall (measured immediately post-procedure), and 10 minutes post-procedure). To assess PASS, the patient will be asked "Do you consider your current pain level acceptable?" at the listed timepoints. The rate of acceptable pain levels will be reported as percentage of patients and will be compared via chi-square test yielding confidence intervals and p-values to assess for significance.
All PASS responses will be measured during their IUD appointment. 5 timepoints will be measured during IUD insertion (~10 total minutes), 1 immediately after the procedure, 1 ten minutes afterwards

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Amy G Bryant, M.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 23, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 24, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 24, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 28, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 24-2276

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Deidentified individual data that supports the results will be shared beginning 9 to 36 months following publication provided the investigator who proposes to use the data has approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Independent Ethics Committee (IEC), or Research Ethics Board (REB), as applicable, and executes a data use/sharing agreement with UNC.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

beginning 9 and continuing for 36 months after publication

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Investigator has approved IRB, IEC, or REB and an executed data use/sharing agreement with UNC.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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