Tramadol to Reduce Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms

January 11, 2017 updated by: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Withdrawal Suppression Efficacy of Tramadol

Individuals with opioid addiction often experience serious withdrawal symptoms that may make relapse unavoidable. Tramadol, a medication that is currently used to treat pain caused by chronic conditions such as cancer or joint pain, may also be effective at reducing opioid withdrawal symptoms. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of tramadol at reducing withdrawal symptoms in individuals addicted to opioid drugs.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Opioid withdrawal symptoms are a major contributing factor for why opioid treatment programs often fail. Individuals with severe opioid withdrawal symptoms may experience shaking, muscle and bone pain, nausea, depression, anxiety, and drug craving. Tramadol is a medication that is currently used to treat moderate to severe pain in individuals with cancer, joint pain, or pain resulting from surgery. Because of its pharmacological profile, tramadol may also be useful in treating opioid withdrawal. Further research is needed to confirm the benefits of tramadol for opioid addicts. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of tramadol at reducing opioid withdrawal symptoms in opioid-dependent individuals.

This 6-week inpatient study will enroll opioid-dependent individuals. Participants will be required to reside at the research clinic for the entire study. All participants will receive morphine maintenance treatment on a daily basis. Twice a week participants will take part in experimental challenge sessions in which they will be randomly assigned to receive varying doses of tramadol, naloxone, morphine, or placebo. These sessions will assess the ability of tramadol to suppress opioid withdrawal symptoms. Participants will complete performance tasks to measure psychomotor and cognitive functioning. Heart rate and blood pressure will be monitored throughout the experimental sessions. A specialized camera will also be used to assess pupillary response of the eyes. Questionnaires and self-reports will be completed to assess medication effects and withdrawal symptoms. Following the end of the study, all participants will be offered outpatient drug abuse treatment.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

16

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21224-6823
        • Johns Hopkins University (BPRU) Bayview 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

Ages Eligible for Study

21 years to 55 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Meets DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for opioid dependence
  • Is in good physical health
  • Qualifies for treatment with opioid agonist therapy (e.g., methadone)
  • If female, must have a negative pregnancy test prior to study entry

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Evidence of significant medical illness (e.g., insulin dependent diabetes mellitus)
  • Evidence of significant psychiatric illness (e.g., schizophrenia)
  • Currently seeking treatment for substance abuse
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding

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: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Opioid withdrawal symptoms (measured by Visual Analog Scale during the experimental sessions)
Opioid agonist effects (measured by Visual Analog Scale during the experimental sessions)
Physiological effects (measured by pulse oximeter, blood pressure, heart rate, and pupillary camera during the experimental sessions)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

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

February 1, 2005

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2005

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2005

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 1, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 1, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

September 2, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

January 12, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 11, 2017

Last Verified

August 1, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • NIDA-18125-1
  • DPMC (Other Identifier: NIDA)
  • R01-18125-1

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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