Study of T3 for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia

T3 for Fibromyalgia: a Pilot Double-blind Non-randomized Clinical Trial

Determine if T3 - the active form of thyroid hormone - is beneficial in fibromyalgia. Determine the feasibility and promise of an appropriately powered future prospective randomized controlled study of using T3 (the active form of thyroid hormone) for the treatment of fibromyalgia. We specifically aim to assess the feasibility, cost, obstacles and promise of conducting a prospective controlled study in the future.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Fibromyalgia
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: T3

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 51
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Stanford, California, United States, 94305
      • Stanford University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 18-50
2. Meet american college of rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia
3. at baseline report an average pain of 4 or more on a brief Pain Inventory.
4. can climb 2 flights of stairs without shortness of breath.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. new medication change in the last 2 months
2. any cardiac disease at all
3. known thyroid disease before or after thyroid screening bloodwork
4. unstable medical or psychiatric disease.
5. Known inflammatory or rheumatic disease other than fibromyalgia
6. substance abuse in the last year
7. suicidality or depression as indicated by a Beck Depression Inventory of 30 or above
8. concomitant herbal medications
9. multiple severe medication allergies
10. the assessment of the research team that inclusion of the subject could in some way compromise the safety and validity of the study.
11. diabetes
12. smoking
13. Known uncontrolled hypertension
14. known uncontrolled hypercholesterolemia

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Placebo followed by T3; Participants receive placebo for 4 weeks. Following placebo, participants begin T3 treatment at 25 mcg per day, for 4 weeks. Following this, participants begin T3 treatment at 50 mcg per day, for 4 more weeks.	Drug: T3; Patients receive T3 in a dose of 25mcg and 50mcg

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Visual Analogue Scale of Pain Intensity	Patients rated their pain at baseline, placebo, T3 at 25 mcg, and T3 at 50 mcg. The scale ranged from 0 (no pain) to 10 (pain as bad as it can be).	12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Stanford University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 15, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 18, 2009
• First Posted (Estimate): May 19, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 14, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 15, 2017
• Last Verified: June 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Fibromyalgia; Myofascial Pain Syndromes
• Other Study ID Numbers: SU-04272009-2419; 16295