Comparison of Metoclopramide and Ibuprofen for the Treatment of Acute Mountain Sickness

September 1, 2020 updated by: N. Stuart Harris MD MFA, Massachusetts General Hospital

Acute Mountain Sickness Treatment: A Double-blind Comparison of Metoclopramide vs. Ibuprofen

The objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of metoclopramide in relieving the symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).

It is our hypothesis that the combined antiemetic and analgesic effects of metoclopramide (which has been study-proven to be effective in relieving symptoms of migraine headache) will prove to be more efficacious in relieving symptoms of acute mountain sickness than the standard, previously-studied analgesic medication, ibuprofen.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is a well described disease process that occurs as a result of rapid exposure to high altitude. High altitude headache (HAH) is defined as the presence of headache in the setting of a recent increase in altitude. When HAH is associated with nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness or poor sleeping, AMS is diagnosed. While benign, AMS is very common, afflicting up to 80 % of travelers who ascend rapidly to 14,000 ft, and can be debilitating. AMS is thought to occur secondary to hypoxia-induced cerebral vasodilation. The antiemetic metoclopramide has been well studied and is commonly administered for treatment of migraine headaches in emergency departments across the U.S. The symptoms of migraine headaches are often similar to those of AMS. The mechanism of metoclopramide"s beneficial effect in this indication appear to be a result of its antagonism of central and peripheral dopamine receptors,most notably by blocking stimulation of the medullary chemoreceptor trigger zone. No studies have yet evaluated the potential benefits of metoclopramide for the relief of AMS. In contrast, ibuprofen has been well studied and found to be an effective treatment for the relief of symptoms of high altitude headache and AMS.

The study will be a convenience sample of trekkers traveling through the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal during the 3 month time period of March-May, 2012. Subjects will be recruited from visitors to Manang, Nepal staying in local hostels, those visiting the Himalayan Rescue Association clinic in Manang, and those responding to locally posted signage regarding study enrollment.

Eligible patients will be consented and enrolled in the study. Patients will be randomized to receive either Ibuprofen 400mg or Metoclopramide 10mg by mouth. Investigators will be blinded as to which arm of the study the patient is enrolled. Participants will be assessed by Lake Louise Score and Visual Analog Scale for headache and nausea severity immediately prior to ingestion of study medication, and then serially at 30, 60, and 120 minutes following medication ingestion. Standard statistical analysis of the Lake Louise AMS scores and visual analog scales will be used to determine which medication is more effective in treating acute mountain sickness.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

300

Phase

  • Not Applicable

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

    • District Of Manang
      • Manang, District Of Manang, Nepal, 33500
        • Manang Clinic of the Himalayan Rescue Association

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

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Presence at Manang recruitment center (at approximately 11,500 ft) during the dates March through May, 2012.
  • Recent increase in altitude of > 1000 ft vertical in last 24 hours
  • Presence of headache and at least one other symptom required for diagnosis of acute mountain sickness (including nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness or poor sleeping.)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age less than 19 years old
  • Known allergy or contraindication to either ibuprofen or metoclopramide
  • Evidence of severe high altitude illness (e.g. High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) as evidenced by dyspnea at rest -- or of High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) as evidenced by altered mental status or ataxia)
  • Known or suspected pregnancy
  • Use of other analgesic or antiemetic within 8 hours of study enrollment
  • History of migraines or other chronic headache disorders
  • Inability to provide informed consent

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
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Metoclopramide
150 subjects with acute mountain sickness will be randomly assigned to take metoclopramide.
Metoclopramide 10mg tablet. Take one tablet by mouth.
Other Names:
  • Reglan
Active Comparator: Ibuprofen
150 subjects with acute mountain sickness will be randomly assigned to take ibuprofen.
Ibuprofen 400mg tablet. Take one dose by mouth.
Other Names:
  • Advil
  • Motrin

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Headache and Nausea Visual Analog Scales
Time Frame: 120 minutes
Subjects will complete 100mm visual analog scales of both headache and nausea at time zero, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after taking the study medication. Visual analog scales are a valid assessment of symptom severity for acute mountain sickness.
120 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Lake Louise Acute Mountain Sickness Score
Time Frame: 120 minutes
Subjects will take the Lake Louise Acute Mountains Sickness score before taking the medication and 120 minutes after taking the medication. The Lake Louise Acute Mountain Sickness Score is a standard measure of the severity of acute mountain sickness and is commonly used in studies involving acute mountain sickness.
120 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Norman S Harris, MD, MFA, Massachusetts General Hospital

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

March 1, 2012

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 1, 2017

Study Completion (Actual)

March 30, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 27, 2012

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 27, 2012

First Posted (Estimate)

January 31, 2012

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 2, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 1, 2020

Last Verified

September 1, 2020

More Information

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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