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

Summary

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.

Timeline

Start

2013-03

Primary completion

2016-02

Completion

2016-02

Publications

• Background Backonja MM. Anticonvulsants (antineuropathics) for neuropathic pain syndromes. Clin J Pain. 2000 Jun;16(2 Suppl):S67-72. doi: 10.1097/00002508-200006001-00012.
• Background 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.
• Background 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.
• Background Blitz B, Dinnerstein AJ, Lowenthal M. Performance on the pain apperception test and tolerance for experimental pain: a lack of relationship. J Clin Psychol. 1968 Jan;24(1):73. doi: 10.1002/1097-4679(196801)24:13.0.co;2-5. No abstract available.
• Background Chen ACN, Dworkin SF, Haug J, Gehrig J. Human pain responsivity in a tonic pain model: psychological determinants. Pain. 1989 May;37(2):143-160. doi: 10.1016/0304-3959(89)90126-7.
• Background Chery-Croze S. Relationship between noxious cold stimuli and the magnitude of pain sensation in man. Pain. 1983 Mar;15(3):265-9. doi: 10.1016/0304-3959(83)90061-1.
• Background Cleeland CS, Ryan KM. Pain assessment: global use of the Brief Pain Inventory. Ann Acad Med Singap. 1994 Mar;23(2):129-38.
• Background 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.
• Background 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.
• Background 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.
• Background 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.
• Background Hansen GR. The drug-seeking patient in the emergency room. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2005 May;23(2):349-65. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2004.12.006.
• Background Holtman JR Jr, Wala EP. Characterization of the antinociceptive and pronociceptive effects of methadone in rats. Anesthesiology. 2007 Mar;106(3):563-71. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200703000-00022.
• Background Ifuku M, Iseki M, Hidaka I, Morita Y, Komatus S, Inada E. Replacement of gabapentin with pregabalin in postherpetic neuralgia therapy. Pain Med. 2011 Jul;12(7):1112-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2011.01162.x. Epub 2011 Jun 21.
• Background Paulson MR, Dekker AH, Aguilar-Gaxiola S. Eliminating disparities in pain management. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2007 Sep;107(9 Suppl 5):ES17-20.
• Background Ramanujam VM, Anderson KE, Grady JJ, Nayeem F, Lu LJ. Riboflavin as an oral tracer for monitoring compliance in clinical research. Open Biomark J. 2011;2011(4):1-7. doi: 10.2174/1875318301104010001.
• Background 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.
• Background Tassorelli C, Micieli G, Osipova V, Rossi F, Nappi G. Pupillary and cardiovascular responses to the cold-pressor test. J Auton Nerv Syst. 1995 Oct 5;55(1-2):45-9. doi: 10.1016/0165-1838(95)00026-t.
• Background Bodian D. Origin of specific synaptic types in the motoneuron neuropil of the monkey. J Comp Neurol. 1975 Jan 15;159(2):225-43. doi: 10.1002/cne.901590205.

Drugs

Indications