Hyperalgesia in Methadone-Maintained Patients: Can it be Treated?
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2010-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Utilizing a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, the proposed work will evaluate the
ability of an adjuvant anticonvulsant analgesic to diminish or reverse the opioid-induced
hyperalgesia complicating the pain states suffered by Methadone-Maintained (MM) patients.
Specifically, in a sample of MM patients, gabapentin, which has proven efficacy in treating
neuropathic pain will be evaluated for its ability to ameliorate or diminish the
opioid-induced hyperalgesia in these patients as reflected by changes on pain threshold and
tolerance to both cold-pressor and electrical pain, at peak and through methadone blood
levels. The results of this work will not only provide pharmacologic insight into the
mechanisms underlying poor pain tolerance in this at-risk population, but also direction for
the medical management of pain complicated by opioid-induced hyperalgesia.