5HT3 Antagonists to Treat Opioid Withdrawal and to Prevent the Progression of Physical Dependence

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2016-10-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Opioid medications are commonly used for pain relief. When given over time, physical dependence can occur. This results in unpleasant side effects (such as agitation and nausea) if opioid medications are suddenly stopped. This study aims to test the use of the drug ondansetron to reduce the symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal and to prevent the progression of opioid physical dependence, thereby allowing future investigators to better test the role of physical dependence in the development of addiction and also possibly improving acceptance of abstinence-based programs for addiction.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Stanford University
• Collaborator: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Treatments: Analgesics, Opioid; Morphine; Naloxone; Narcotics; Ondansetron; Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of chronic low-back pain and who may be taking up to 30 mg equivalent of morphine per day (such as Vicodin, Percocet, etc)

• 18-60 years old

• Eligible to escalate opioid therapy dose, as determined by the treating physician or PI

• At low risk for addiction as determined by the PI and an addiction expert, Dr. Ian Carroll.

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of cardiovascular disease

• History of peripheral neuropathic pain, scleroderma, or other condition that would preclude cold water forearm immersion

• History of addiction or chronic pain conditions other than low-back pain, d) history of cardiac arrhythmia

• History of hepatic disease

• Use of steroid or nerve-stimulating medications

• Any condition precluding opioid use

• Pregnancy