Research Examining Gulf War Illness in Our Nations Service Members — REGIONS  

Gulf War Illness Clinical Trial

Official title: RCT of Duloxetine & Pregabalin for the Treatment of Gulf War Illness in Veterans

Status Terminated

Clinical Trial Summary

At least 1 in 4 of the 700,000 U.S. Veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War suffer from Gulf War Illness (GWI). Despite considerable research, effective treatments remain elusive. GWI refers to a complex of symptoms that typically include widespread chronic pain, persistent headache, memory and concentration problems, gastrointestinal difficulties, sleep disturbances and unexplained fatigue. These symptoms are similar to that of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), another multi-symptom condition. Whereas, effective treatments for GWI have yet to be found, the FDA has approved duloxetine and pregabalin for the treatment of FMS. The lack of progress in finding effective treatments for GWI, and the similarities between GWI and FMS, provides a rationale for determining if these medications can provide relief to Veterans who suffer from GWI. This randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy of Duloxetine and Pregabalin for treating Gulf War Veterans who suffer from GWI.

Clinical Trial Description

At least 1 in 4 of the 700,000 U.S. Veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War suffer from Gulf War Illness (GWI). Despite considerable research, effective treatments remain elusive. GWI refers to a complex of symptoms that typically include widespread chronic pain, persistent headache, memory and concentration problems, gastrointestinal difficulties, sleep disturbances and unexplained fatigue. This symptom profile is similar to that of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a multi-symptom condition similar to GWI. Whereas, effective treatments for GWI have yet to be found, progress has been made in identifying medications to treat FMS. For example, the FDA has approved a number of medications including Duloxetine and Pregabalin for the treatment of FMS. Compared to placebo (PBO) Duloxetine (a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) and Pregabalin (an alpha-2-alpha-subunit calcium-channel ligand) significantly improved pain responses and fatigue. The capacity of Duloxetine to increase central levels of serotonin and norepinephrine as well as the more complex alterations of neurotransmitters and central nervous system (CNS) mediators of pain attributed to pregabalin are thought to be responsible for the medication's effects on pain, mood and sleep. Clinical practice and one open-label trial support the use of these medications in combination to achieve optimal symptom improvement amongst GWI sufferers; however, such combinations have not been formally tested in randomized controlled trials. The lack of progress in finding effective treatments for GWI, and the similarities between GWI and FMS, provides a rationale for determining if these FDA approved medications can provide significant symptomatic relief to Veterans who suffer from GWI. Central Texas is home to one of the highest number of Gulf War Veterans in the nation, thus the investigators' research team is ideally situated to conduct the proposed study. In a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, 180 Veterans who meet defining criteria for GWI and whose symptom profile includes chronic widespread pain and sleep disturbances will be treated with one of the following medications; 1) AM Duloxetine+ PM placebo (PBO); 2) PM Pregabalin + AM PBO or 3) AM PBO + PM PBO. All active treatments will titrate from a lower dose in 2-week increments to the full therapeutic doses (FDA-approved for FMS). The outcome of the PBO double-dummy period will be compared statistically with 18 weeks of active therapy (weeks 5-22). ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Gulf War Illness

• NCT number: NCT01846182
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: VA Office of Research and Development
• Status: Terminated
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: June 24, 2015
• Completion date: August 1, 2019