Treatment of Chronic Pain From Osteoarthritis

Chronic Pain Clinical Trial

Official title: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN TWO PHARMACOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS OXYCODONE/NALOXONE AND CODEINE / PARACETAMOL IN TREATMENT OF MODERATE-SEVERE CHRONIC PAIN DUE TO OSTEOARTHRITIS OF KNEE AND/OR HIP

Status Withdrawn

Clinical Trial Summary

Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder in the elder population.The current treatment options include both a non-pharmacological approach (physiokinesitherapy, diet) or if this fails, a pharmacological approach that relies in the first instance on drugs such as paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (including inhibitors of cyclo-oxygenase). However, the use of these drugs is limited, by the roof effect concerning analgesia, and by the potential side effects. When pharmacological treatments with non-opioid medications fail, and a moderate-to-severe pain reduces the quality of life of the patient, international guidelines suggest the use of opioid drugs.

Clinical Trial Description

The WHO analgesic ladder, even with its limitations, is widely used to guide the beginning of opioid therapy in chronic pain. According to this approach the choice of drug is based on the intensity of pain reported by the patient; belong to the first step acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and if these drugs fail it is planned to introduce a weak opioid (tramadol, codeine) alone or in combination.

The association codeine-paracetamol, one of the most widely used drug combinations in the treatment of moderate pain from osteoarthritis, demonstrated analgesic efficacy superior only to paracetamol in the short term; however, its use was less effective in the long term and worsen by multiple side effects, especially gastrointestinal with results in poor adherence to the therapy.

Lately, the international guidelines on the treatment of chronic pain in cancer have suggested the possibility of moving, in case of inadequate efficacy of paracetamol and / or NSAIDs, directly to the third step, using a low dose of a strong opioid.

The side effects associated with the use of opioids in the treatment of chronic pain, such as itching, side effects of gastrointestinal and central nervous system effects (drowsiness, giddiness), often necessitate dose reduction (thus compromising the analgesic effect), with often resulting in discontinuation of treatment.

A recent strategy to face the underlying cause of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is the oral administration of an antagonist of opioid receptor that acts specifically and locally at the level of the gastrointestinal tract. This prevents or minimizes gastrointestinal side effects but does not affect the central analgesic effect of the opioid thank to the low bioavailability of the antagonist.

A recent review on the effects of chronic pain on cognitive function of patients describes a series of clinical evidence suggestive of a intellectual impairment predominantly associated with a significant psychomotor slowing.

An interesting corollary of the problematic pain-cognition is represented by the possible neuropsychological side effect due to teh use of opioid drugs in the treatment of chronic pain.

The objective of the research becomes to determinate how much the analgesic relief, derived from the assumption of opioid drugs, can lead to an improvement in cognitive function without the possible side effects of the drugs themselves. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Chronic Pain
• Osteoarthritis

• NCT number: NCT02032927
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo
• Status: Withdrawn
• Phase: Phase 4
• Start date: June 2013
• Completion date: June 2015