The purpose of this study is to examine whether buprenorphine can be at least as effective as other opioid medications in relieving chronic pain in patients who suffer from dependence on their opioid medications, while patients simultaneously experience progressive decline of pain along with absence of opioid withdrawal symptoms and improved quality of life.
The study will utilize sublingual buprenorphine for the treatment of chronic pain patients with co-occurring opioid dependence. Adult male and female chronic pain patients with co-occurring opioid dependence/disorder, being treated at MMC will be enrolled in a home induction procedure. Subjects will be switched from their current opioid pain medication to buprenorphine/naloxone to assess whether buprenorphine is at least as effective, if not more effective, as other opioid medications in controlling their pain while simultaneously improving their psychological distress, functional status, and other aspects of patients' lives. We will utilize a home induction procedure, and maintain subjects on this oral medication for a duration of 6 months.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
4
Sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone taken in a 3 day induction, with a final daily dose (up to 32 mg depending on the subject) taken daily, as prescribed by the study psychiatrist. Subjects will continue buprenorphine for study duration (6 months).
Maimonides Medical Center
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Opiate Withdrawal
Goal that patients will have NO withdrawal symptoms by the completion of their 3-day buprenorphine induction,and will remain withdrawal-free for the entire study duration. Assessed using Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS).
Time frame: 6 months
Pain Severity
Pain severity will be measured using a numeric scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (pain as bad as you can imagine), adopted from the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). No results to report.
Time frame: 6 months
Psychiatric Distress
The investigators will utilize the SCL-6 (Symptoms Checklist 6, a validated abbreviated version of the SCL-90) to assess patients' psychological well being.
Time frame: 6 months
Quality of Life, Quality of Life is Measured
Investigators will use the QOL (EuroQol EQ5D) questionnaire, which assess patients' self-assessment of health and health-related quality of life.
Time frame: 6 months
Positive Affect
The investigators will assess patients' moods/affects using the PANAS (Positive Affect Negative Affect Scale).
Time frame: 6 months
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