A Comparison of the Addiction Liability of Hydrocodone and Sustained Release Morphine
Chronic Pain
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Chronic Pain focused on measuring Chronic Pain, Opioids
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Patients with chronic pain for periods greater than 6 months Patients taking greater than 80 mg morphine equivalents of a short acting opioid (>8 vicodin or 4 oxycodone/day) Referral to Pain or Substance Abuse Clinic for self-escalation of opioids Exclusion Criteria: Inability to understand and comprehend spoken English Patients with Munchausen's syndrome Patient has a history of Peripheral Vascular Disease Patient has a history of Raynaud's Phenomenon Liver Disease; Child's classification greater than 1 (liver cirrhosis) will be excluded Renal disease (BUN >25 or Cr >1.5) Congestive Heart Failure; Subjects with New York Heart Association (NYHA)Heart Failure Symptom Classification System Level of Impairment II, III and IV will be excluded Coronary artery disease; recent MI within the past six months or recent history of angina not controlled with NTG within the past six months Hypertension; 1)previously normotensive subject; systolic bp >140 mm Hg and diastolic bp > 90 mm Hg 2) Hx of active treatment with antihypertensive medications; systolic bp >150 mm Hg and diastolic bp > 100 mm Hg Cerebrovascular disease; recent history within the past year of a transient ischemic attack or recent history within the past year of a cerebrovascular event Malignancy requiring active treatment Patient is pregnant (as ascertained by a self-report and a mandatory commercial pregnancy test before any study medication is consumed)
Sites / Locations
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Active Comparator
Active Comparator
Placebo Comparator
extended-release morphine
hydrocodone
placebo
Markers of Abuse Liability, Neuropsych Testing, and Cue Reactivity On one of three study dates, subjects received ER morphine tablets, 45 mg (Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, St. Louis, MO). The dose of ER morphine sulfate (45 mg) was selected because of its approximate equianalgesic effect to the dose of hydrocodone-acetaminophen (30/925 mg).
Markers of Abuse Liability, Neuropsych Testing, and Cue Reactivity On the day of the study session, patients received hydrocodone 30 mg plus N-acetyl-para-aminophenol 975 mg (APAP;Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Inc, Huntsville, AL).
Subjects received a placebo pill if randomized to this arm. Both opioid medications and the placebo were administered in identical capsules.