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CompletedNCT00980044Updated Apr 5, 2017Results posted

Efficacy of Extended Release Tramadol for Treating Prescription Opioid Withdrawal

A Phase 2/3 interventional study of Tramadol and Placebo in Substance Withdrawal Syndrome, sponsored by Michelle Lofwall. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 55 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-04-05.

Sponsored by Michelle Lofwall · Phase 2/3, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2/3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
53
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 55 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Prescription opioid addiction is a growing public health problem and more pharmacologic treatments are needed because current approved medications have had limited patient acceptance (naltrexone), limited availability (methadone), and concerns about misuse and diversion (methadone and buprenorphine). Tramadol is a currently approved medication used to treat moderate-severe pain, and initial studies demonstrate that it may be useful for treatment of the uncomfortable syndrome of opioid withdrawal without producing euphoric effects. This study will determine whether two different doses of extended release tramadol can treat opioid withdrawal and whether tramadol itself produces withdrawal after it is no longer taken.

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Conditions studied

  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome
03

In context

Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

128 studies on the registry are indexed under Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; 8 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 53 is close to the median of 53 across 93 interventional studies indexed under Substance Withdrawal Syndrome.

Browse Substance Withdrawal Syndrome studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Michelle Lofwall as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 55 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Addicted to opioids

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any major medical or psychiatric disorder that would be contraindicated for participation
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2 / Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
53 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Tramadol 200 mg then placebo

    Tramadol 200 mg daily for 1 week then placebo given for 1 week

    Drug: Tramadol

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo for two weeks

    Medication

    Drug: Placebo

  • Experimental
    Tramadol 600 mg then placebo

    Tramadol 600 mg daily given for 1 week given then placebo given for 1 week

    Drug: Tramadol

Interventions

  • DrugTramadol

    Oral Medication

    Also known as: Brand name example: Ultram

  • DrugPlacebo

    Oral Medication

    Also known as: Placebo is like a sugar pill

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Total Adjective Score

    range of scores is 0-84; low scores indicate no opioid withdrawal, higher scores indicating more opioid withdrawal present. T

    Time frame: Days 1-7

  2. Total Number of Breakthrough Withdrawal Medication Doses Taken Week 1

    There were four medications (acetaminophen for aches/pains, zolpidem for trouble sleeping, bismuth subsalicylate for diarrhea, and alumina/magnesia/simethicone for nausea/upset stomach) available to all volunteers in all treatment arms to help relieve any withdrawal symptoms that were not relieved by the blinded tramadol/placebo doses.

    Time frame: Days 1-7

  3. Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Adjective Total Score Week 2

    range of scores is 0-84; low scores indicate no opioid withdrawal, higher scores indicating more opioid withdrawal present

    Time frame: days 8-13

  4. Total Number of Breakthrough Withdrawal Medication Doses Taken Week 2

    There were four medications (acetaminophen for aches/pains, zolpidem for trouble sleeping, bismuth subsalicylate for diarrhea, and alumina/magnesia/simethicone for nausea/upset stomach) available to all volunteers in all treatment arms to help relieve any withdrawal symptoms that were not relieved by the blinded tramadol/placebo doses.

    Time frame: Days 8-13 (all groups now on placebo)

07

Results

Posted Dec 3, 2014
Limitations and caveats
The study was designed to analyze only completers (12 subjects per group so the description of study participant characteristics and outcomes are from these a prior defined n=36 (12 per group) completers.

Participant flow

Outpatient screening. Recruitment by advertisement and word or mouth.

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneTramadol 200 mg DailyPlaceboTramadol 600 mg Daily
Started171917
Completed121212
Not completed575
Withdrew: Withdrawal by subject573
Withdrew: Protocol violation002

Outcome measures

PrimarySubjective Opioid Withdrawal Total Adjective Score

range of scores is 0-84; low scores indicate no opioid withdrawal, higher scores indicating more opioid withdrawal present. T

Time frame:
Days 1-7
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Total Adjective Score
units on a scaleTramadol 200 mg DailyPlaceboTramadol 600 mg Daily
Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Total Adjective Score5.8 ± 0.17.7 ± 0.16.9 ± 0.1
PrimaryTotal Number of Breakthrough Withdrawal Medication Doses Taken Week 1

There were four medications (acetaminophen for aches/pains, zolpidem for trouble sleeping, bismuth subsalicylate for diarrhea, and alumina/magnesia/simethicone for nausea/upset stomach) available to all volunteers in all treatment arms to help relieve any withdrawal symptoms that were not relieved by the blinded tramadol/placebo doses.

Time frame:
Days 1-7
Reported as:
Mean · Mean doses per day
Total Number of Breakthrough Withdrawal Medication Doses Taken Week 1
Mean doses per dayTramadol 200 mg Then PlaceboPlacebo for Two WeeksTramadol 600 mg Then Placebo
Total Number of Breakthrough Withdrawal Medication Doses Taken Week 11.8 ± 0.22.5 ± 0.23.1 ± 0.3
PrimarySubjective Opioid Withdrawal Adjective Total Score Week 2

range of scores is 0-84; low scores indicate no opioid withdrawal, higher scores indicating more opioid withdrawal present

Time frame:
days 8-13
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Adjective Total Score Week 2
units on a scaleTramadol 200 mg Then PlaceboPlacebo for Two WeeksTramadol 600 mg Then Placebo
Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Adjective Total Score Week 22.7 ± 0.22.9 ± 0.22.7 ± 0.1
PrimaryTotal Number of Breakthrough Withdrawal Medication Doses Taken Week 2

There were four medications (acetaminophen for aches/pains, zolpidem for trouble sleeping, bismuth subsalicylate for diarrhea, and alumina/magnesia/simethicone for nausea/upset stomach) available to all volunteers in all treatment arms to help relieve any withdrawal symptoms that were not relieved by the blinded tramadol/placebo doses.

Time frame:
Days 8-13 (all groups now on placebo)
Reported as:
Mean · mean # of doses per day
Total Number of Breakthrough Withdrawal Medication Doses Taken Week 2
mean # of doses per dayTramadol 200 mg Then PlaceboPlacebo for Two WeeksTramadol 600 mg Then Placebo
Total Number of Breakthrough Withdrawal Medication Doses Taken Week 21.8 ± 0.21.6 ± 0.13.2 ± 0.2

Adverse events

Non-serious events are listed at a 5% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Tramadol 200 mg—0/17 (0%)2/17 (11.8%)
Placebo—0/19 (0%)1/19 (5.3%)
Tramadol 600 mg—0/17 (0%)2/17 (11.8%)
Most frequent other events
Most frequent other events
EventTramadol 200 mgPlaceboTramadol 600 mg
unsteady urine flow without dysuriaRenal and urinary disorders0/170/191/17
sore throat/strep BInfections and infestations0/170/191/17
abdominal painGastrointestinal disorders1/171/190/17
fleeting chest painMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders1/170/190/17
tooth painMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders0/170/191/17
flank painMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders0/170/191/17
sore throat with coughInfections and infestations0/170/191/17
athletes footInfections and infestations1/170/190/17
left shoulder painMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders0/171/190/17

Baseline characteristics

The study was a priori defined to evaluate only completers. There were 12 completers in each of the three study arms. We retained the description of the completers because it corresponds to the primary outcomes results that are reported (and this is what was proposed a priori and approved by NIDA review).

Age, Categorical
Age, Categorical(Participants)Tramadol 200 mgPlaceboTramadol 600 mgTotal
<=18 years0000
Between 18 and 65 years12121236
>=65 years0000
Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)Tramadol 200 mgPlaceboTramadol 600 mgTotal
Mean26.8 ± 0.932.2 ± 2.231.6 ± 1.530.1 ± 1.5
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Tramadol 200 mgPlaceboTramadol 600 mgTotal
Female54514
Male78722
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(participants)Tramadol 200 mgPlaceboTramadol 600 mgTotal
United States12121236
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Study locations

1 site
  • University of Kentucky
    Lexington, Kentucky 40502, United States
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Lofwall MR, Babalonis S, Nuzzo PA, Siegel A, Campbell C, Walsh SL. Efficacy of extended-release tramadol for treatment of prescription opioid withdrawal: a two-phase randomized controlled trial. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013 Nov 1;133(1):188-97. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.05.010. Epub 2013 Jun 4. PubMed 23755929 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 5, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00980044
Lead sponsor
Michelle Lofwall
Collaborators
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Responsible party
Michelle Lofwall (Principal Investigatory, University of Kentucky) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Sep 18, 2009
Start date
Oct 2009
Primary completion
Feb 2012
Completion
Mar 2012
Results posted
Dec 3, 2014
Last update
Apr 5, 2017

Study contacts

Michelle Lofwall, M.D.
principal investigator · University of Kentucky

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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