ClinicalTrials.gg
Not yet recruitingNCT07599189AROMA-MSUpdated May 20, 2026

Essential Oils for Urinary Symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

An interventional study of Essential Oil Blend (Lavender, Rosemary) and Neutral Carrier Oil (Apricot Kernel Oil) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Neurogenic Bladder Disorder and Urinary Incontinence (UI), sponsored by University of Oran 1. Not yet recruiting at 2 sites in Algeria. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-20.

Sponsored by University of Oran 1 · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if essential oil aromatherapy works to improve urinary symptoms in adults with multiple sclerosis. It will also learn about the safety of essential oil use in this population.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does essential oil aromatherapy reduce urinary urgency, frequency, and incontinence episodes in participants with multiple sclerosis?
  • What medical problems do participants have when using essential oil aromatherapy?

Researchers will compare essential oil aromatherapy to a placebo (a look-alike neutral oil with no therapeutic properties) to see if essential oil aromatherapy works to improve urinary symptoms in multiple sclerosis patients.

Participants will:

  • Use essential oil aromatherapy or a placebo oil every day for 6 weeks
  • Complete a urinary symptom scales to record the frequency, urgency, and any leakage episodes each day
  • Fill out quality of life questionnaires at the beginning and end of the study
02

Conditions studied

  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurogenic Bladder Disorder
  • Urinary Incontinence (UI)
  • Urinary Urgency
  • Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS)
03

In context

Multiple Sclerosis

3,264 studies on the registry are indexed under Multiple Sclerosis; 659 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 60 is above the median of 50 across 2,201 interventional studies indexed under Multiple Sclerosis.

Browse Multiple Sclerosis studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Oran 1 is the lead sponsor of 5 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Confirmed diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (any form)
  • Documented lower urinary tract symptoms defined by an Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) ≥ 3 at screening
  • Age between 18 and 65 years
  • Willing and able to provide written
  • Capable of performing daily topical self-application of the study oil, or having a caregiver available to assist throughout the study period

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Active urinary tract infection confirmed by urine culture at screening
  • Pre-existing urological condition unrelated to Multiple Sclerosis (e.g., bladder cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or interstitial cystitis)
  • Known allergy or to essential oils, apricot kernel oil, lavender, or rosemary
  • Active skin lesions, wounds, or dermatological conditions on the lower abdomen at the intended site of application
  • Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant during the study period
  • Significant cognitive impairment preventing understanding of study procedures or completion of questionnaires
  • Current use of an indwelling urinary catheter or practice of intermittent self-catheterization
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Essential Oil Aromatherapy Group

    Other: Essential Oil Blend (Lavender, Rosemary)

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo Oil Group

    Other: Neutral Carrier Oil (Apricot Kernel Oil)

Interventions

  • OtherEssential Oil Blend (Lavender, Rosemary)

    This intervention consists of a standardized topical blend of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) at 3% and Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) at 2%, diluted in apricot kernel oil as a carrier. The blend was formulated to target neurogenic lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis, based on the antispasmodic properties of Lavender and the neuromodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of Rosemary. The essential oils used are batch-controlled for chemical purity and concentration. The blend is applied topically via gentle circular massage on the lower abdomen, for a total duration of 6 consecutive weeks. This specific combination, route of administration, and target population distinguish this intervention from other aromatherapy studies that have used single oils, inhalation methods, or non-neurological populations.

  • OtherNeutral Carrier Oil (Apricot Kernel Oil)

    This intervention consists of pure Apricot Kernel oil, used as an inert placebo comparator. The placebo oil contains no active essential oils or therapeutic compounds. It is identical to the experimental intervention in terms of appearance, color, viscosity, volume, packaging, and method of application, ensuring effective masking of participants and outcome assessors. The placebo oil is applied topically via gentle circular massage on the lower abdomen, for a total duration of 6 consecutive weeks, mirroring exactly the administration protocol of the experimental arm.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS)

    Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) (Overactive Bladder Symptom Score) Scale range: minimum 0 - maximum 15. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome (greater severity of overactive bladder symptoms). \[Time Frame: Baseline and Week 6\]

    Time frame: Baseline, and Week 6

  2. Qualiveen questionnaire

    Qualiveen - Urinary Disorder-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (Qualiveen, Domain 1: "Bother with Limitations") Scale range: minimum 0 - maximum 4 per item (9 items, total domain score = sum of items ÷ 9). Higher scores indicate a worse outcome (greater bother related to urinary problems). \[Time Frame: Baseline and Week 6\]

    Time frame: Baseline and Week 6

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Aboubakr abdelmadjid
    Oran, Oran Province 31000, Algeria
  • Zitouni-Nourine Saida Hanane
    Oran, Algeria
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Start is estimated for Sep 2026; primary completion for Dec 2026, 3 months later.

Of 847 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Multiple Sclerosis, half reached primary completion within 22 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 8 and three quarters within 43. This study's planned 3 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 869 studies reached it within 21 months; a quarter within 9 and three quarters within 43.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
May 4, 2026
First posted
May 20, 2026
StartEst.
Sep 2026
Primary completionEst.
Dec 2026
CompletionEst.
Mar 2027
Last update
May 20, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 20, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07599189
Lead sponsor
University of Oran 1
Responsible party
Saida Hanane Zitouni-Nourine (Associate Professor, University of Oran 1) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 20, 2026
Start date
Sep 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Mar 2027 (estimated)
Last update
May 20, 2026

Study contacts

Zitouni-Nourine Saida Hanane
Contact
zitouni.saida@univ-oran1.dz
+213556623080

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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