Could the 'Love Hormone' help ease chronic pain?
NCT ID NCT04903002
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a nasal spray containing oxytocin, a natural hormone, can reduce pain and improve function in people with chronic pain. About 336 adults with nerve, muscle, or pelvic pain will try two doses of oxytocin and a placebo spray over several weeks. The goal is to see if oxytocin provides better pain relief than a placebo without the side effects of many pain medications.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- oxytocin nasal spray
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, non-addictive option for managing chronic pain and improving daily function.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-stage trial; results may not show a clear benefit over placebo, and effects could be modest or short-lived.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2/3
Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.
- Participants
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About 336 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2022
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inter-Site Inclusion Criteria: 1. Adult (\> 18 years) men and premenopausal women; 2. On stable medication for pain management for 3 months or more with no anticipated changes during the 10-weeks of this trial; 3. Moderate pain at baseline (i.e., a score of 4-8 on a 10-point numeric rating scale) to prevent floor and ceiling effects. 4. Can commit the use of two forms of effective contraception (e.g., barrier methods), or one highly effective method, including abstinence, intrauterine device, intrauterine system (IUS), vasectomy, tubal ligation, or hormonal contraceptive (e.g., combined oral contraceptives, patch, vaginal ring, injectables, and implants) Intra-Site Inclusion Criteria: 1. Surrey, BC: Men and women with primary neuropathic pain - pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the central or peripheral nervous system - will be eligible. Neuropathic pain will be screened for using a score of 3+ on the Douleur Neuropathique 4 Interview, and confirmed through investigation (e.g., electromyography). 2. Calgary, AB: Women with chronic (intermittent or constant) pelvic musculoskeletal pain (i.e., located primarily in the pelvic region and reproducible on palpation of the pelvic floor) who have not received a hysterectomy will be eligible. Women with a primary diagnosis of endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, functional bowel disorder, interstitial cystitis, fibromyalgia or sacroiliac instability as defined by European Guidelines, will be excluded. 3. Carbonear NL: Men and women with primary musculoskeletal pain of back, neck, or shoulder origin will be eligible. Pain will be assessed using the BPI-SF and confirmed through physical examination. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Positive urine pregnancy test or contemplating pregnancy; 2. Concurrent use of another nasal spray; 3. Nasal pathology (e.g., ears, nose, and throat diagnosis); 4. Diabetes insipidus; 5. Current diagnosis or history of cancer 6. Significant unmanaged psychopathology (e.g., severe depression as indicated by a score ≥ 15 on the Patient Health Questionnaire -9) due to its inverse association with patient adherence to procedures; and 7. Receiving hormone treatment for gender-related motivations. 8. documented cardiovascular event (e.g., myocardial infarction) 9. known prolongation of the QTc interval; 10) known hypersensitivity to oxytocin 10. known latex allergy 11. known or suspected renal impairment.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Calgary Chronic Pain Centre
Calgary, Alberta, T2T 5C7, Canada
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Carbonear General Hospital
Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1Y 1A4, Canada
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Jim Pattison Outpatient Care & Surgical Centre Pain Clinic (JPOCSC-PC)
Surrey, British Columbia, V3T0G9, Canada
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