Can a common supplement curb opioid cravings? small trial hints at possibility
NCT ID NCT05480072
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This small, early-stage study tested whether a dietary supplement called palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) could help people with opioid use disorder feel less stress, craving, and pain. Twelve adults already on stable medication for opioid use took PEA or a placebo for three weeks. The goal was to see if PEA could reduce stress-triggered cravings, which might help prevent relapse.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a dietary supplement
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new, non-addictive supplement to help people with opioid use disorder manage stress and cravings.
- What could go wrong
- This was a very small, early-phase trial with only 12 participants. Results may not apply to everyone, and the supplement may not prove effective in larger studies.
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
-
Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
-
12 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Nov 2022
- Finished
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Jan 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 to 65 * DSM-5 diagnosis of OUD * English speaking * Receiving either buprenorphine or methadone for treatment of opioid use disorder for at least 3 consecutive months prior to enrollment * Receiving a stable dose of buprenorphine or methadone for the duration of the study * Agreeable to abstaining from using any cannabis or CBD products two weeks prior to enrollment in the study, and for the duration of the trial * For women of childbearing potential: agreeable to use one of the following: * hormonal methods, such as birth control pills, patches, injections, vaginal rings, or implants * barrier methods (such as a condom or diaphragm) used with a spermicide (a foam, cream, or gel that kills sperm) * intrauterine device (IUD) * abstinence (no sex) Exclusion Criteria: * DSM-5 diagnosis of moderate-to-severe cannabis use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and/or psychostimulant use disorder \[medical record review and health history form\] * Active, recurrent substance use within the last 3 months that will interfere with study participation and completion of study procedures \[medical record review and health history form\] * History of psychotic, bipolar and schizoaffective disorders \[medical record review and health history form\] * Lifetime psychiatric hospitalization or suicide attempt, as assessed by the health history form * Recent history (within 2 years) of major depressive disorder \[health history form and clinical interview\] * Currently pregnant or breastfeeding (female only) \[pregnancy test/ self-reported\] * History of autoimmune or chronic inflammatory diseases \[health history form\] Current use of medications known to alter inflammatory and immune response \[health history form\] Raynaud's disease \[health history form\] * BMI \>45 * Hepatic liver enzymes greater than 3x upper normal limit * Vital signs: HR ≤60 or ≥100, SBP ≤90 or ≥160, DBP ≤50 or ≥100, RR \< 12 or \> 20 * Recent history of clinically significant medical conditions including, but not limited to, malignancy (and treatment for malignancy), HIV, immunological, endocrine (including uncontrolled diabetes or thyroid disease), renal, GI, or hematological abnormalities that are uncontrolled\* \[health history form and medical record review\]
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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
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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