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Opioid tapering trial aims to help chronic pain patients cut back

NCT ID NCT03485430

Symptom relief Sponsor: Lund University Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether slowly reducing prescribed opioids (tapering) can help people with long-term chronic pain use fewer painkillers without worsening their pain or quality of life. 140 adults on daily opioids for chronic non-cancer pain were randomly assigned to start tapering right away or wait 4 months. Nurses provided weekly support during the tapering process. The study measured changes in opioid use, pain levels, and overall well-being over 12 months.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
tapering (slowly reducing prescribed opioids)
What this could lead to
If successful, this approach could help people with chronic pain safely reduce their dependence on opioids while still managing pain effectively.
What could go wrong
This is a small, completed trial with 140 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Tapering can cause withdrawal symptoms or increased pain, and not all patients may be able to reduce their opioid use.

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

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

140 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2018

Finished

Sep 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 years and older

Sex

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: A long-term opioid therapy with daily intake due to chronic pain condition, by prescription. Willing to enter an intervention aiming at taper opioid therapy. Exclusion Criteria: No daily intake of opioids. Shorter duration of opioid therapy than 3 months. Repeated intake of non-prescribed opioids or other illegal drugs. Refusal to perform drug-screening Perceived medical risks of waiting with tapering of opioids (e.g: raising opioid doses after acute pancreatitis caused by excessive alcohol intake or kidney disease stage 4-5 in combination with excessive alcohol intake and high doses of opioids).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Chronic Pain chronic pain syndrome opioid abuse substance withdrawal syndrome substance-related disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Analgesics, opioid Chronic pain Opioid use Opioid withdrawal Substance use disorders

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Lund University Hospital

    Lund, Skåne County, 22100, Sweden

  • Pain and rehabilitation centre Linköping University Hospital

    Linköping, Östergötland County, Sweden

  • Paincentre Sahlgrenska University Hospital

    Gothenburg, Västra Götaland County, Sweden

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