Hyperalgesia in Methadone-Maintained Patients: Can it be Treated?

Exclusion Criteria

• •Potential participants must not:
• •1. Have known sensitivity to gabapentin.
• •2. Be substance dependent on alcohol, benzodiazepine, methamphetamine, cocaine or other drugs of abuse (except nicotine).
• •3. Have any acute medical condition that would make participation medically hazardous, (e.g., acute hepatitis, unstable cardiovascular disease, liver or renal disease) or have liver enzyme values (AST or ALT) greater than 5 times normal range.
• •4. Be acutely psychotic, severely depressed and in need of inpatient treatment, or an immediate suicide risk.
• •5. Have a neurological or psychiatric illness (i.e., schizophrenia, Raynaud's disease, urticaria, stroke) that would affect pain responses.
• •6. Be currently taking opioid analgesic medication for a painful condition on a regular basis.
• •7. Be a nursing or pregnant female. Female of childbearing potential must agree to use a medically acceptable method of birth control, (e.g. oral contraceptives, barrier (diaphragm or condom) with or without spermicide, levonorgestrel implant, intra-uterine progesterone contraceptives system, medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection) or to complete abstinence. Females who become pregnant during the course of the study will be dropped from the study.
• •8. Have a current or past history of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke or currently have a pacemaker.