Cessation of Long-term Opioid Therapy in Chronic Pain Patients

Exclusion Criteria

• •Methadone, suboxone or fentanyl patch: the tapering with these opioids would not be comparable to the other patients. As enrolment will be open during about 12 months, if a patient was motivated to participate in the study, they could be referred to the pain clinic for advice on a switch to a medication that could allow inclusion. They would, 3 months after this switch, become eligible for the study.
• •Pregnancy.
• •History of epilepsy and drug-induced seizures.
• •Proof of current diversion of drugs or recent substance related legal problems (e.g. buying/selling on the streets).
• •Concurrent use of illicit drugs and narcotics (urine toxicology), active diagnosis of substance abuse or dependence disorder within last 3 months.
• •Absence of the prescribed drug in the urine toxicology
• •Refusal of taper or dose reduction trial.
• •Preference for suboxone or related treatments.
• •Severe psychiatric condition and/or cognitive deficits limiting patient's ability to participate
• •Involved in concurrent opioid management for an acute pain condition.
• •Current suicidal ideation.
• •Severe and unstable medical illness including cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, endocrine, neurological or hematological disease.
• •General conditions that would impede participation in a group intervention, as assessed by evaluating physician (e.g. cognitive impairment, tendencies towards physical aggression).