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Tricyclic Antidepressant

Duloxetine vs Desipramine for Chronic Pain

Phase 4
Recruiting
Led By Vafi Salmasi, MD.
Research Sponsored by Stanford University
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Persistent pain for more than 3 months
Age of 18 years old or above
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up monthly for 6 months
Awards & highlights

Study Summary

This trial aims to compare the effectiveness of two commonly used medications for chronic pain, and to evaluate the feasibility of using an open-source learning healthcare system to monitor patients' progress.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for adults over 18 with chronic pain lasting more than 3 months who could benefit from antidepressant treatment. It's not for those who've previously had no success with Duloxetine or Desipramine, have conditions that make these drugs unsafe, or choose not to participate.Check my eligibility
What is being tested?
The study compares the effectiveness of two medications, Duloxetine and Desipramine, in reducing chronic pain. Patients will be randomly assigned a medication and monitored using an online system (CHOIR) to track their progress over six months.See study design
What are the potential side effects?
Possible side effects of both Duloxetine and Desipramine can include nausea, dry mouth, drowsiness, constipation, increased sweating, and fatigue. Each patient may experience side effects differently.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
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I have had pain for over 3 months.
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I am 18 years old or older.
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My doctor thinks I should take antidepressants for my pain.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~monthly for 6 months
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and monthly for 6 months for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
Pain Intensity
Secondary outcome measures
Adherence
Anxiety
Depression
+2 more

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: DuloxetineExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Duloxetine starting at 20 mg per day and increasing to 60 mg per day as tolerated.
Group II: DesipramineExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Desipramine starting at 25 mg per day and increasing to 75 mg per day as tolerated.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Duloxetine
2011
Completed Phase 4
~4170
Desipramine
2002
Completed Phase 4
~870

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Stanford UniversityLead Sponsor
2,378 Previous Clinical Trials
17,333,043 Total Patients Enrolled
36 Trials studying Chronic Pain
8,938 Patients Enrolled for Chronic Pain
Vafi Salmasi, MD.Principal Investigator - Stanford University
Stanford University
1 Previous Clinical Trials
160 Total Patients Enrolled
1 Trials studying Chronic Pain
160 Patients Enrolled for Chronic Pain

Media Library

Desipramine (Tricyclic Antidepressant) 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT03548454 — Phase 4

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.

What is the scope of this study in terms of participants?

"Correct. According to clinicaltrials.gov, this medical study was initially posted on September 20th 2018 and has been actively recruiting ever since then. The trial is seeking 320 participants from one location."

Answered by AI

What potential dangers do patients face when taking Desipramine?

"With Phase 4 trials already completed, the safety of Desipramine has been firmly established and we assign it a score of 3."

Answered by AI

Are there any previous experiments that have used Desipramine as a treatment?

"At present, 22 trials are in progress studying Desipramine with 4 being Phase 3. The vast majority of these studies are conducted in Redwood City, California; however, there is an expansive network of 781 sites offering opportunities to partake in this research."

Answered by AI

Are there still open opportunities to partake in this clinical endeavor?

"The records on clinicaltrials.gov confirm that this medical trial is actively recruiting subjects. Posting of the study began September 20th 2018, and it was last updated May 3rd 2022."

Answered by AI

In what clinical conditions does Desipramine commonly provide relief?

"Desipramine is primarily prescribed to ameliorate anorexia nervosa, yet it can also be utilized to mitigate symptoms related to neuropathic pain, panic attacks and prostatectomy."

Answered by AI
~62 spots leftby Jul 2025