Gout medication being eyed to help patients taper off opioids
A drug used to treat gout might also be the key to helping patients taper off their opioid medication, or stop taking it altogether.
University of Calgary researchers say when patients try to taper off their opioid medication, there is a part of their brains that is hyperactive and feels extreme pain.
As a result, many continue to take that medication.
The researchers say probenecid may help block that pain, and they're testing that hypothesis in a clinical trial.
If it works, it will be a welcome relief for many.
The trial is 12 weeks long.
Researchers are asking anyone over 18 years old who wants to stop taking opioids and is interested in this trial to contact Tammy Eberle at tammy.eberle@ahs.ca.
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