Highlights
- •Non-pharmacologic innovations are needed to address poorly managed pain and opioid withdrawal symptoms.
- •Two consecutive days of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in 90 minute sessions showed promising trends in improving pain, drug craving, and reported withdrawal symptoms compared to a sham condition.
- •The sham condition was sufficiently believable and can be used in a future fully-powered trial.
Abstract
Background
Pain, drug cravings, and opioid withdrawal symptoms can interfere with substance use
disorder or opioid tapering treatment goals.
Aim
This pilot study investigated the feasibility of a protocol designed to test opioid
withdrawal symptom relief relative to a sham condition after two consecutive days
of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for adults prescribed daily methadone for opioid
use disorder.
Method
Using a double-blind protocol, eight adults were randomized to receive either a full
90-minute HBOT dose in a pressurized chamber with 100% oxygen at 2.0 atmospheres absolute
(ATA) or a sham condition receiving 21% oxygen (equivalent to room air within the
chamber) at a minimal pressure of ≤1.3 ATA. Measures included study retention, treatment
satisfaction, and pre- and post-intervention effects for opioid withdrawal symptoms,
drug cravings, pain intensity and interference, sleep quality, and mood.
Results
Study retention and treatment satisfaction was high. All measurements improved more,
on average, for participants receiving full-dose HBOT treatment than among participants
receiving sham treatments except for clinically observed withdrawal symptoms. The
largest positive effects were observed in measurements of pain intensity and drug
craving.
Conclusions
These pilot results provide evidence to support a fully powered study of HBOT as a
potential treatment adjunct for adults receiving methadone for opioid use disorder.
Trends towards symptom improvements were detected from pre- to post-HBOT in the full
treatment arm versus sham condition. More research into novel non-pharmacologic options
to relieve distressing symptoms related to pain and opioid use disorder is essential
to improve clinical outcomes.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 04, 2022
Accepted:
March 5,
2022
Received in revised form:
March 1,
2022
Received:
November 1,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
