REASON-MAP study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Reasons for pain medication discontinuation in adults with neuropathic pain: a questionnaire study
IRAS ID
353467
Contact name
Vera Feruza Nuritova
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Dundee
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 31 days
Research summary
Neuropathic pain is a type of pain caused by damaged or malfunctioning nerves, often felt as burning, tingling, or sharp sensations. Around the world, 10% of all people live with neuropathic pain. People with neuropathic pain commonly experience challenges like depression, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, reduced physical activity, and unemployment because the pain can be so intense and life-disrupting. Examples of medications that can help with neuropathic pain include amitriptyline, pregabalin, and duloxetine. We have found that most people with neuropathic pain who try medications for their pain, stop taking them within half a year despite still having pain. Previous studies suggest that reasons for this may be that the medications do not provide enough pain relief or that they make people feel worse in other ways. However, this information comes from studies that only included people treated at special clinics for pain and the main aim of these studies was something else than finding the reasons for stopping medication. It is unclear if people from more diverse groups would report a wider range of reasons. Thus, we are conducting a questionnaire study to investigate the reasons why people with neuropathic pain stop taking their medications. This will involve recruiting adults who are currently living with pain and have used at least one medication for their pain. Potential participants will be recruited through the Scottish Health Research Registry and Tayside Pain Service. Participants will be asked to complete a 15-minute questionnaire to provide data on their pain, history of pain medications, and reasons for continuing or discontinuing treatments. In the end, identifying the most important reasons could help us to prioritise future research plans into improving pain treatment.
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NE/0052
Date of REC Opinion
11 Mar 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion