Sodium Oxybate in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

GHB

Brief Summary

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disabling, unexplained disorder characterized by physical and mental exhaustion. Complaints of disturbed and unrefreshing sleep are very common in CFS patients, however, the relationship between (disturbed) sleep quality and fatigue is still not fully elucidated. To evaluate the effect of sodium oxybate on fatigue and to explore the interdependence of sleep quality and fatigue in CFS, a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled cross-over trial with sodium oxybate is carried out in CFS patients. The aim of this study is to address the issue of the effect of sodium oxybate on fatigue as a presenting symptom in chronic fatigue (CF) and CFS patients, in the absence of underlying medical or psychiatric illness. The answer to this question may shed further light on the enigmatic relationship between sleep and fatigue. We also want to investigate the effect of sodium oxybate on sleepiness and general health in the same target population. Zero-hypothesis: there is no effect.

Intervention / Treatment

  • Sodium Oxybate (DRUG)
    Treatment is started and continued for 6 weeks at patient's home. Patients receive 3g/night during the first week, and 4,5 g/night during the second week. After the second week, patients have their dose increased to 6 g/night during 6 weeks. A washout period of 4 weeks is installed to withdraw from treatment. Patients receive 4,5 g/night for 1 week, followed by 3g/night for 1 week. The next 2 weeks, patients are not treated.
  • Placebo (DRUG)
    Placebo treatment is started and continued for 6 weeks at patient's home. Patients receive 3 g/night during the first week and 4.5 g/night during the second week. After the second week, patients have their dose increased to 6 g/night during 6 weeks. A washout period of 4 weeks is installed to withdraw from treatment. Patients receive 4.5 g/night for 1 week, followed by 3 g/night for 1 week. The next 2 weeks, patients are not treated.

Condition or Disease

  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Phase

  • Phase 4
  • Study Design

    Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
    Status: Withdrawn
    Study results: No Results Available
    Age: 18 Years to 65 Years
    Enrollment: 0 (ACTUAL)
    Funded by: Other|Industry
    Allocation: Randomized
    Primary Purpose: Treatment

    Masking

    TRIPLE:
    • Participant
    • Care Provider
    • Investigator

    Clinical Trial Dates

    Start date: Jun 01, 2013 ACTUAL
    Primary Completion: Jun 01, 2015 ACTUAL
    Completion Date: Dec 01, 2015 ACTUAL
    Study First Posted: Apr 25, 2012 ESTIMATED
    Results First Posted: Aug 30, 2020
    Last Updated: Dec 14, 2022

    Sponsors / Collaborators

    Lead sponsor is responsible party
    Responsible Party: N/A

    Participant Groups

    • Patient group receives sodium oxybate as treatment.

    • Patient group receives placebo as treatment.

    Eligibility Criteria

    Sex: All
    Minimum Age: 18
    Maximum Age: 65
    Age Groups: Adult / Older Adult
    Healthy Volunteers: Yes

    Inclusion Criteria:

    * Patients suffering from chronic, disabling, unexplained fatigue with at least 4 minor criteria for CFS, according to the 1994 Fukuda case definition;
    * Negatively screened for fibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria;
    * 18 years or older;
    * 65 years or less;
    * Female patient of childbearing potential (premenopausal female biologically capable of becoming pregnant) has a confirmed negative pregnancy test at the start of the trial and has to employ an acceptable method of birth control (double barrier method of contraception);
    * Written, signed and dated informed consent must be obtained from each patient;
    * Patient able to understand and follow the requirements of the study
    * Willing to abstain from taking any medication or treatment prohibited in the protocol

    Exclusion Criteria:

    * FMS;
    * Presence of an inflammatory rheumatic disease or a painful disorder other than FMS;
    * Fatigue that is explained by medical or psychiatric causes;
    * Older than 65 or younger than 18 years of age;
    * Apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) \> or equal to 15 on polysomnography (PSG) (exempted if receiving continuous positive airway pressure CPAP and shown good compliance)
    * Deficiency in succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase;
    * Porphyria;
    * Breathing or lung problems;
    * Unsufficiently controlled hypertension (high blood pressure: \> 140/90 mmHg);
    * Heart failure;
    * Liver or kidney problems (serum creatinine level \> 2,0 mg/dl);
    * Presence of a seizure disorder or epilepsy;
    * Sodium oxybate treatment in the past;
    * Primary history of substance abuse (including abuse of alcohol);
    * Inability to withdraw from psychoactive drugs;
    * Current use of sedative (benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine GABA-ergic agonists), opioids or antidepressant medication or a drug-free interval of less than 4 weeks;
    * Female patient who is pregnant, lactating or has a positive pregnancy test result.
    * Occupation that requires night-shift work;
    * Willing to abstain from using alcohol

    Primary Outcomes
    • Questionnaires: Visual Analog Scale (VAS), fatigue severity scale (FSS) and checklist individual strength (CIS).

    • Questionnaires: Visual Analog Scale (VAS), fatigue severity scale (FSS) and checklist individual strength (CIS).

    • Questionnaires: Visual Analog Scale (VAS), fatigue severity scale (FSS) and checklist individual strength (CIS).

    Secondary Outcomes
    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    • Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form health survey (MOS SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), Polysomnography, multiple sleep latency test.

    More Details

    NCT Number: NCT01584934
    Other IDs: 2012/197
    Study URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01584934
    Last updated: Sep 29, 2023