Pain and continued opioid use in individuals receiving buprenorphine–naloxone for opioid detoxification: Secondary analyses from the Clinical Trials Network

Pain complaints are common among individuals with opioid dependence. However, few studies investigate pain during opioid detoxification or the impact this pain has on continued opioid use. This secondary analysis utilized data from two Clinical Trials Network randomized controlled trials of buprenorphine–naloxone for short-term opioid detoxification to examine the extent to which pain was associated with continued opioid use during and immediately following a 13-day detoxification protocol. At follow-up, more severe pain was associated with a greater number of self-reported days of opioid use during the prior 30 days (p < .05) but was not associated with urine toxicology results collected at follow-up. These results, although mixed, have potentially important clinical implications for assessing and addressing pain during opioid detoxification. Pain that is experienced during and immediately following medically monitored detoxification may be associated with continued opioid use. These findings lend further support for continued research on pain among patients with opioid dependence.