Marijuana for HIV-Related Peripheral Neuropathy

Effects of Marijuana on Neuropathic Pain in HIV-Related Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Status

Completed

Phases

Phase 1Phase 2

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00046722

Enrollment

Registered

2002-10-03

Start date

2003-01-31

Completion date

2005-04-30

Last updated

2007-06-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

HIV Infections, Peripheral Nervous System Diseases

Keywords

treatment experienced, complementary therapies, Neuropathy, Peripheral Neuropathy, HIV-Related Peripheral Neuropathy, HIV

Brief summary

To evaluate whether smoked marijuana reduces pain in people with HIV-related peripheral neuropathy.

Detailed description

The study will include subjects with peripheral neuropathy caused either by HIV-disease or antiretroviral medication for the treatment of HIV. A neurologist will conduct a neurological and pain evaluation to determine eligibility for the study. Subjects who meet all eligibility criteria will be admitted to the General Clinical Research Center at San Francisco General Hospital for seven days. Subjects will be randomized (like a toss of a coin) to smoke marijuana or a placebo (cigarettes with no THC).

Interventions

DRUGSmoked Marijuana

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* HIV positive. * Be 18 years or older. * Diagnosis of HIV-related painful neuropathy. * Stable antiretroviral therapy or no antiretroviral therapy for at least 8 weeks. * Prior use of marijuana, at least 6 occasions in their lifetime prior to enrollment.

Exclusion criteria

(Not allowed) * Current use of smoked tobacco products. * Current methadone treatment. * Use of smoked marijuana within 30 days of enrollment. * Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. * Currently receiving treatment with corticosteroids. * Use of INH, dapsone or metronidazole within 8 weeks prior to enrollment. * Severe heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure or lung disease. * Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Change in level of HIV-related neuropathic pain as recorded on a 100mm Visual Analog Scale.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Change in level of experimentally-induced pain.	—

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026