Skip to content

Botulinum Toxin for Pelvic Pain in Women With Endometriosis

The Effectiveness of Botulinum Toxin on Persistent Pelvic Pain in Women With Endometriosis

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 1Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01553201
Enrollment
30
Registered
2012-03-14
Start date
2014-07-30
Completion date
2019-07-24
Last updated
2020-07-28

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

Conditions

Chronic Pelvic Pain, Endometriosis, Pelvic Muscle Spasm, Quality of Life

Keywords

Quality of Life, Endometriosis, Botulinum Toxin A, Pelvic Floor Muscle Spasm, Chronic Pelvic Pain

Brief summary

Background: \- Some women with endometriosis have chronic pelvic pain. This pain may be caused by spasms of the pelvic floor muscles. These spasms can be detected by an examination. Studies suggest that botulinum toxin can help treat problems caused by muscle spasms. Researchers want to see if botulinum toxin injections into the pelvic floor muscles can decrease pain and spasms in women with pelvic pain. Objectives: \- To see if botulinum toxin can relieve pain from pelvic floor spasm in women with pelvic pain. Eligibility: \- Women between 18 and 50 years of age with pain associated with pelvic muscle spasm and endometriosis. Pain must be persistent (lasting for at least 3 months). Design: * Participants will keep a pain diary and record their pain medication use for a month before the first visit. * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will be collected. Participants will also answer questions about their pain levels and quality of life. * Participants will receive either botulinum toxin or a placebo (salt water) injection. The injection will be given into the pelvic floor muscles through the vaginal wall. Participants will take a muscle relaxant like Valium and have anesthetic cream put on the vaginal wall before the injection. * After the injection, participants will keep a pain diary for another month. * At a 1-month followup visit, participants will answer questions about their pain. If the pain has not improved, all participants may have a botulinum toxin injection (no placebo) into the pelvic floor muscles as before. * Participants will have followup visits for up to a year after the initial 1-month followup visit.

Detailed description

Chronic pelvic pain associated with endometriosis is poorly understood. Some women with chronic pelvic pain have muscle spasm of their pelvic muscles. Muscle spasm may be a significant part of pain in women with endometriosis and other types of chronic pelvic pain. Botulinum toxin injection is widely used to treat conditions associated with excessive muscle activity and spasm. Studies of botulinum toxin injected into pelvic muscles of women with pelvic pain have shown a decrease pain and spasm, but too few women have been studied to conclude its effectiveness. We expect to show that botulinum toxin injection in women with pelvic pain will relieve some of their pelvic pain. Eligible subjects will be otherwise healthy women who have chronic pelvic pain and a history of endometriosis. Subjects will be randomized to either botulinum toxin injection or placebo (salt water) injection. After one month, we will evaluate the presence of the pain and all women will be offered botulinum toxin injection. We will also evaluate the need for reinjection.

Interventions

DRUGBotulinum toxin (BoNT)

OnabotulinumtoxinA 100 Units diluted in 4cc saline, one time intramuscular administration

DRUGPlacebo

Saline, 4cc, one time intramuscular administration

Sponsors

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Lead SponsorNIH

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 55 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* INCLUSION CRITERIA: * Female gender * Age between 18 and 55 * History of endometriosis at surgery * Persistent pelvic pain for at least 3 months * Pelvic floor spasm * Negative pregnancy test (in women who have not had a hysterectomy) * Willing to use reliable method of contraception for the month after botulinum toxin injection including oral contraceptives, IUD, and barrier with spermicide. * Willing and able to give informed consent * Willing and able to comply with study requirements

Exclusion criteria

* Women with other causes of chronic pelvic pain including infectious, gastrointestinal, psychological disorders, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome based on review of medical history within 1 year of first study visit, * Untreated severe cervical dysplasia or other gynecologic condition clinically significant abnormalities on physical or laboratory examinations that require evaluation or treatment or that would make participation unsafe * Hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy * Pregnancy * Lactation * Allergy to albumen or botulinum toxin * Presence of antibodies to botulinum toxin or loss of response to previous injections for any indication * A known neuromuscular junction disorder such as myasthenia gravis or Eaton-Lambert syndrome * History of urinary or fecal incontinence * Known pelvic prolapse * Eligibility will be based on a physical exam at NIH at the first study visit, as well as history and available medical records within 1 year before the study visit. Negative test results will be documented to confirm study eligibility. If the Pap and the GC and chlamydia tests were not done outside of the NIH within the previous year, or if documentation of the negative test results is not available, we will await the results of the screening tests done at the NIH before administering the study medication.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants With Improvement in Pain1 monthSelf reported improvement in pain symptoms - a binary measurement of improvement/no improvement

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Botulinum Toxin (BoNT)
OnabotulinumtoxinA 100 Units diluted in 4cc saline, one time intramuscular administration
15
Placebo
Saline, 4cc, one time intramuscular administration
14
Total29

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicBotulinum Toxin (BoNT)PlaceboTotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
15 Participants14 Participants29 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
1 Participants3 Participants4 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
14 Participants11 Participants25 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
1 Participants0 Participants1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
3 Participants0 Participants3 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
1 Participants1 Participants2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
10 Participants13 Participants23 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
15 Participants14 Participants29 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 150 / 15
other
Total, other adverse events
7 / 152 / 15
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 150 / 15

Outcome results

Primary

Number of Participants With Improvement in Pain

Self reported improvement in pain symptoms - a binary measurement of improvement/no improvement

Time frame: 1 month

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Botulinum Toxin (BoNT)Number of Participants With Improvement in Pain11 Participants
PlaceboNumber of Participants With Improvement in Pain4 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 21, 2026