The purpose of this study is to determine whether different types of antidepressant medicines relieve back pain that has lasted at least six months on a daily basis. Study participants will be assigned to treatment with either a antidepressant acting on the serotonin system in the brain (fluoxetine), one acting on the noradrenoline system (desipramine, or to a control medication not expected to relieve pain (benztropine). Each participant will be seen at least nine times during their 12 weeks on medication. This is a phase 2/3, outpatient study.

Condition	Treatment or Intervention	Phase
Back Pain Sciatica	Drug: Fluoxetine  Drug: Desipramine  Drug: Benztropine	Phase II

Ages Eligible for Study:  18 Years   -   65 Years,  Genders Eligible for Study:  Both

Criteria

• Chronic back pain (pain on a daily basis for six months or longer)
• Age 18-65
• No major medical illness

California
      Department of Veterans Affairs, San Diego,  California,  92161,  United States; Recruiting

Study chairs or principal investigators

Mark A Slater, Ph.D
Edmund V Capparelli, Pharm.D.
Mark Wallace, M.D.
Steve R Garfin, M.D.

Study ID Numbers:  ADRD-018-98F
Record last reviewed:  June 2001
Record first received:  July 3, 2001
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:  NCT00018200
Health Authority: United States: Federal Government
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on 2004-10-27