What Are The Best Medication Options For Fibromyalgia?
There are plenty of medication options for the treatment of fibromyalgia, however, a lot of them simply do not work and are not FDA approved. Whether or not a medication is FDA approved is not necessarily a litmus test for success. In addition, even if the medication is FDA approved for one indication, they can successfully be used many times off label for other conditions.
Fibromyalgia is very difficult to treat. It causes diffuse pain in patients, so a lot of doctors treat it with narcotics. A growing body of literature now shows that to generally be a bad idea and can make fibromyalgia patients worse. This is termed opioid induced hyperalgesia. Chronic narcotic usage that makes patients worse is probably not the best option.
Also, we do know that chronic narcotic usage is a poor treatment option for most people. The chronic pain medications may cause a patient to become depressed, they may cause addiction, they may cause constipation, and ultimately may cause withdrawal when terminating usage.
Tramadol is one medication that has been shown to be very helpful for fibromyalgia patients. The trade name is Ultram, and it is a non-narcotic analgesic. It has dual action, one being tricyclic activity, which blocks the release of epinephrine and serotonin, and on top of that it has opioid agonist activity. This double mechanism of action works really well for fibromyalgia people.
Another class of medications that can be very beneficial for fibromyalgia are tricyclic antidepressants. These include such medications as nortriptyline, amitriptyline, and cylobenzaprine. These medications were not originally indicated for fibromyalgia but numerous studies have shown that they do work fairly well.
One of the FDA approved medications for fibromyalgia is milnacipran. In the US, it is an approved medication for fibro. The side effects of the medication are similar to another fibro medication called duloxetine. Milnacipran is typically combined with pregabalin for treatment.
A second FDA approved medication for fibromyalgia is duloxetine. It has achieved FDA approval in the US for depression, anxiety, and painful diabetic neuropathy. The medication is called an SNRI - serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. One of the common side effects with duloxetine is nausea, with otherse being sleepy or even insomnia.
The third medication that is FDA approve for fibromyalgia is called pregabalin. The brand name is Lyrica. This medication was initially FDA approved for painful diabetic neuropathy, epilepsy, and postherpetic neuropathy. Side effects that can be seen with pregabalin are swelling in the extremities, dizziness, and drowsiness. It is not clear why pregabalin works, but significant research has shown great results.
Thankfully, we now have better medication options for fibromyalgia patients.
Fibromyalgia is very difficult to treat. It causes diffuse pain in patients, so a lot of doctors treat it with narcotics. A growing body of literature now shows that to generally be a bad idea and can make fibromyalgia patients worse. This is termed opioid induced hyperalgesia. Chronic narcotic usage that makes patients worse is probably not the best option.
Also, we do know that chronic narcotic usage is a poor treatment option for most people. The chronic pain medications may cause a patient to become depressed, they may cause addiction, they may cause constipation, and ultimately may cause withdrawal when terminating usage.
Tramadol is one medication that has been shown to be very helpful for fibromyalgia patients. The trade name is Ultram, and it is a non-narcotic analgesic. It has dual action, one being tricyclic activity, which blocks the release of epinephrine and serotonin, and on top of that it has opioid agonist activity. This double mechanism of action works really well for fibromyalgia people.
Another class of medications that can be very beneficial for fibromyalgia are tricyclic antidepressants. These include such medications as nortriptyline, amitriptyline, and cylobenzaprine. These medications were not originally indicated for fibromyalgia but numerous studies have shown that they do work fairly well.
One of the FDA approved medications for fibromyalgia is milnacipran. In the US, it is an approved medication for fibro. The side effects of the medication are similar to another fibro medication called duloxetine. Milnacipran is typically combined with pregabalin for treatment.
A second FDA approved medication for fibromyalgia is duloxetine. It has achieved FDA approval in the US for depression, anxiety, and painful diabetic neuropathy. The medication is called an SNRI - serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. One of the common side effects with duloxetine is nausea, with otherse being sleepy or even insomnia.
The third medication that is FDA approve for fibromyalgia is called pregabalin. The brand name is Lyrica. This medication was initially FDA approved for painful diabetic neuropathy, epilepsy, and postherpetic neuropathy. Side effects that can be seen with pregabalin are swelling in the extremities, dizziness, and drowsiness. It is not clear why pregabalin works, but significant research has shown great results.
Thankfully, we now have better medication options for fibromyalgia patients.
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