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Which Medications Work Well 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.
In addition, we know that chronic usage of opioid medications represents a poor choice for most patients. Chronic pain medications may cause a patient to become depressed, they may cause constipation, they may cause addiction, and eventually they can cause a significant withdrawal if a patient decides they want to just get off of the medication.
One medication that works fairly well for fibro is tramadol, trade name of Ultram. Ultram is a different type of pain medication that is a non-narcotic analgesic. It has dual activity of tricyclic like activity, which means it blocks serotonin and epinephrine release, and on top of that it has opioid agonist activity. This dual action has been shown to be very helpful for fibro patients.
Another medication class that can be beneficial for fibro patients is tricyclic antidepressants. These include medications like cyclobenzaprine, amitriptyline, and nortriptyline. These were not originally indicated for fibromyalgia but a number of recent studies have shown benefits.
One of the FDA approved medications for fibromyalgia is one call milnacipran. The medication is approved in United States by the FDA for fibromyalgia. The medication has side effects that are similar to another medication in this article called duloxetine. The medication is often combined with a medication like pregabalin.
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 FDA approved medications for fibromyalgia is called pregabalin. The brand name is better known as Lyrica. This medication was approved initially by the FDA for epilepsy, painful diabetic neuropathy, and postherpetic neuropathy. Side effects that can be seen with pregabalin are dizziness, drowsiness, and swelling in the extremities. It is not exactly clear why pregabalin works for fibromyalgia, but numerous studies have shown excellent results.
Thankfully, better medication options exist for patients with fibromyalgia.
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.
In addition, we know that chronic usage of opioid medications represents a poor choice for most patients. Chronic pain medications may cause a patient to become depressed, they may cause constipation, they may cause addiction, and eventually they can cause a significant withdrawal if a patient decides they want to just get off of the medication.
One medication that works fairly well for fibro is tramadol, trade name of Ultram. Ultram is a different type of pain medication that is a non-narcotic analgesic. It has dual activity of tricyclic like activity, which means it blocks serotonin and epinephrine release, and on top of that it has opioid agonist activity. This dual action has been shown to be very helpful for fibro patients.
Another medication class that can be beneficial for fibro patients is tricyclic antidepressants. These include medications like cyclobenzaprine, amitriptyline, and nortriptyline. These were not originally indicated for fibromyalgia but a number of recent studies have shown benefits.
One of the FDA approved medications for fibromyalgia is one call milnacipran. The medication is approved in United States by the FDA for fibromyalgia. The medication has side effects that are similar to another medication in this article called duloxetine. The medication is often combined with a medication like pregabalin.
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 FDA approved medications for fibromyalgia is called pregabalin. The brand name is better known as Lyrica. This medication was approved initially by the FDA for epilepsy, painful diabetic neuropathy, and postherpetic neuropathy. Side effects that can be seen with pregabalin are dizziness, drowsiness, and swelling in the extremities. It is not exactly clear why pregabalin works for fibromyalgia, but numerous studies have shown excellent results.
Thankfully, better medication options exist for patients with fibromyalgia.
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Want to find out more about fibromyalgia pain relief, then visit Phoenix Integrative Medicine's site on how to choose the best help for fibromyalgia pain for your needs.
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