Doc guide reports: February 18, 2008 -- Patients with fibromyalgia syndrome appear to obtain better pain control with the selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor duloxetine.
Researchers led by Madelaine Wohlreich, MD, Medical Advisor, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, attempted to determine whether treatment with duloxetine 120 mg daily for 3 months could reduce pain severity in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.
"Duloxetine 60 mg daily and 120 mg daily were superior to placebo during the 3-month treatment period on the coprimary measures, both in brief pain inventory average pain score and the patient's global impressions of improvement," Dr. Wohlreich said in her poster presentation February 14 here at the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) 24th Annual Meeting.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Fibromyalgia and sleep
or rather the lack of....having a really rough time of it at present, what with a touch of the black dogs hounding me again and the usual frequent waking I now also have to cope with him indoors truly deafening snoring and sleep walking.....Jeez, if I managed half an hour deep sleep last night I would be very surprised.
"Good quality sleep is a bedrock of fibromyalgia treatment. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can induce fibromyalgia-like symptoms. Many people with fibromyalgia suffer from sleep abnormalities and often awake feeling as if they had not slept at all. This is called nonrestorative sleep. There are many different medicines that can improve sleep quality. It may take several tries to find the ones that work best for each individual. The recommended approach is to begin with small doses of medicine to see how they are tolerated, then increase as needed. The goal is to improve sleep without introducing unpleasant side effects"
Mayo clinic on fibromyalgia and sleep
"Fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired and unrefreshed even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. Some studies suggest that this sleep problem is the result of a sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. So people with fibromyalgia miss the deep restorative stage of sleep. Nighttime muscle spasms in your legs and restless legs syndrome also may be associated with fibromyalgia."
"Good quality sleep is a bedrock of fibromyalgia treatment. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can induce fibromyalgia-like symptoms. Many people with fibromyalgia suffer from sleep abnormalities and often awake feeling as if they had not slept at all. This is called nonrestorative sleep. There are many different medicines that can improve sleep quality. It may take several tries to find the ones that work best for each individual. The recommended approach is to begin with small doses of medicine to see how they are tolerated, then increase as needed. The goal is to improve sleep without introducing unpleasant side effects"
Mayo clinic on fibromyalgia and sleep
"Fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired and unrefreshed even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. Some studies suggest that this sleep problem is the result of a sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. So people with fibromyalgia miss the deep restorative stage of sleep. Nighttime muscle spasms in your legs and restless legs syndrome also may be associated with fibromyalgia."
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
New hope for fibromyalgia sufferers
New hope for fibromyalgia sufferersAs many as 10 million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia, a chronic condition most noted by pain and fatigue. Despite a host of symptoms, experts say it is often misdiagnosed and misunderstood -- even by doctors. But now, new research is leading to new hope.
Experts say one problem is not all doctors are familiar with the condition. The symptoms are often vague and seem unrelated, and conventional tests typically come back normal.
"It doesn't have any markers to standard blood tests or x-rays. There's nothing in the blood that says, 'I have fibromyalgia.' There's nothing you're going to see on an x-ray," said fibromyalgia researcher Dr. Patrick Wood.
"It's a diagnosis of exclusion. Once you rule out more organic causes, diagnosis of fibromyalgia comes in," said rheumatologist Dr. Dan La.
Fibromyalgia was first identified more than 10 years ago. Yet there are still doctors who question whether the condition exists. Some suggest the symptoms are psychosomatic.
"There are still doctors who feel that," said Dr. La. "From my standpoint, I've seen these patients, some science behind it as well."
The exact cause isn't known, but some experts think stress or genetics may play a role. And while it's considered a muscle and joint condition, the majority of research - like that conducted by Dr. Wood - focuses on the brain.
"Changes in brain chemistry and levels of chemicals, such as dopamine or serotonin, are believed to be implicated," said Dr. Wood.
Recently, the FDA approved Lyrica as the first drug to treat fibromyalgia. Dr La says it's working for half of the patients he's prescribed it for.
Patients hope the FDA's move to approve Lyrica has legitimized the syndrome in the eyes of skeptics.
Experts say one problem is not all doctors are familiar with the condition. The symptoms are often vague and seem unrelated, and conventional tests typically come back normal.
"It doesn't have any markers to standard blood tests or x-rays. There's nothing in the blood that says, 'I have fibromyalgia.' There's nothing you're going to see on an x-ray," said fibromyalgia researcher Dr. Patrick Wood.
"It's a diagnosis of exclusion. Once you rule out more organic causes, diagnosis of fibromyalgia comes in," said rheumatologist Dr. Dan La.
Fibromyalgia was first identified more than 10 years ago. Yet there are still doctors who question whether the condition exists. Some suggest the symptoms are psychosomatic.
"There are still doctors who feel that," said Dr. La. "From my standpoint, I've seen these patients, some science behind it as well."
The exact cause isn't known, but some experts think stress or genetics may play a role. And while it's considered a muscle and joint condition, the majority of research - like that conducted by Dr. Wood - focuses on the brain.
"Changes in brain chemistry and levels of chemicals, such as dopamine or serotonin, are believed to be implicated," said Dr. Wood.
Recently, the FDA approved Lyrica as the first drug to treat fibromyalgia. Dr La says it's working for half of the patients he's prescribed it for.
Patients hope the FDA's move to approve Lyrica has legitimized the syndrome in the eyes of skeptics.
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