Graduation Day

Fibromyalgia patients received some good news recently when the FDA approved the use of the drug Lyrica for the treatment of symptoms associated with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).

This is good news NOT because there’s now an FMS drug with an official FDA stamp of approval. This is good news because the FDA action is probably the most high profile acknowledgement so far that fibromyalgia is an authentic medical condition. And fibromyalgia patients know the significance of this: It means their doctors may be less likely to tell them their pain is imagined.

So now that fibromyalgia has graduated to “official” status, it’s time to get smart about treatments. Lyrica? Two words: not smart.

Check the fine print

The most common fibromyalgia symptoms involve inflammation or pain in joints and muscles, often accompanied by fatigue. And because these symptoms are impossible to measure, FMS is often misdiagnosed, usually identified as some form of arthritis or dismissed as imaginary pain. (Two years ago, rheumatologist Daniel Clauw, M.D., of the University of Michigan, used MRI technology to prove that FMS patients have increased blood flow to the area of the brain that registers pain. You can read about Dr. Clauw’s research in the e-Alert “Get Real” 3/2/05.)

Sodoes Lyrica alter that flow of blood? No one knows for sure because the mechanism by which Lyrica reduces pain hasn’t been revealed through research. What we do know is that Lyrica has been around for a while as an FDA-approved drug that treats diabetic peripheral neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia (the pain that lingers after a bout of shingles).

The effectiveness of treating FMS with Lyrica was tested in two clinical trials, which showed that Lyrica effectively reduces FMS pain in about one in three patients. Those aren’t great odds, but if you’re hurting it might be worth a try, right? Well there’s a catch.

Lethargy and dizziness were the most common side effects reported in the two trials. Other side effects included weight gain, blurred vision, and swelling of the hands and feet. According to the Lyrica web site, other adverse effects include dry mouth, constipation, and loss of balance. Lyrica may also cause euphoric mood, which is probably why this warning is included: “If you have had a drug or alcohol problem, you may be more likely to misuse Lyrica.”

And it gets better: Pfizer – the maker of Lyrica – has announced that the drug will soon be tested on children and breast-feeding women.

Handbook for relief

Before the approval of Lyrica, conventional doctors mostly relied on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antidepressants to treat fibromyalgia pain. But there are a number of effective non-drug treatments that have been covered by HSI.

In the e-Alert “Getting the Point” (9/8/05), I told you about a Mayo Clinic study in which pain, fatigue, and anxiety were significantly reduced in FMS patients who received acupuncture twice each week for three weeks. Follow up interviews showed that symptom relief was most pronounced one full month after the study. Pain returned to normal levels in about seven months.

In the December 2002 HSI Members Alert we featured a British Medical Journal study that showed how more than half the FMS patients in a group of 66 reduced their symptoms and experienced less discomfort after a three-month aerobic exercise program that required only two hours per week on a treadmill or stationary bike.

Exercise combined with proper nutrition and key dietary supplements are just three of the FMS treatment secrets covered in “The Fibromyalgia Relief Handbook” – an exhaustive reference tool for fibromyalgia patients. You can find more information at this link:

http://www.isecureonline.com/reports/680SFIBRO/E6EAH4DZ/