Fibromyalgia Medication
Sufferers of fibromyalgia experience what is known as chronic pain syndrome along with chronic fatigue syndrome. While the exact causes of this condition are not clearly identifiable, doctors treat the symptoms. Fibromyalgia medication is often a combination of a number of different things and is often prescribed according to the individual nature of each case. As with diabetes, areas of pain are identified as particularly sensitive to touch and patients may also experience tingling and numbing in the extremities of the body.
Medication for fibromyalgia is generally aimed at relieving the chronic pain sufferers experience throughout various areas of the body. It is quite common for people who have fibromyalgia to be prescribed Tramadol, a powerful pain killing drug that is also prescribed for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Other doctors will prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the earlier stages of the condition. Some practitioners firmly believe that the condition is linked to arthritis, although it is generally characterised by rheumatism in the tendons and muscles and does not affect the body's skeletal structure in the same way that arthritis does.
General practitioners may also prescribe a low dose of amitriptylene, which is an anti-depressant that also has the effect of helping to alleviate neuropathic pain. Many patients suffer from what has been described as restless leg syndrome and in trials amitriptylene has been found to be effective in easing this and helping sufferers to sleep. Clinical trials have shown that when used in combination with a drug called fluoxetrine; amitriptylene may have an overall beneficial effect on people with fibromyalgia.
Many fibromyalgia patients experience cognitive dysfunction, sometimes called brain fog where they are unable to express themselves clearly or to remember things. This brain fog may be treated by prescribing something such as adderall, which is used to stimulate the central nervous system. Some sufferers experience times when the illness is more active than usual and a drug called Gabapentin, which is actually an anti-seizure medication may be used. Drugs that contain serotonin have also been found to be effective for treating the core elements of fibromyalgia.
Stimulants may also be used to help with the chronic fatigue system that is also characteristic of fibromyalgia. One of the problems with this type of medication is that can be addictive and it may also have a number of other adverse side effects on the patient ? as a result this medication is often a last result for medics trying to treat the condition.
