An Effective Drug for Fibromyalgia, at Last

Robert W. Griffith, MD

There are probably 6 million sufferers from fibromyalgia in the USA . It affects mostly women in early adulthood to middle-age, the main symptoms being pain and tenderness in the muscles, joints and tendons, multiple tender points in the body, extreme fatigue, and insomnia. Until now, there has been no medication that's been approved for treating fibromyalgia. But the FDA has just approved pregabalin (Lyrica®) for this condition. Pregabalin is already approved for treating seizures, pain after shingles, and diabetic neuropathy.

The FDA's approval was based on two double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials involving 1,800 patients. In their release, the FDA says "patients have reduced pain after taking Lyrica, but the mechanism by which Lyrica produces such an effect is unknown." You can read more in an excellent FDA article on the Internet.

Source
HealthandAge Blog