Antidepressants Ease Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Medications Helped Fibromyalgia Sufferers with Pain and Fatigue
Jan 20, 2009
Antidepressants may help people living with the chronic pain of fibromyalgia experience fewer symptoms and improve their quality of life, new research shows.
The study, lead by Dr. Winfried Hauser, of Klinikum Saarbrucken in Germany, found that fibromyalgia patients had less pain, fatigue and depression while on certain antidepressants.
Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants helped the most people to reduce pain, fatigue and sleep disturbances, according to the report published in the Jan. 14, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors helped with those three symptoms but to a much lesser extent, while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and monoamine oxidase inhibitors helped lessen pain some.
Fibromyalgia affects up to nearly 6 percent of people in North America and Europe, carrying with it high direct and indirect disease-related costs.
"Since evidence for a long-term effect of antidepressants in [fibromyalgia] is still lacking, their effects should be re-evaluated at regular intervals to determine whether benefits outweigh adverse effects," the authors wrote in a news release from the journal. "The identification of patient characteristics associated with positive and negative therapeutic outcomes are needed to better target antidepressant therapy for [fibromyalgia]."
What is Fibromyalgia?
According to the National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA), fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The most common sites of pain include the neck, back, shoulders, pelvic girdle, and hands, but any body part can be affected. Fibromyalgia patients experience a range of symptoms of varying intensities that wax and wane over time.
Who is Affected by the Condition?
Again, according to NFA, fibromyalgia affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. While it is most prevalent in women, it also occurs in men and children of all ethnic groups. Because of its debilitating nature, fibromyalgia has a serious impact on patients' families, friends, and employers, as well as society.
What are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is the presence of multiple tender points and a constellation of symptoms:
Pain
The pain associated with fibromyalgia is widespread and chronic, migrating to all parts of the body and varying in intensity. The pain has been described as stabbing and shooting pain, throbbing, and twitching. The severity of the pain and stiffness is often worse in the morning. Aggravating factors that affect pain include cold and humid weather, physical and mental fatigue, excessive physical activity, physical inactivity, anxiety and stress.
Fatigue
Fibromyalgia fatigue is “an all-encompassing exhaustion that interferes with even the simplest daily activities. It feels like every drop of energy has been drained from the body, which at times can leave the patient with a limited ability to function both mentally and physically,” according to NFA.
Other symptoms
Additional symptoms may include: irritable bowel and bladder, headaches and migraines, restless legs syndrome (periodic limb movement disorder), impaired memory and concentration, skin sensitivities and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vision problems, Reynaud’s Syndrome, neurological symptoms, and impaired coordination.
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