In the November-December 2010 Arthritis Today magazine there was an article entitled Arthritis Today Guide to Drugs for Fibromyalgia. I have discussed the medicines mentioned below. None of the treatments cure fibromyalgia, as there is no cure, but these medicines all have been proven to help relieve symptoms.

Amitriptyline – 10-50 mg once per day – A tricyclic antidepressant that can improve symptoms of fibromyalgia. It can help patients sleep better by increasing deep phase sleep and decreasing muscle spasms.

Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril, Fexmid, Amrix) – 5-30 mg in 2-3 daily doses – A muscle relaxant that reduces pain and muscle stiffness in fibromyalgia. It can also help improve sleep.

Duloxetine (Cymbalta) – 30-120 mg in 2 daily doses – A type of antidepressant called serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). It can help reduce fibromyalgia pain and improve mood.

Fluoxetine (Prozac) – 10-80 mg once per day – A type of antidepressant called Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It can help reduce fibromyalgia pain and fatigue.

Milnacipran (Savella) – 50-200 mg in 2 daily doses – A type of antidepressant called serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). It can help reduce fibromyalgia pain and other fibromyalgia symptoms.

Venlafaxine (Effexor XR) – 37.5-300 mg in 2 daily doses – A type of antidepressant called serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). It can reduce pain, anxiety and depression.

Zolpidem (Ambien, Ambein CR) – 5-15 mg once per day – A type of sedative-hypnotic drug used for the short-term treatment of insomnia.

Gabapentin (Neurontin) – 1200-3000 mg in 2-3 daily doses – A type of anticonvulsant drug. It can help reduce fibromyalgia pain and fatigue and improve sleep.

Pregabalin (Lyrica) – 150-300 mg twice per day – A type of anticonvulsant drug. It can reduce pain and improve sleep.

Tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet, Ultram ER) – 40-100 mg every 4-6 hours (not more than 600 mg per day)/2 pills every 4-6 hours (not more than 8 pills per day)/100-300 mg once per day – A type of centrally acting opioid analgesic. It can relieve pain and reduce muscle spasms.

Although not discussed in the article, many people with fibromyalgia also choose to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and prescribed narcotics to elevate pain. Of course, the list above does not include medicines taken for many of the overlapping conditions to fibromyalgia (like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Restless Leg Syndrome, etc…). To learn more about each medicine’s possible side effects, special instructions and things to be aware of, please refer to Arthritis Today Guide to Drugs for Fibromyalgia in the November-December 2010 Arthritis Today magazine.

Other medicines still under investigation for the treatment of fibromyalgia include:

Sodium Oxybate (JXP-6 Xyrem) – A sedative narcolepsy treatment recently denied FDA approval for fibromyalgia pain relief due to concerns about potential abuse.

Eszopiclone (Lunesta) – A sedative-hypnotic drug currently approved to treat insomnia, being investigated for improving fibromyalgia symptoms.

Calcitonin (Miacalcin) –  A nasal spray currently approved for osteoporosis treatment, being investigated for fibromyalgia symptom relief.

Quetiapine (Seroquel) – Currently approved for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, being investigated for fibromyalgia pain relief.

To see the 2012 updates to this list, see Medicines for Fibromyalgia – Part II

Arthritis Today magazine