Drugs for Fibromyalgia: How Good Are They?- National Pain Report
http://bit.ly/O4OAth
Lyrica provides relief for 10% of patients, Cymbalta 6%, and Savella 8-10%.
Technically, 1 in 10 patients reporting significant relief from Lyrica/pregabalin is better than placebo, which is all that the FDA requires for approval (the major flaw in the FDA approval process).
"In the case of Lyrica, randomized controlled trials have shown that doses of 600 mg daily produce drowsiness in 15-20% and dizziness in 27% to 46%.
Other side effects include dry mouth, weight gain, peripheral oedema (swelling). In another important review, it was found that treatment was discontinued due to adverse events in one out of 4 patients."
Fibromyalgia patients deserve pain medication, not placebos that cause massive weight gain and fatigue.
For those that get relief from them, opioids (as well as Xyrem/sodium oxybate) should be made available to them. Enough of these useless antidepressants. Enough of making Fibromyalgia patients feel bad because they don't respond to these useless drugs. Enough of shaming Fibromyalgia victims for requiring opioids.
Chronic & Intractable pain victims are not addicts and we are not criminals. We shouldn't be treated any different from a diabetic refilling his insulin, metformin, Actos, or Byetta.
It's bad enough that opioids are withheld from most chronic pain patients, especially Fibromyalgia patients, but to give them drugs that are useless for their pain condition (they might help for depression), all while telling them that the drugs are specifically approved for their condition, is inhumane and cruel.
-Steve
"In summary, a minority of patients will report substantial benefit with Lyrica, and more will have moderate . Many will have no or trivial benefit, or will discontinue the drug because of adverse events."
“Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of whom they know nothing.”
"Those who have been awarded a diagnosis of fibromyalgia find themselves in a “double bind.”
On the one hand, the very diagnosis can arouse disbelief at all levels of society and, on the other hand, the available drugs afford most of them little, if any, relief of pain."
