Fibromyalgia Treatment - How to Relieve the Pain and Fatigue of FMS
The type of fibromyalgia treatment you will receive differs depending on the medical professional you consult. However, certain treatments are commonly prescribed by orthodox practitioners. These methods are described below.
Fibromyalgia causes widespread pain throughout the body but using pain medication such as aspirin and ibuprofen is not a very effective way to treat these symptoms. In fact, patients who use pain medication only experience less than a 20% reduction in their pain symptoms. For this reason, fibromyalgia treatment usually consists of narcotic pain medications like propoxyphene, codeine, and oxycodone. Such drugs do not usually cause any sort of dependency if properly prescribed.
Other pain medications like Ultram (Tramadol) and Ultracet (Tramadol and Tylenol) are the most commonly prescribed and the most useful for many patients. These drugs are not generally addictive and they do not work by inhibiting prostaglandins. If you have a seizure disorder you should not use Tramadol as a fibromyalgia treatment.
Along with the use of pain medications, fibromyalgia treatment often includes some form of exercise. Such workouts should be for 'health training' not sports training and should never be impact loading. Exercise should be done for thirty minutes each day, possibly broken into three ten minute sessions or two fifteen minute sessions. It most patients it will take from six to twelve months to reach this level and it should be built up slowly to avoid injury. Walking, using a stationery bicycle or Nordic track are good choices.
Fibromyalgia treatment also includes the use of drugs that help to reduce fatigue. Fatigue may be caused by treatment with antidepressant medications, antihistamines and benzodiazepines, depression, aerobic deconditioning or sleep disorders. It may also be caused by hypotension. A drug called Provigil is sometimes useful to treat fatigue. Many doctors make use of a natural fibromyalgia treatment like high-dose vitamin B12 injections.
Fibromyalgia treatment may also include the use of drugs like Wellbutrin which is a dopamine antagonist or a non-sedating selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor like Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa or Effexor. However these need to be strictly controlled to avoid aggravating fatigue. Some medical practitioners prescribe a low dose central nervous system stimulant like Ritalin, Dexedrine or Adderall.
Fibromyalgia treatment may include medications prescribed to treat underlying infections like Epstein-Barr virus or cytomegalovirus. Treatment may also be given to treat a low level of thyroid hormone (even though standard blood tests might not pick it up). These are usually timed release T3 drugs not standard thyroid medications. Ask your doctor for advice on the best option for you.
