Is Treating Fibromyalgia with Medication For You?

Joining a fibromyalgia support group can be excellent psychological and emotional therapy. However, talking and sharing your experiences with others is not likely to take away any of the painful physical symptoms or fatigue you feel. Therefore, many fibromyalgia sufferers need to turn to alternative and medical remedies to find relief from their symptoms.

There are different over-the-counter (OTC) and prescribed medications that a fibromyalgia sufferer may find beneficial to their condition. That being said, not every person with fibromyalgia will have the same response to medical treatment, and may require different treatment to address their specific symptoms.
Although there are a number of medications that can be prescribed for specific symptoms, or those currently being used in clinical trials, the following are the most common medical treatments prescribed:
Analgesics – Analgesics are drugs designed to relieve bodily aches and pains and are also known as painkillers. OTC analgesics include acetaminophen and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. Although NSAIDs are primarily used to reduce inflammation and inflammation is not a symptom of fibromyalgia, they offer effective pain relief. The problem with using NSAIDs for pain relief is that prolonged use of this medication can irritate the stomach lining, lead to digestive upset and cause stomach ulcers.

Aside from OTC analgesics, doctors may prescribe opioid analgesics such as tramadol. Tramadol is a narcotic used to treat moderate to severe pain, and is typically used to treat surgical, arthritic and fibromyalgia pain. However, other stronger narcotics may be prescribed for sufferers with severe muscle pain.

The problem doctors have with prescribing narcotics is that although effective, there is a high risk that those who take them will become addicted and dependent on these drugs. Furthermore, narcotics can have many side effects including altering moods, behaviors and fatigue.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants are one of the most common medications prescribed for fibromyalgia sufferers. This is because antidepressants elevate the levels of specific brain chemicals such as norepinephrine and serotonin. Low levels of these and other brain chemicals can result in depression, pain and fatigue. By increasing chemical levels these symptoms can be improved.

Doctors provide different types of antidepressants to fibromyalgia sufferers based on how they feel. For instance, tricyclic antidepressants are provided to fibromyalgia patients who suffer from insomnia, as these meds help restore sleep. In addition, tricyclic antidepressants can help painful muscles relax and stimulate endorphins (body’s natural painkillers). Different tricyclic antidepressants that may be prescribed include: amitriptyline, doxepin, cyclobenzaprine and nortriptyline.

Additional antidepressant that may be used to treat depression and other fibromyalgia syptoms are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These include – fluoxetine, sertraline and paroxetine.

Antidepressants can be habit forming and may cause side effects such as dry mouth, weight gain, anxiety, gastrointestinal upset, loss of libido, insomnia, and fatigue. Note: each antidepressant will have different side effects.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are psychotropic drugs that have been known to help fibromyalgia sufferers relax tense and painful muscles, and with restless legs syndrome, and insomnia. Benzodiazepines have hypnotic and sedative effects, and like antidepressants, dependence and addiction can occur in some patients. Other side effects may include depression, memory impairment, slow motor skills, etc.

Benzodiazepines are usually prescribed to fibromyalgia sufferers who have not responded well to other treatments. Some Benzodiazepines meds prescribed include: diazepam, temazepman, clonazepam, and triazolam.

Despite what medication you may be interested in or your doctor may recommend, you need to make sure you ask your doctor important questions before taking any medication so you can receive the most effective treatment that is right for you.

6 important questions to ask your doctor

1. What are the medications you recommend for my specific symptoms?

2. What side effects can I expect and will this medication have negative interactions with other medications, foods or activities?

3. Should I continue taking medications even if I feel better?

4. What are the long-term effects this medication will have on my health?

5. Can I take any alternative therapies with this medication, or are there any alternative therapies I can try which might provide me with relief for my symptoms?

6. Are there any clinical trials I may be eligible for?

Billy Mays' Cause of Death - Hypertensive Heart Disease

UPDATE: it was heart disease

Sadly, America lost a big-voiced original pitchman this past weekend when Billy Mays passed away. Now it has been revealed that heart disease was the culprit. Not OxyClean, not payday loans or fast cash and definitely not foul play.

Michael Muskal reports for the Los Angeles Times that the man who "elevated the art of the television sales spiel to a fevered pitch," died due to hypertensive heart disease. It was a heart attack, Hillsborough County, Florida Medical Examiner Vernard Adams determined.

A killer that stalks many

The preliminary results of Billy Mays' autopsy indicate that hypertensive heart disease symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, bloating and difficulty sleeping flat in his bed could have all been likely signs that something was going wrong. Remember, however, that the results so far are only preliminary. Much like in the autopsy of Michael Jackson (where results were leaked), the final results will take a few weeks. So we won't know for sure exactly what it was that killed Billy Mays, although the preliminary findings may very well be accurate. Toxicology and tissue tests results will be analyzed in due time, once the results are clear.

To recap,Mays, 50, was found in his Tampa home on Sunday morning. He had just returned to Florida on a commercial flight after filming an OxyClean commercial in Philadelphia, Pa. His flight did have a rough landing that could have given him a fright, as a tire on the landing gear burst. The impact caused Mays to bump his head during the rocky touchdown on the runway.

But Adams says no head trauma evident

After close inspection during the autopsy, Adams ruled out any type of head injury, either external or internal. So it is unlikely that such a thing could have played a role in Mays' death. However, final results are pending.

What the preliminary autopsy did show is that Billy Mays' heart was heavier than normal. The reason for this as Adams puts it is that his left ventricle had enlarged. According to the coroner, this is a possible symptom of hypertensive heart disease.

Post autopsy, Adams indicated that authorities had ruled out the possible abuse of prescription drugs. It is known that Mays was using prescription painkillers Tramadol and hydrocodone for hip pain, but pill counts showed that he'd taken the amount he was supposed to have taken. The hip pain is related to the fact that Mays has apparently had enough hip trouble to warrant hip replacement in the past. He was even scheduled for another hip replacement surgery, according to family.