Fibromyalgia prescription medications and resources that provide help.
Several million American are affected by Fibromyalgia. The condition leads to chronic pain and it is difficult to treat and impossible to cure. While prescription medications themselves do not cure fibromyalgia, they can help reduce symptoms and provide some form of relief. There are financial aid, drug company resources, and government benefits that can all assist. Locate some of the resources and assistance programs that may offer free or low cost prescription drugs and antidepressants that can be used to help treat fibromyalgia.
While not all people who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia will benefit, or want to use medicines, some in fact may help address certain conditions. Some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia, especially frequent waking during the night as well as the associated muscle pain, can be treated by some low cost or free prescription drugs and medications. Some people with more severe symptoms, such as sleep problems, pain, or depression may find medicines beneficial to them. Individuals will need to be qualified and meet certain guidelines, including income thresholds, in order to qualify for free medications and treatment.
Treatments and conditions
Some doctors will recommend or prescribe antidepressants to treat some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Studies show that roughly three out of every 10 people with also have anxiety or depression. However, while a doctor may recommend this, it does not mean that the condition is all in your head. Rather, what can occur is antidepressants (such of which can be free from companies) may help by improving mood, your sleep patterns, or they can even block pain signals. So they can have their place in treatment. A number of government lead and private studies have shown that many people with fibromyalgia seem to benefit from anti-depressant prescription medicines.
One of the complications of fibromyalgia is that the symptoms can be different in each person. So your doctor or medical professional may need to try more than one prescription medicine before finding one drug or treatment that works best for you, and that may also be affordable or free. Another complication is that some patients find that a medicine that has been helping their symptoms seems to become less effective over time. Always stay in close contact with your doctor or medical professional as she or he may make suggestions for helping find new ways to modify your activity, sleep, and stress, or even suggest different medicine.
Prescription medications for fibromyalgia
Below are some of the common treatments and medications that are used. Some may be free from pharmaceutical assistance programs or government health care such as Medicaid. Often the various types of medicines may be combined to increase their effectiveness. Such as combining amitriptyline as well as fluoxetine. This can lead to the most effective treatment of symptoms of sleep disruptions and pain.
In addition, certain types of antidepressants can even be used to relieve pain, improve sleep, reduce fatigue and help in other capacities. Some may even treat depression. Just some of the antidepressants used for fibromyalgia include the following:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as paroxetine (Paxil) or fluoxetine (Prozac).
- Amitriptyline (brand name Elavil) is the most widely studied antidepressant that is used for people with fibromyalgia.
- Pregabalin may help reduce pain, sleep problems, and fatigue. While this is a seizure medicine (anticonvulsant), Pfizer’s pregabalin (Lyrica) can in fact be used to treat fibromyalgia.
- Tricyclic antidepressants, such as cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) or amitriptyline. While these are usually thought of as a muscle relaxant, rather than an antidepressant, it can be the same type of drug as a tricyclic antidepressant.
- Atypical antidepressants can be prescribed. This usually means prescription drugs that don't fit well into the general categories of other antidepressant medicines. Bupropion (Wellbutrin) is an example of one of these medications.
- Various types of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can be used to help with fibromyalgia conditions. These can also be called mixed (or dual) reuptake inhibitors-such as duloxetine (Eli Lilly Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor) or milnacipran (Savella made by Forest Laboratories).
Additional medications and other resources are still in study, and may not be as widely available or even free yet. Some of the other medicines and drugs that are being either studied or used on a limited basis for treating fibromyalgia include:
- Seizure medicine (anticonvulsant) called gabapentin (Neurontin).
- A prescription medicine called sodium oxylate (Xyrem) that is used for sleep disorders such as narcolepsy.
- Various pain medicines such as tramadol (Ultram), sometimes combined with acetaminophen.
While certain nonprescription and over the counter pain relievers, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, such as ibuprofen or aspirin) or acetaminophen (for example, Tylenol) are not usually very helpful in treating day-to-day symptoms of fibromyalgia, they can sometimes be found for free (or sold at a low cost) and do have their benefits. These alternative medications may be useful in helping by reducing severe pain caused by a flare-up of symptoms. As with any medical condition, you should always check with your doctor first for help, before taking any medications.
Unfortunately there is not a cure for fibromyalgia. In general, prescription medicines are only a part of the long-term treatment. While these drugs and antidepressants may help break the cycle of sleep problems or pain when fibromyalgia symptoms flare up, they are not a solution in themselves. Prescription drugs are usually just one part of a larger treatment plan that focuses on exercise, counseling and other types of treatment.
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