Can Antidepressants Improve Fibromyalgia Symptoms?
Fibromyalgia is a common medical condition producing muscle pain and fatigue. While several medications are available to treat this disorder, lifestyle changes are necessary as well. For people who receive a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, which medication represents the best option?
The characteristic aches of fibromyalgia are debilitating – afflicted individuals may be frequently absent from work or may be unable to complete daily tasks without experiencing significant pain. This is a fairly common condition, since 1 in 50 people suffer from fibromyalgia, mostly females. Conservative treatments such as exercise and stress reduction can help symptoms, but most fibromyalgia patients are usually treated with at least one prescription medication. A commonly used type of drugs for treating fibromyalgia are antidepressants.
Can people suffering from fibromyalgia benefit from taking antidepressants? Scientists have demonstrated that they lessen fibromyalgia fatigue and pain even in those who do not suffer concomitant depression. A study showed that fibromyalgia patients were four times more likely to have their symptoms improve when they took antidepressants.
The benefits of treating fibromyalgia with antidepressants is confirmed in a new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association. German researchers studied eighteen, high quality clinical trials and found that antidepressants are a beneficial treatment for fibromyalgia. The category of antidepressants which showed the greatest impact on general aches and pains as well as sleep-related issues is tricyclic antidepressants, a variety of antidepressant in use since the 1950’s. The more recent and more frequently utilized SSRIs are not as effective as the older tricyclic antidepressants.
The results of this study provided evidence that tricyclic antidepressants are more effective than other types of prescription medication for treating symptoms of fibromyalgia. These antidepressants offer relief from the emotional stress and sleep difficulties that plague sufferers of fibromyalgia. Lifestyle changes need to be put into practice before tricyclic medications are used despite their benefits, due to the numerous side effects present with this class of drugs.
To maintain a diet that is healthy, avoid foods that are processed and avoid sugar. A healthy diet consisting of low sugar intake and processed foods is helpful. People with this disease should avoid caffeine, particularly if they have trouble sleeping. There are those who will feel better, suffer less pain, and experience less fatigue if they meditate and undergo massage therapy. In some cases, conservative treatments can eliminate the need for drug therapy and reduce side effects.
Although a natural approach is best, when it fails to reduce symptoms, fibromyalgia patients may still benefit with a tricyclic antidepressant treatment.