Mirapex is the Parkinson’s Drug for fibromyalgia pain relief that is most commonly prescribed. It is approved by the FDA only for the use with relieving the symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, which may mean that you have to appeal a rejection of coverage for the medication before your insurance will cover the prescription.
The association between Parkinson’s and fibromyalgia is only just beginning to be understood, but as more becomes known, there is a greater understanding of both.
What is Parkinson’s?
Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system that is considered to be fatal. It is characterized by tremors and rigidity, but also includes late stage dementia and prevalent depression. The presence of Lewy Bodies and associated proteins in the brain is also an indicator of the development of the disorder.
It is considered to be a movement disorder, with degenerative movement experienced first before cognitive and behavioral changes, including associated dementia, sets in during the late stages. As yet, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Mirapex is an approved medication for Parkinson’s that has shown remarkable ability to reduce tremors and improve gait and motor control.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic and non-fatal disorder that comes with a cluster of symptoms, the most common of which is pervasive pain and pressure point pain, fatigue, brain fog, and difficult moving. It is not known what causes fibromyalgia, but it is most often seen in women between the ages of 18 and 65.
There is some relief from symptoms after the onset of menopause, but men also can develop the disorder too. Other cluster symptoms associated with fibromyalgia re depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, IBS and other gastrointestinal disturbances.
Why does a dopamine receptor work to relieve symptoms of both?
Both of the conditions do have a connection to a dysregulation of certain brain chemicals including that of the dopamine 2 and dopamine 3 receptors. These receptors are not only associated with mood balance, but also with pain reception and motor control.
Drugs, such as Mirapex, are designed to inhibit the dopamine in the brain, which then reduces the symptoms associated with their disruption. Mirapex has proven successful in the reduction of pain symptomology in both Parkinson’s and fibromyalgia.
Who is at risk for either?
There is no known cause for either Parkinson’s or fibromyalgia, but there are several known risk factors. For both, genetics may play a role and having a family member with either disease indicates an increased risk. With fibromyalgia, there is an associated risk factor with traumatic brain injury, immune disorders, serious illness, surgery and gender.
Women are more likely to develop fibromyalgia than men. With Parkinson’s the genetic factor is high, but there is also an associated risk for those who are exposed to certain pesticides, and a reduced risk for those who smoke tobacco as well. It should also be noted that there is a correlation between the ability to handle stress and childhood trauma in both too.
Is having one a guarantee you get the other?
Having either disease is not a guarantee that you will develop the other, but the two may often be mistaken for each other. The pain, stiffness and sometimes tremors associated with fibromyalgia may be associated with Parkinson’s first. A part of the reason for this is that there is more medical recognition of the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
There are tests developed that can identify and detect the telltale protein and other indicators of each disorder to decrease instances of misdiagnosis. It can be worth it to have tests for both conditions done to eliminate the risk of misdiagnosis so you can get the care that you need.
Other effective medications for fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia has also proven to be very responsive to other medications that are used for the management of associated symptoms of Parkinson’s patients too. In addition to the Parkinson’s specific medication of Mirapex, fibromyalgia pain has also been commonly relieved with the use of Cymbalta and Lyrica.
It is not fully understood why the pain of fibromyalgia responds so well to these drugs, but there is increasing evidence that their ability to disrupt the many chemicals of the brain that are associated with pain transmission is at play. Talk to your doctor about your different options, and also explore the lifestyle and diet therapies that have shown great promise in helping relieve fibromyalgia pain too.
Lifestyle and diet therapies also show promise
There are many different techniques that can ease fibromyalgia symptoms that focus on diet and lifestyle changes. Fibromyalgia is considered to be a holistic disease, which means it affects almost all the facets of healthy functioning of the mind and body.
It has a huge stress related component as well, which is why meditation and other stress reducing methods have proven to be so successful with the management of the symptoms. With its chronic inflammatory symptoms and associated disorders, such as IBS, diet changes are also high on the list of lifestyle changes you will have to make to improve the quality of your life.
The changing ideas behind front-line treatment for fibromyalgia
In America, the front-line treatment for fibromyalgia remains medication. Given that the average time for diagnosis is 5 years from the onset of symptoms, this may always remain the case. It is no longer thought that medication is the best treatment for symptoms alone. Medication is now used at much lower levels to prevent interference from associated side effects and to allow the person to develop lifestyle changes to manage their symptoms without a dependence on medication.
It is typical that person’s with fibromyalgia will have to take medications to make some of their symptoms manageable, but that the emphasis on secondary treatment on diet and exercise has gained wider approval. If you suspect you may have fibromyalgia, you should begin to adopt the diet and lifestyle changes while waiting clinical diagnosis to gain relief from you symptoms, improve the quality of life, and reduce the amount of medication you may need in the future.
Further reading:
Parkinson’s Drug Reduces Fibromyalgia Pain: http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/PreventiveCare/1441
Fibromyalgia: http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/fibromyalgia
When Painkillers Worsen Fibromyalgia Fatigue: http://www.everydayhealth.com/fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-painkillers-and-fatigue.aspx
Comments