There are many different treatments for fibromyalgia because not everyone will experience the same reaction to treatment methods. Fortunately, since there are many other options, doctors can try different treatment methods or adjust medication dosages until an effective method is found for their patients.
Fibromyalgia treatments may include eating a healthy diet, exercise, taking medications to help with pain and to relax tense muscles or the use of transdermal medications.
What are Transdermal Medications?
Instead of taking an oral medication to treat fibromyalgia, a transdermal medication is applied and absorbed through the skin. This allows the medication to enter the bloodstream to provide pain relief quickly. There are several types of transdermal medications including ointments, gels, creams and patches. These topical medications can often be bought over-the-counter, but there are prescription transdermal medications as well. Most transdermal medications used for fibromyalgia provide the sufferer with pain relief.
How Transdermal Medications Work
These medications are absorbed through the largest organ of the body, which is the skin. Your skin performs many functions including regulating your body temperature and controlling the loss of fluids. Since your skin has many layers and includes a network of blood vessels, topical medications enter the bloodstream at a steady rate, helping to provide long lasting pain relief.
In addition to being absorbed into the skin to allow the medication to enter the bloodstream, they also work on the nerve endings in the skin. The skin is covered by a multitude of nerve endings which receive different messages about the conditions around you. If they receive pain messages, they are sent to the spinal cord and travel to the brain. However, topical pain medications block messages triggering pain from being received from the brain.
Types of Transdermal Medications for Fibromyalgia
Transdermal medications are becoming popular among fibromyalgia sufferers because of the benefits they have over oral medications. These benefits include ease of use, fewer side effects and long-lasting pain relief. There are several types of topical medications that can help provide pain relief patients need to feel better and to have more freedom of movement. Here are some of the transdermal medications that are usually prescribed to fibromyalgia sufferers.
Zonalon Cream – 5% Doxepin
This topical medication contains doxepin, which is a tricyclic anti-depressant. It helps relief pain by block receptors that send and receive pain messages and by also blocking sodium channels. The cream also stimulates opioid receptors that help to enhance pain relief. Zonalon can help to provide significant pain relief for fibromyalgia patients. The cream takes about three weeks to become fully effective and it can be applied up to four times a day.
Menthol Creams
Menthol is an ingredient that can be found in peppermint and other natural oils. It is often used in over-the-counter analgesic creams to help provide pain relief as they help block kappa opioid receptors. When creams with this ingredient are applied, there is a cool, tingling feeling on the skin. The menthol will then warm up, helping to provide relief for stiff muscles. When regularly used, menthol creams will help to increase pain tolerance.
Transdermal Cream Side Effects
One of the main benefits for using transdermal creams is the reduction in side effects. Since the medication is not taken orally, upset stomachs, diarrhea and nausea can be avoided. However, they do have some side effects. Some patients may experience a rash or irritation on the site where the medication is applied, some topical creams may cause allergic reactions, dry mouth, headaches and drowsiness are some of the other side effects that some users may experience.
Transdermal Patches
Medicated patches are the latest type of pain medication that can help reduce pain and provide relief over a prolonged period of time. There are several types of patches that can be used by fibromyalgia patients to relieve pain.
Fentanyl Patches
This patch is usually sold under the brand name Duragesic and it can provide pain relief for up to 72 hours. Since it is an opioid pain medication, it is usually recommended for patients that are already using some type of opioid medication and for those with opioid tolerance. It works by allowing fentanyl to bind to pain receptors to help provide pain relief.
Fentanyl has to build up in the bloodstream in order to work effectively, so it takes about 12 hours to begin to work. Since the opioids in the patch bypass the stomach, they have fewer side effects than oral opioids that can cause nausea, diarrhea and constipation.
Lidoderm Patch – 5% Lidocaine
Lidocaine is an anesthetic that is used in many areas of medicine and in dentistry. Anesthetics can be successfully used to treat fibromyalgia especially in the specific areas where the pain is at its worst. The lidoderm patch releases a constant supply of lidocaine into the skin.
Lidocaine blocks pain signals before they reach the brain, which prevents the body from receiving signals to feel pain. Fibromyalgia patients report a reduction in pain when using the lidoderm patch and they also experience an improved ability to sleep after using the patch for three weeks. Up to three patches can be applied within 12 hours.
Patch Side Effects
Depending on which patch is used, there may be few side effects. The possible side effects when using the lidoderm patch include skin irritation and swelling. With the fentanyl patch, there are a few more side effects associated with it. These side effects include dizziness, lightheadedness, weakness and possibly a shortness of breath.
Other Transdermal Medications for Fibromyalgia
Along with the transdermal topical medications and pain patches mentioned here, there are many other options that you can discuss with your doctor. If you find oral medications too upsetting for your stomach, transdermal medications may be a good option for pain relief.
Further reading:
Pain Management and Fibromyalgia http://rxnations.com/pain.php
Treatment & Medications http://www.transdermalinc.com/knowledge-base/articles/treatment-medications
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