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Nearly every fibro sufferer is hoping for a miracle cure. While so far there is no miracle cure for fibromyalgia, researchers are working every day to develop or discover potential new treatments. So far, there are only two FDA-approved drug treatments specifically for fibromyalgia: Lyrica and Cymbalta. But researchers have recently discovered that another drug called gabapentin (Neurontin) shows a lot of promise.
What is Gabapentin?
Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant medication, normally used for treating seizures. A recent study showed that fibromyalgia patients who took gabapentin in daily dosages of 1,200 to 2,400 mg for 12 weeks had significantly less pain than those who took a placebo. In addition, the gabapentin group also reported better sleep and less fatigue.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Director Stephen I. Katz. M.D., Ph.D., remarked that “While gabapentin does not have Food and Drug Administration approval for fibromyalgia, I believe this study offers additional insight to physicians considering the drug for their fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia is a debilitating condition for which current treatments are only modestly effective, so a study such as this is potentially good news for people with this common, painful condition.”
How Does Gabapentin Work for Fibromyalgia?
Nobody knows for certain what causes fibromyalgia, and similarly it is not clear exactly how gabapentin relieves pain. However, what is known is that gabapentin is more effective at reducing chronic pain rather than acute pain. Although patients with fibro don’t show signs of inflammation or central nervous system damage, it does seem that fibro sufferers have a more intense reaction to stimuli or nerve injury that do not cause a reaction in others.
Gabapentin appears to mute the reaction to stimuli that triggers pain. Dr. Lesley Arnold, one of the study’s lead researchers, believes that the pain relief may have to do with how calcium binds to neurons. This may reduce the amount of pain sensations the fibro patient experiences.
The fact that gabapentin also improves sleep may play a major role in improvements from fibromyalgia. Most fibro patients don’t sleep well, or don’t get restorative sleep, which can make sensitivity to pain worse.
What are Gabapentin’s Side Effects?
The most common side effects associated with gabapentin include drowsiness, dizziness, double vision and loss of balance and coordination. Many of these side effects may go away over time as your body adjusts to the medication. Because many fibro patients are concerned about weight gain, it’s also important to note that the patients in the gabapentin study did not report much weight gain. However, the drug does cause some edema (swelling) in the hands and feet, which could make you feel swollen or puffy.
Many patients with fibro are looking for a solution to help them feel better. According to patient reviews, some have benefited greatly from gabapentin, while others have not. However, because of the drug’s long-standing use in treating nerve pain, it’s worth asking your doctor if it might be right for you, particularly if you have not gotten relief from other medications.
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