However, tolerance to these medications is an important issue. A recent review of drug treatments for FM indicates that tricyclic antidepressants (TCA’s), including amitriptyline and doxepin, are effective in treating multiple FM symptoms including pain, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and depression ref 9. Generally medications are used to manage pain, fatigue, and psychological distress, as well as to improve other health issues associated with FM (e.g., migraine headache, irritable bowel syndrome).Īntidepressant medications are the most frequently used and best studied drugs for the treatment of FM. Over-the-counter or prescription medications may be essential in reducing symptoms and minimizing disability. Symptom Management:Ĭonventional pharmacotherapy to address the range of symptoms is the cornerstone of treating FM. This requires a physician and/or health care provider who is knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of FM to listen and work closely with the patient to develop a treatment protocol that addresses the unique needs of the patient. Perhaps the most important factors in improving the symptoms of FM is for the patient to understand the range of FM symptoms they may experience, the prospect for symptom flares, and to recognize the need for lifestyle adaptation as they attempt to manage their disease. Providing information about the disease, normalizing and validating the patients’ experience is an essential FM treatment component. Nonetheless, the comprehensive treatment of FM falls along 4 broad categories: education, symptom management, cognitive behavior therapy, and complementary approaches ref 3, 5. This is especially important since FM is a chronic disease whose symptoms wax and wane, thus requiring alterations in treatment strategies overtime (i.e., during a flare). It seems clear that, given the myriad and variety of symptoms, it is important for physicians and patients to work together to establish a multifaceted and individualized treatment approach.
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