Antidepressants and Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Are antidepressants good treatment for fibromyalgia symptoms?
Muscle pain and tiredness are symptoms of the disorder fibromyalgia. Many prescriptions are used to treat this issue along with making some changes in the way the person lives. What is the drug of choice for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia?
The hurt that fibromyalgia brings can be crippling, making those with the disease lose work time and miss fun everyday events. The surprisingly common disorder may impact up to one out of every fifty people, with females being the most frequently affected. Treating this ailment consists of conservative efforts like exercising and decreasing stress, but many people who are afflicted with it have to take a minimum of one prescription medication to help with the issues. Antidepressants are one of the most common types of medications used to treat fibromyalgia.
Do antidepressants work well for individuals who have fibromyalgia? Research has revealed that they can improve the tiredness and basic aches felt by people who have fibromyalgia even though they don’t have depression symptoms. Fibromyalgia patients taking antidepressants were four times more likely to report relief from the chronic symptoms of the disorder, a study indicated.
People with fibromyalgia can benefit from antidepressants, as proven in an article from the Journal of the American Medical Association. A team of German scientists examined data from 18 high standard clinical experiments and discovered antidepressants had good advantages for treating fibromyalgia. An older group of antidepressants, tricyclics, which have been in use since the 1950s, seems most effective in treating fibromyalgia. Less effective are the newer SSRI’s which are more commonly used today, as additionally did the other groups of antidepressants.
This study proved the effectiveness of tricyclic antidepressants over other prescription medications for relief from the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Treatment with tricyclic antidepressants decreases moodiness and may provide sufficient relief to improve rest at night. Although there are positive attributes to them, tricyclic medicine have lots of side effects and really only should be taken after changes in your life have been put in place.
An aerobic exercise regimen of greater than thirty minutes practiced five to seven days per week can dramatically alleviate symptoms of fibromyalgia patients and ensure a restful night of sleep. A low sugar diet that is also low in foods that are processed can also help. Stay away from caffeine because it causes insomnia. In some people, medication and massage therapy reduces pain and fatigue, and improves mood. Drug therapy could be eliminated with these conservative treatments, as will the potential side effects.
A tricyclic antidepressant may be of some benefit for people with fibromyalgia if changing their way of living doesn’t do anything to help decrease the symptoms, however the best way is still a natural method.