Fibromyalgia- we all can make it!

In the wake of the FDA approval of Lyrica, the first medicine approved to treat fibromyalgia, the New York Times has published a controversial article questioning whether the disease exists at all.

The Times claims that patient advocacy groups and doctors who specialize in fibromyalgia believe that the Lyrica approval is a milestone, and hope its approval will legitimize fibromyalgia in the same manner that Prozac legitimized depression. But, says the Times, other doctors believe that the disease does not exist, and that Lyrica will be taken by millions of people who do not need it.

Adding to the controversy is the fact that Lyrica itself is a drug originally designed for diabetic nerve pain that was rejected because of its unimpressive results and many side effects, including weight gain, edema, dizziness and sleepiness. This has left some wondering if the repositioning of Lyrica is little more than a cynical ploy to sell a failed medication. The potential for weight gain is a special concern, because many fibromyalgia patients are already overweight.

Fibromyalgia is a real and debilitating condition that primarily affects women, characterized by chronic, widespread pain with no known cause. According to advocacy groups, as many as 10 million people suffer from the disorder in the United States.

Many sufferers are also afflicted with a variety of other nebulous conditions, such as:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Chronic fatigue
Depression
Headaches
Sleep disorders
Ringing of the ears (tinnitus)

What causes it?

No one actually knows. However, brain scans of people with fibromyalgia have offered hard evidence of what patients already know: Their pain IS real – mainly because their threshold for tolerating pain impulses is substantially lower than that of most individuals. But the mechanism causing this lowered pain threshold is unknown.

Some experts, such as Dr. Frederick Wolfe, the director of the National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases and the lead author of the 1990 paper that first defined fibromyalgia’s diagnostic guidelines, now believes fibromyalgia is mainly a physical response to mental and emotional stress, depression, and anxiety about economic and social issues.

Since most fibromyalgia patients do not respond to conventional painkillers, the drug cartel has found a brand new market, wide open for the taking, with many people desperate for a magic pill. However, if you suffer from fibromyalgia, know that this is NOT your answer! In fact it is your most dangerous option, considering the many detrimental side effects of these drugs.

Side effects of Lyrica in particular include:

Weight gain
Edema
Dizziness
Sleepiness

In 3-month trials of the drug, 9 percent of patients had a weight gain of more than 7 percent, and their weight kept rising steadily over time. This is most definitely a concern, especially when you take into account that the average fibromyalgia patient already weighs 180 pounds at an average height of 5 feet 4 inches, according to a 2007 fibromyalgia survey.

Obesity in turn can lead to even worse health complications, including:

Diabetus
Hypertension
Gall blader disease
Heart disease


Diet, emotional techniques, good sleep, exercise, chiropratice are better methods, natural ones to make the quality of life of these patients better than any chemical.