[Pharmacological treatment of fibromyalgia]

Reumatismo. 2007 Oct-Dec;59(4):280-91. doi: 10.4081/reumatismo.2007.280.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a condition of chronic and diffuse muscular pain affecting particularly middle aged women. The aetiology of FM is not completely understood and it is currently considered a disorder of pain regulation. The most efficacious compounds include the tricyclic drugs and mixed reuptake inhibitors. Recent works suggest that the anticonvulsant medications pregabalin and gabapentin are also effective. Moreover, two serotonin and norepinephrine-reuptake inhibitors-duloxetine and milnacipran show encouraging results in treating FM symptoms. The results of clinical trials of anti-inflammatory medications have been generally disappointing, but three RCTs have found that tramadol (with or without acetaminophen) is effective in FM.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / therapeutic use
  • Age Factors
  • Analgesics / therapeutic use
  • Analgesics, Opioid / therapeutic use
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use
  • Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / therapeutic use
  • Dopamine Agonists / therapeutic use
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Fibromyalgia / drug therapy*
  • GABA Agonists / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Risk Factors
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Sex Factors
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Analgesics
  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
  • Dopamine Agonists
  • GABA Agonists
  • Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors