can relieve pain and help you sleep better. Common medications for fibromyalgia include pain relievers, antiseizure drugs, and antidepressants.
Pain relievers
Fibromyalgia pain can be uncomfortable enough and consistent enough to interfere with your daily routine. Do not just settle for pain. Talk with a healthcare professional about ways to manage it.
If your pain is mild, one option is to take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as:
acetaminophen (Tylenol)
aspirin
ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)
These medications can lower your pain levels, reduce discomfort, and help you better manage your condition. They may even help you sleep better.
Many of them bring down inflammation, too. Though inflammation is not a primary symptom of fibromyalgia, you may experience it if you have a related condition such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Please note that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) do have
. Caution is advised if NSAIDs are used for an extended period, as is usually the case when you’re managing a chronic pain condition.
have also been prescribed for pain relief. However,
has not shown them to be effective over time. Also, the dosage for narcotics is typically increased rapidly, which can pose a health risk for people prescribed these drugs.
(Ultram) is one of the opioids most closely associated with fibromyalgia relief. However, some
do not consider it a traditional opioid, and any possible benefits for fibromyalgia could be due to it also being a
serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI)
.
According to a
, there’s not enough evidence to support or oppose the use of tramadol in fibromyalgia. More research on opioids is needed.
Antiseizure drugs
(Lyrica), an antiseizure drug, was the first medication the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for fibromyalgia. It blocks nerve cells from sending out pain signals.
(Neurontin) was designed to treat epilepsy, but it may also help reduce symptoms in people with fibromyalgia. Gabapentin has not been FDA-approved to treat fibromyalgia and is considered an
.
Off-label drug useOff-label drug use means a drug that’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for one purpose is used for a different purpose that has not yet been approved.
However, a doctor can still use the drug for that purpose. This is because the FDA regulates the testing and approval of drugs but not how doctors use drugs to treat their patients. So your doctor can prescribe a drug however they think is best for your care.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants such as
(Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella) are sometimes used to treat pain and fatigue from fibromyalgia. These medications may also work on rebalancing
and help improve sleep.
The FDA has approved both duloxetine and milnacipran for the treatment of fibromyalgia.
Other medications
Other drugs that are not FDA-approved to treat fibromyalgia, such as sleep aids, can help with specific symptoms. Muscle relaxers, which were once used, are no longer recommended.
Researchers are also investigating a few experimental treatments that may help people with fibromyalgia in the future.