Has anyone else heard about a new drug to treat fibromyalgia?

[DemBones DemBones]

I posted this in the check-in thread but since there are several of us with FM, I thought it was worth starting a thread, too.

My primary care doc told me last week that there is a new drug for fibromyalgia that seems to be working well for some of his patients and he wants me to consider taking it. It works by stopping synaptic activity of pain nerves without doping you up, supposedly. He thinks it would allow me to decrease my pain meds, which would be great. Naturally, I don't remember the name of the drug now.

Yesterday, I went to my rheumatologist, who has the personality of a rock (a dull, grey rock) and he droned on about how "they" have now discovered more about the neurological basis of fibromyalgia, that brain scans show people with FM feel pain in a different area of the brain from "normal" people, but unfortunately this hasn't led to medication yet.

I'm guessing my rheumy is such a boring nerd that the drug reps don't want to talk to him. :evilgrin:

But has anybody else heard about a new drug for FM?

[Dancer]

1. Have you looked into this?

Guaifenesin

http://www.guaidoc.com/index.htm

[DemBones DemBones]

8. No, but I will, thanks. nt

[Warpy]

2. Actually, there are several

coming down the line. One is an antiseizure medication whose name escapes me right now. The most exciting of the ones in the pipeline is pregalbin, a second generation relative of neurontin (which does little for us).

Ultram is another drug that has proven superior for pain control. It hits those morphine receptors without all the other effects of opiate drugs.

I think we must share reumatologists. He's not a bad guy, but he's pig ignorant about fibro and has little personality.

[DemBones DemBones]

7. That's good to hear, maybe one of them will work, right?

My rheumatologist acts like he is studying my lupus and fibromyalgia, keeping tabs on all my bloodwork and symptomatology, with little interest in treating me. All he ever prescribed for pain was NSAIDS which don't work for me but always tear my stomach up. I would like to see a rheumatologist who specializes in lupus and/or FM but that would mean going out of town, perhaps a long way out of town, with all the transportation and insurance problems that entails, so I see this guy for the bloodwork and the bonescans and see my primary care guy for medications. The PCP says all the rheumatologists he's ever met were deficient in social skills.

:shrug:

At least the rheumatologists have figured out that fibromyalgia is a real disease, not just all in our heads!

[rodeodance]

3. why didn't your own doctor tell you the name of the drug

if he does not know-he can find out!! bug him/her

[DemBones DemBones]

5. He did but I have forgotten it. He may have written it down on

an Rx pad but my husband put those in his desk since he makes the pharmacy trips.
(And his desk -- whoa! I wouldn't want to try to find anything there, he has his own system of filing!) ;-)

[ally_sc]

4. It is so hard to communicate with md's sometimes

I am on neurontin 600mg 4xaday, and ultram at night before i
go to bed. gustafisien (sic) is in robitussin, but your doctor
can prescribe a pill form, and it is cheap. I remember hearing
about that on a message board one time a long time ago. i have
noticed when i have a cold my symptoms of the fibro are not
there or they are not as pronounced.  i forgot about that. i
will have to try it again.

[DemBones DemBones]

6. Interesting about the Robitussin. I'll write this down before

I talk to my PCP again.

[idiosyncratic]

10. I take Neurontin for my MCS.

I take 4800 mg. per day! It made a big difference in my life.

[deek]

9. Ultram?

Sounds like ultram, but it is not new. I take it--it helps buffer the pain if you take it as a preventative.

Check out www.immunesupport.com for latest research news. I believe they have a guai support board there also. I have never tried the guai therapy. There are mixed opinions on this, of course.

[LordshipLadyship]

11. maybe this one?

I have fibro, and polymyalgia, and I'm in a relapse stage, I hate it.:cry:
http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/ID/4041/e/1/T/CFIDS_FM/

[LordshipLadyship]

12. here's some more

http://www.immunesupport.com/articles/pastdrugnews.cfm?disease=Fibromyalgia

[bobthedrummer]

13. When all else fails there's always cannabis.

Works for me and I not only have fibromyalgia but also small fiber neuropathy, l+r carpal in wrists, spondylosis @L-3, a severe herniated disc @C-7, diverticulitis and other disabilities.

:smoke: