Fibromyalgia Goes Pharmaceutical - Lyrica: Health Blog
In spite of the fact that up to 8 million people in this country suffer from symptoms of fibromyalgia, many in the medical community insist that the disease does not exist -- except in the minds of the "hypochondriacs" whom it affects. In fact, even the person mainly responsible for defining fibromyalgia as a disease, Dr. Frederick Wolfe, has now altered his position to claim that fibromyalgia is simply a reaction to stress. The reason for all this denial centers around the fact that the disease offers little that physicians can observe or measure -- patients complain about experiencing acute pain all over their bodies as well as profound fatigue -- but lab tests yield nothing.
The symptoms associated with fibromyalgia include:
- Multiple tender areas (muscle and joint pain) on the back of the neck, shoulders, sternum, lower back, hips, shins, elbows, and knees
- Fatigue
- Sleep disturbances
- Body aches
- Reduced exercise tolerance
- Chronic facial muscle pain or aching
What causes fibromyalgia? No one knows for sure, although researchers have identified certain "risk factors," including:
- Sex. 85% of all fibromyalgia cases occur in women.
- Age. Fibromyalgia tends to develop during early and middle adulthood.
- People with sleep disorders, such as nighttime muscle spasms in the legs, restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea, have a higher incidence of fibromyalgia.
- Family history. You may be more likely to develop fibromyalgia if a relative also has the condition.
- Rheumatic disease. If you have a rheumatic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or ankylosing spondylitis, you're more likely to have fibromyalgia.
Leave it to the pharmaceutical industry to find a way to make money in the midst of all the controversy about the etiology of fibromyalgia. Yes, as reported in the New York Times, the pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, has launched an ad campaign to publicize its new fibromyalgia drug, "Lyrica." Does Lyrica treat fibromyalgia? Of course not! It merely suppresses nerve pain. But that doesn't stop Pfizer from publicizing the drug as the first step in getting fibromyalgia recognized as a real disease. Could it be that once fibromyalgia becomes acknowledged as a "real disease," more doctors will prescribe Lyrica to treat one of the disease's symptoms? Ah, but I'm just being cynical.
"For patient advocacy groups and doctors who specialize in fibromyalgia, the Lyrica approval is a milestone," says the Times article. Pfizer says it hopes that Lyrica and two other drugs that may be approved this year will legitimize fibromyalgia, just as Prozac brought depression into the mainstream. And, it seems that the FDA is on board. But this entire push to get Lyrica out there is stuff and nonsense. In these drugs, there is no understanding or treatment of fibromyalgia as a disease -- only isolated, unrelated symptoms. There is no attempt to treat underlying causes -- just isolated manifestations, causes be damned.
What can you do about fibromyalgia? As it turns out, quite a bit -- the same, in fact, as you do for any other systemic condition with multiple symptoms and multiple suspected causes. It's a perfect candidate for a Baseline of Health Program type approach.
- You have to clean out all of the toxins (heavy metals, xenoestrogens, chemical residues, etc.) that are poisoning your body. Anytime that you have a disease more prevalent in women than men, look to correct an estrogen imbalance caused by exposure to chemical estrogens.
- You have to provide all of the systems and cells in your body with the nutrients they require (vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, antioxidants, phytochemcials, etc.) for optimum vitality and regeneration.
- You're only as strong as your weakest link. Unlike what many marketeers pushing pills would like you to believe, there is no "magic bullet" to optimum health. You can be taking all the vitamins in the world, but if your body is loaded with mercury, it won't help.
Bottom line: You must do everything, and do it all at once. Fibromyalgia is a systemic disease with multiple unknown causes. Treat it that way by treating your whole body, and stay away from drugs like Lyrica. Oh, by the way, did I forget to mention that Lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions such as swelling of the face, mouth, lips, gums, tongue or neck; rashes, hives, blisters, and difficulty breathing? Truly an advance in the treatment of fibromyalgia.
:hc
Comments
you are so right on this jon, i'm a 42 yr old female who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 5mos ago. on my follow up visit to the rheumatologist she was ready to give me four presciptions! an anti-depresssant pill which she say's can block some of the pain, one to help me sleep, thou i don't have a problem with this yet. one to help with some fatigue and lyria! i told her i'm a stay at home mom with 3 young kids how would i funtion with all those pills? i told her i was going to do your detox program, she told me to let her know how it went at my next visit. also she say's there is a connection between low levels of vitamin D and fibromyalgia. i did test for low vitamin D. what do you think? well i plan to detox as soon as i get our income tax money!! can't wait to feel good again. thank-you for you wonderful website.
kathy
i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and CFS some years ago and i returned to good health under the guidance of God and a good holistic physician - for me it was very important to address systemic yeast, food sensitivities, low thyroid/adrenal, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, etc. - my spiritual beliefs also needed re-examining (I was challenged by a Tibetan medical practitioner who said "God does not permit the disease without first providing the cure.")
I have had Fibromyalgia since about my teens; I am now 34 years old. I was diagnosed with it when I was discharged from the Military. Since then I have researched and read as much as I can about the disease. I also have CFS or so I am told. Some days I can barely get out of bed, let alone walk up stairs. I have a high tolerance for pain and the main test they use for fibromyalgia is digital palpation to press a finger to points of the body to where the nail barely turns white. I go in to the Dr's office in pain and I am already keyed up to it, so getting them to accept that fact when they perform the test is like pulling teeth. I had one Dr. tell me “well I am only supposed to press until I see white in my nail and if that happens and you don’t respond then I can’t say you have sensation or advancement in that area’. I was prescribed wellbutrin for pain and depression, a few opiates, some sleeping pills. I am have never been a pill person and leery of using something to just ignore or block a sensation, have tried some of the pills, but when you take high doses of ambien or triazodone and cant sleep or only get 1 hour of sleep you know something is amiss. I could go on and on about my symptoms and pains but reframe for reasons of space.
Getting FM truly accepted as a mainstream disease would be a great thing, as I am sure many millions of people would not feel ostracized or that they have an underlying mental condition and hypochondriacs. However to get this recognition through the launch of new drugs is wrong on so many levels. Jon I applauded the work that you do and that you watch both sides of the fence of both mainstream medical and holistic, and people that speak out against them. Your reports are fair and balanced and the information you provide is educational and allows one to make an informative decision.
I am currently planning on taking action to take control of my body with knowledge gained from your site. I truly believe that we have it in us to heal ourselves if we but know the proper way to do so, and I think you’re on the right track to illuminate that way.
I will gladly share my experiences and how your information has helped with anyone interested.
There's some interesting research done by Dr Lowe, involving inadequate thyroid hormone regulation...apparently he is able to metabolically rehabilitate patients with a 75% effectiveness rate...however, this rate is not the same for individuals already on narcotics...just thought I'd mention this. I believe Jon Barron's Baseline for Health is definatley in order, because it's a full spectrum way of addressing health issues by helping the body to heal itself once it is given the ability to do so (detox of heavy metals, chemicals, supplementation with minerals and vitamins etc.) Great article!
I do not have fibromyalgia, but there is so much I see in descriptions of it that brings to mind symptoms of magnesium deficiency (muscle pain, sleep disturbances, restless leg syndrome...). I agree absolutely that "doing everything" is ideal, but magnesium is an easy thing to try that can yield very fast results in some situations.
I do not have fibromyalgia, but there is so much I see in descriptions of it that brings to mind symptoms of magnesium deficiency (muscle pain, sleep disturbances, restless leg syndrome...). I agree absolutely that "doing everything" is ideal, but magnesium is an easy thing to try that can yield very fast results in some situations.
Jennifer:
I'm a big fan of magnesium. http://www.jonbarron.org/barron_reports/04-01-2003.php. For most people, it's far more important to supplement with magnesium than calcium. However, I think you will find that supplementing with magnesium will not work as a magic bullet solution for fibromyalgia. It's certainly worth doing, and may indeed help lessen some of the symptoms, but fibromyalgia is more complex than a simple vitamin deficiency.
Yes, absolutely. I only meant to suggest that it might, as you say, alleviate some of the symptoms...a "low-hanging fruit" approach. For someone who is suffering, feeling a little bit better can help provide the strength and motivation to make some of the harder changes. Thanks for your response.
Fibromyalgia often mimics symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis. For sure, a wide variety of different nutrients one could be deficient in could be the cause. And, then there is the possibility of chronic dehydration, to the point that joints are not being lubricated, brain tissue is affected, and body energy is depleted. Everyone should read "Your Body's Many Cries For Water" by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj M.D. Water should be considered a cure for fibromyalgia, and so much more! www.mywater4life.com
Brenda:
Yes, dehydration could be a contributing factor. That issue is covered, of course, in Chapter 11 of "Lessons from the Miracle Doctors." You can download a free copy on this site -- or listen to it -- at http://www.jonbarron.org/book/book.php. Again, when it comes to fibromyalgia, you need to do it all -- all at once. Don't look for magic bullets.
This is all very interesting to me as I was originally told I had Ebstein Barr when I was 14 in 1982. Then I was told I had chronic fatigue. When I was around 19 I was told that I had this new thing alternative doctors were discovering called Fybromyalgia. Most doctors never heard of it and many would laugh at me if I told them this was what I was diagnosed with. Around the same time my thyroid completely shut down. I began joining local Fybro support groups and reading every book I could get my hands on. I had 2 babies in 2 years and I got really sick. Everything just started shutting down. One thing I must say is all the books, experts ,doctors and support groups just got me more confused and more angry. I finally ended up walking with a cane and mostly bed ridden and convinced that the doctors were right that it was in my head. But the only thing that was actually in my head was common sense and still some intelligence. And after over 20 years of observing myself and others I came to the conclusion that this was more of a symptom than a diagnosis. So I took control of my own health and started at square one-my diet first and I have slowly worked through caring for my "whole body" I got to the point of having almost no symptoms. Then I had a series of heavy stresses and a change of circumstances which made it difficult to take as good of care of myself and I have had a reoccurance of many of my symptoms.
For whatever this is all worth, I know what I have learned is similar to what I am hearing through the information from Jon.
And I truly believe that you cannot treat each person with Fybromyalgia with the same treatment. I believe each person is suffering for different reasons.
I'm no expert but I should be. :)
My biggest problem is I have a daughter that is sicker than I am so I put most my money and energy on trying to help her first. So I do my best.
I am also one of many people suffered much pain of Fibromyalgia. I went from doctor to doctor to look for answers regarding my condition. It's really difficult to lead a normal life having this kind of illness and others even doctors thinking I'm crazy.
Treating fibromyalgia is difficult because each patient is different, and many times the approach of each doctor is different. Considering the fact that, there is no known cure for fibromyalgia. But eating healthy food and having various of therapies can help them relief the pain. One effective way to cure Fibromyalgia is by having a massage therapy. Massage therapy is where a patient undergoes various massages that help relax the tensed muscles and then reducing the inflammation and pain.
Rid Fibromyalgia developed a comprehensive system for you to achieve fibromyalgia pain relief. This system includes many different approaches that includes diet, exercise, vitamins and supplements, acknowledging the benefits of acupuncture, and also educating yourself on the medications that may help you and those that you may be better served to not try at all. When you put all of these approaches together you can do away with much of the discomfort, fatigue, depression, and even anxiety that you feel right now. If you truly believe that you do not have to live this way you can use the information contained in this eBook to transform your life.
The Rid Fibromyalgia provides an eBook entitled “Heal the Body” that will teach you the best diet that will allow you to eat your way to wellness, it will also document which vitamins and supplements will target and reverse the illness, how to achieve pain relief through acupuncture, what exercises are safe and will work, and what type of medications may make you sicker, and what will work. This eBook takes a step by step approach in showing you how to rid yourself of the pain naturally so that you can take back your life.
Rid Fibromyalgia helps people suffering from Fibromyalgia or has symptoms of Fibromyalgia to enjoy life pain free. It teaches simple techniques on how to detox, rejuvenate, maintain, and live a life free of this debilitating syndrome.
I too have been labeled as having fibromyalgia. To say the least the last 5 years have been frustrating. I developed a dependency to pain killers, which I had to kick on my own, and then convince my doctor to never give me them again! He instead injected my back 6 times with Kenalog, a steroid, last month, which has left me with a face full of extreme acne and I have been gaining a lot of weight. What I would love to know, is HOW to detox, and exactly what program is best, and which vitamins and minerals to get. I have lyrica, I have sleeping meds, migraine meds, depression meds, anxiety meds...I would love to drive by the doctors office and throw them all out the window! I had never even taken a tylenol until my car accident in 2003, and now I am out almost $500 a month in pills! So if someone could tell me a detox program that works, I would be game to try. But I also don't want to hurt myself...I think I have let my doctor do enough of that.
Gretchen
Everything you want to know about detoxing can be found at www.jonbarron.org/detox_center/detox_center.php. And all the information is free.