According to "Human Psychopharmacology," fibromyalgia sufferers describe ongoing pain or "aching all over" as the dominant symptom of their condition. Symptoms of headaches, numbness and tingling, itching, and pelvic pain accompany the pervasive tenderness in fibromyalgia. Stephen Stahl, a fibromyalgia researcher, describes the pain as coming from a neuropathic source. Neuropathic means the origin of the pain arises from the nervous system. The action of the drug Lyrica, or pregablin, works on neuropathic pain.
Brain Chemistry in Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia produces abnormalities of the pain processing system in the brain. The journal "Drugs" describes the chronic pain syndrome as one with an atypical method for handling pain in the extremities and the brain. Abnormal processing occurs as well in the stress response system in the body. Fibromyalgia researchers Michael Spaeth and Mike Briley describe the neuropathic pain possibly arising from the nerve pathways. The nerve pathways produce excess pain when the nerve signal goes out from the brain to the tissue and extremities. The brain appears to produce less serotonin, and blood samples show less serotonin in persons with fibromyalgia. This same problem with serotonin occurs in individuals with depression. Spaeth and Briley believe that low serotonin has a common effect in both fibromyalgia and depression and contributes to the pain in both conditions.
Actions of Lyrica
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases indicates that Lyrica works in the brain of fibromyalgia sufferers to treat the neuropathic pain. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Guideline Clearinghouse recommends dosages of 300mg to 450mg per day for treating the neuropathic pain of fibromyalgia. According to Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses, the Lyrica binds to calcium channels in the nervous system to reduce the release of neurotransmitters. The Lyrica quiets the nerve endings, blocks pain and reduces anxiety. Lyrica does not exert any action on the opioid receptors that work normally in response to narcotic medications to treat pain.
Side Effects of Lyrica
According to Stahl, Lyrica acts on the hypersensitive neurons. Blocking these neurons can also produce drowsiness. Further, investigations by Spaeth and Briley revealed dizziness, dry mouth, blurred vision, swelling and weight gain occurred with Lyrica. Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses describes suicide ideation occurring during therapy with Lyrica. When an individual plans to discontinue taking the medication, the drug guide recommends decreasing the drug over a week. If a person stops the drug suddenly, insomnia, nausea, headache and diarrhea may occur. The drug guide also recommends laboratory tests for platelet count and creatine kinase levels, as Lyrica may decrease platelet count and elevate creatine kinase.
References
- "Human Psychopharmacology"; The Psychiatrist Confronted With a Fibromyalgia Patient; Siegfried Kasper; 2009
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Fibromyalgia
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: National Guideline Clearinghouse: Management of Fibromyalgia Syndrome in Adults
- "Human Psychopharmacology"; Fibromyalgia-Pathways and Neurotransmitters; Stephen M. Stahl; 2009
- "Human Psychopharmacology"; Fibromyalgia; M. Spaeth and M. Briley; 2009
