Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by fatigue and widespread pain and tenderness throughout the body. While anti-seizure drugs, pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications may provide some relief of symptoms, a review published in the January 2009 issue of "JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association" finds that several antidepressants may also help to relieve pain and/or other key symptoms like sleep disturbances, fatigue and depressed mood in some people.
Duloxetine
Duloxetine is the only antidepressant medication currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Duloxetine is a type of antidepressant known as a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) that works to increase levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. The January 2009 review published in "JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association" finds that duloxetine successfully helps to relieve pain, sleep disturbances and depressed mood in some people with fibromyalgia. It does not, however, significantly reduce symptoms of fatigue.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a popular class of antidepressants that influence the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin found in the brain. Dr. Winfried Dr. Häuser and fellow German researchers report in their January 2009 review that SSRIs such as fluoxetine and paroxetine produced small but significant improvements in pain and depressed mood among those with fibromyalgia; however, they were not beneficially in treating symptoms of fatigue and sleep disturbances.
Amitriptyline
Amitriptyline is drug that is part of the class of tricyclic antidepressants--a relatively older class of antidepressants that boosts the amount of serotonin, norepinephrine and, to a lesser degree, dopamine in the brain. The effectiveness of amitriptyline in treating fibromyalgia symptoms was summarized in the 2009 "JAMA" review. While no significant improvement in depressive symptoms was found, the authors found that low doses of the drug were not only effective in treating pain, but also fatigue and sleep disturbances. These improvements were the largest achieved across all classes of antidepressants evaluated in the review.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are an older class of antidepressants believed to increase the amounts of neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine in the brain. Dr. Häuser and colleagues examined the effects of MAOIs such as moclobemide and pirlindole on fibromyalgia and determined that, while they are significantly effective in treating pain, they are not effective against other common symptoms related to the condition. Therefore, MAOIs are not the best sole treatment choice for those needing help for symptoms related to sleep, depression or fatigue.
