People's Pharmacy

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New Approaches To Treating Fibromyalgia

Posting Date: 09/29/2003

Doctors also prescribe antidepressants such as Doxepin or Desyrel, but in doses two or three times lower than those used to relieve depression. Taken at bedtime, these can help people sleep better.

Sleep expert Martin Scharf, Ph.D., recently published the results of his preliminary research on a different kind of medicine (J. Rheumatology, May 2003). He found that Xyrem, which is approved to treat the rare sleep disorder narcolepsy, helped fibromyalgia patients get the deep sleep they need. Treatment with this compound reduced fatigue and pain and improved cognitive function.

Xyrem is very tightly controlled. It is a form of GHB, a natural compound that has been used as a date rape drug. Consequently, access to this medication is limited.

For an up-to-date overview of Xyrem and fibromyalgia treatment, you may want to listen to a one-hour radio interview we recently conducted with fibromyalgia experts, including Drs. Wallace and Scharf. To order this CD, send a check for $15 to Graedons? People?s Pharmacy (#464); PO Box 52027; Durham, NC 27717-2027.

Fibromyalgia patients deserve to have their pain taken seriously and treated effectively. New understanding and therapies should help.

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Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Their newest book is "The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies (St. Martin's Press). In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com on the HealthCentral.com network.