Cymbalta effective in treating FMS pain

[Thomas]

The antidepressant duloxetine (Cymbalta) appears effective in treating pain and improving quality of life compared to placebo in women with fibromyalgia, researchers said on February 23rd at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Management

http://www.immunesupport.com/library/bulletinarticle.cfm?ID=7037

[minstrel]

If you have any of those conditions and your doctor isn't aware of them, might I suggest you find a new doctor?

[tina]

Some caution need to be taken before taking Cymbalta. Consult your doctor and tell him if you suffer from any of the following conditions:
      · liver disease;
      · kidney disease;
      · narrow angle glaucoma;
      · diabetes;
      · alcoholism;
      · high blood pressure;
      · seizures; or
      · mania  
 If you have any of the above conditions, you may not be able to take Cymbalta, or your doctor may need a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment.

[c1sissy]

Wow David, if this is true, this could be great for pwfms! Thanks for sharing this with us!  

[minstrel]

Lilly Antidepressant Effective in Treating Pain
Sun Oct 17, 2004

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co.'s new antidepressant Cymbalta was shown in a small clinical trial to be effective in reducing pain in women suffering from fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder that causes widespread pain in the muscles and soft tissues, researchers said.

The results of the 12-week study of 354 women, who took either Cymbalta once or twice a day compared with those taking a placebo, are scheduled to be presented later this week at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Texas.

Fibromyalgia affects about six million Americans, most of them women, Lilly said.

More than half of the patients treated with 60 milligrams of Cymbalta responded to treatment after 12 weeks, compared to one third of those taking sugar pills, researchers said.

They said 44 percent of patients taking Cymbalta reported a sustained reduction in pain compared with 19 percent taking a placebo.

Roughly one-third of the 354 women in the study received Cymbalta once a day, one-third took the drug twice a day and one-third received a placebo, a Lilly spokesman said.

The effect of both doses of Cymbalta on significant pain reduction was independent of the drug's effect on mood and the presence of major depression in patients, researchers concluded.

Cymbalta raises the level of two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine. Many scientists believe it is norepinephrine that is mainly responsible for the effect on pain.

In addition to treating depression, Cymbalta last month was approved by U.S. regulators for pain associated with nerve damage in diabetics.

Lilly has not yet said whether it planned to use data from the new study as a basis for seeking expanded approval for Cymbalta to treat fibromyalgia.