I Have Fibromyalgia And Have Heard About Gabapentin... Tell Me More...

myalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by chronic,altered GABA function. The excitatory/inhibitory
widespread muscle pain and tenderness, and isneurotransmitter balance acts as a master regulator
frequently accompanied by fatigue, insomnia,of the sensitivity of the nervous system.
depression, and anxiety. It affects three million to sixMany anticonvulsant drugs-drugs used to treat
million Americans, mostly women, and can beepilepsy- lead to an increase in GABA signaling by
disabling.inhibiting firing. Derivatives of the common
The precise cause of fibromyalgia in not known, butanticonvulsant valproic acid (Depakote) alter levels of
research suggests it is related to a problem with theGABA in the brain. Tiagabine (Gabitril) and progabide
central nervous system’s processing of pain.(Gabrene) are also agonists of GABA receptors,
As with some other chronic pain conditions, peoplemeaning they bind to and activate these receptors
with fibromyalgia often develop a heightenedwhich are located on neurons (nerve cells). This is
response to stimuli, experiencing pain that would notalso the mechanism of action for benzodiazepines,
cause problems in other people. Yet, unlike manysuch as clonazepam (Klonapin).
other pain syndromes, there is no physical evidenceLyrica and Neurontin, are GABA analogs, meaning
of inflammation or central nervous system damage.they resemble GABA enough to function the same
As mentioned above, the current theory regardingway in the nervous system.
the reason fibromyalgia causes its symptoms is thatIn a recent double-blind study sponsored by the
there is hypersensitization of the central nervousNational Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal and Skin
system. Pain signals are transmitted more frequentlyDiseases, researchers found that those taking
than they should be.gabapentin at dosages of 1,200 to 2,400 mg daily for
Recently, anticonvulsant drugs such as gabapentin12 weeks displayed significantly less pain than those
(Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) have been used totaking placebo. Patients taking gabapentin also
reduce the level of this excess firing.reported significantly better sleep and less fatigue.
Neuronal activity in the brain can be modified by theFor the majority of participants, the drug was well
presence of excitatory or inhibitorytolerated. The most common side effects included
neurotransmitters, which exist in balance in thedizziness and sedation, which were mild to moderate
nervous system. The ratio of these chemicalsin severity in most cases.
determines how likely it is that a neuron will fire. TwoAlthough gabapentin has little, if any, effect on acute
major excitatory neurotransmitters are amino acids:pain, it has shown a robust effect on pain caused by
glutamate and aspartate. Two main inhibitorya heightened response to stimuli related to
neurotransmitters are glycine, another amino acid, andinflammation or nerve injury in animal models of
GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), a derivative ofchronic pain syndromes.
glutamate. The excitatory chemicals increase theRecent evidence also points toward a beneficial
charge of neurons, while inhibitory ones make theeffect also occurring from the use of Lyrica in FM.
neurons more negatively charged (less likely to fire).The dose required for effectiveness in fibromyalgia
When neurons fire, they release otherfor both gabapentin (Neurontin) as well as pregabalin
neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. This(Lyrica)is generally much higher than the dose
means that the decrease in serotonin levels oftenrequired for anti-seizure activity. This is particularly
seen in FM patients could possibly be a result oftrue for Lyrica.