Studies suggest a new drug which may help fibromyalgia patients. Sodium oxybate, a drug approved for narcolepsy, is found to have positive effects on major symptoms of fibromyalgia.
What Is Sodium Oxybate
Sodium oxybate is an active ingredient in Xyrem, a drug approved by the FDA for the treatment in adult patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends sodium oxybate as a medication for all conditions approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and it has also been approved for use by the European Medical Assessment Agency as a supplemental remedy for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and sleep paralysis.
In patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy the most frequently reported adverse drug effects are dizziness, nausea and headaches. Experts who developed and led the system to produce sodium oxybate for treatment are worried about the prolonged daytime narcotics-related sleepiness and the potential for side effects.
Though abandoned in 2011, pain and other main symptoms have been shown to be treated since. Mechanisms targeted by flagship FM programs have also been shown to be dramatically improved.
