Are Opiates Right for Fibromyalgia?

When you're living with the constant, debilitating pain of fibromyalgia, it's natural to consider every possible treatment option—including opioid pain medications. After all, opiates are among the most powerful pain relievers available. But are they actually effective for fibromyalgia pain?

The answer might surprise you. Despite their potency for other types of pain, opiates are not recommended for fibromyalgia by major medical organizations—and there are important scientific reasons why.

Why Opiates Are Prescribed for Pain

Opioid medications like oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and tramadol work by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. They're highly effective for acute pain from injuries or surgeries, and for certain chronic pain conditions.

This effectiveness leads many fibromyalgia patients to ask their doctors for opioid prescriptions. The pain is real, severe, and interferes with daily life. It seems logical that powerful pain medication should help.

However, fibromyalgia pain operates through fundamentally different mechanisms than the types of pain opiates were designed to treat.