What You Need To Know About Duloxetine For Fibromyalgia

Advertisement

How Does Duloxetine Help Fibromyalgia?

Researchers believe that neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and serotonin play a role in analgesia in chronic pain. Hence, by increasing the levels of norepinephrine and serotonin, SNRIs like duloxetine can help to reduce pain.

However, it is still unclear exactly how duloxetine helps to reduce pain in fibromyalgia. This is partly because the cause behind fibromyalgia pain is still unknown. Many believe that fibromyalgia pain is due to abnormal changes in the nervous system causing nerve cells to fire signals along the pain pathways. Researchers suggest that duloxetine reduces fibromyalgia pain by calming down these pain signals.

As an antidepressant, duloxetine also helps to improve psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety in fibromyalgia patients.

Various clinical trials found evidence that duloxetine provided pain relief and increased physical function in participants. In a 2015 study, duloxetine appeared to reduce two pain types in fibromyalgia: hyperalgesia and allodynia. However, like most fibromyalgia medications, there are some who did not respond to the drug.

Advertisement
Join the Conversation

1 Comment

  1. says: Beryl Walker

    I had it for approx 12 years it was good at first it helped with my migrating pain and kept me in work. Then the side effects began with my eyes the pressure went to the limits and I was getting blurred vision. I had to stop it the side effects were horrendous for 3 months and more. After being off it for 12 months I realised that a lot of illness I had and used to think was Fibro. Vanished.

Leave a comment
Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *