By Dr. Javier Rivera | Jul. 15, 2018 | Post in English

Most of the drugs we use to treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia act on the brain. All of them are chemical products that, in addition to producing the desired effect, also produce side effects. Therefore, the possibility that new symptoms appear or that some of the existing ones worsen is very high with these drugs.

Let’s look at some common examples to understand this process.

Benzodiazepines (diazepam, lorazepam, lormetazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, etc.) and hypnotics (zolpidem) are used to treat sleep disorders. After four weeks, it has been proven that they no longer improve sleep, and yet side effects begin to appear, such as changes in memory, concentration, absent-mindedness, lack of muscular response and frequent falls to the ground due to instability. As you can see, these side effects are the same as many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Another even more dramatic example occurs with the so-called major opioids (fentanyl, tapendadol, oxycodone, buprenorphine, morphine, codeine, etc.) and to a lesser extent –although it depends on the dose– with minor opioids such as tramadol, which is used for pain. With these drugs, even more important concentration disorders appear, such as muscle weakness, fatigue, digestive disorders, headaches, mood changes and in some patients, even increased generalized pain when the effect wears off. Again, all of these side effects are some of the symptoms that fibromyalgia patients have.

As if that were not enough, both groups of drugs produce dependency and when they want to be withdrawn, a withdrawal syndrome appears that further complicates the situation of the patients who take them.

With this I do not mean to say that drugs should not be used, but rather that we must be sure that they produce a benefit instead of harming the patient’s situation. A good measure is to take only those that are recommended, avoid those others such as those in the previous examples, and discontinue any drug with which there is no clear benefit. All this always under the control of the doctor who handles your case.