Medications used for Fibromyalgia

There is no best or safest treatment for fibromyalgia.

It is hard to predict what will be helpful for each person.

In some people, a combination of medicines, may be more effective.

Here is a list of the types of medications most often used to treat fibromyalgia:

1. Analgesics: commonly called pain killers. They include aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), corticosteroid anti-inflammatories like prednisone and dexamethasone, opioids such as codeine, oxycodone, morphine and fentanyl and tramadol, a narcotic-like opiate agonist.
2. Anti-anxiety Medications
3. Antidepressants including including amitriptyline, fluoxetine and duloxetine.
4. Anti-convulsants including gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica)
5. Sleep Modifiers
6. Muscle Relaxants such as cyclobenzaprine.

In some people, a combination of medicines, may be more effective.

Medication is just one of options to treat fibromyalgia and many people find some relief from alternative treatments like massage, Ayurvedic Treatment, movement therapies (such as Pilates, the Feldenkrais method and yoga) homeopathy and acupuncture.

You may be interested in More indepth information on medications.