Does Pregabalin (lyrica) relieve pain in Fibromyalgia? Part
1
Lyrica is widely prescribed for patient with fibromyalgia,
but does it work?
So far most studies have shown symptomatic pain relief at
all doses of pregabalin when it was compared to the sugar pill. Further,
patients with fibromyalgia also showed global mood improvement, and reported
good sleeping scores. The two most common side effects of the drug observed in
some patients were dizziness and sleepiness. These side effects were more
common with higher doses of the drug.
The drug is relatively safe and does work in a significant
majority of patients. However, one should be aware that Lyrica does not come
cheap. The average cost for a 150 mg pill taken three times a day for a month
ranges from $175-$250.
Final point: Many of these studies were sponsored by the
manufacturer of the drug and doctors were paid big money to conduct the
studies- so one wonders if all the positive results are all fudged or real?
