Many physicians/scientists, the same ilk that denied the existence of FMS/CFS for years, are now moving to have research into alternative therapies (i.e. therapies not in the traditional Western/allopathic realm) cut back or eliminated from federal funding. As one who healed from fibromyalgia entirely through alternative therapies this is not a surprise but it certainly is not welcome. Alternative medicine threatens organized medicines control, and thus their own funding pursuits.

Scientists oppose federal funds for alternative medicine research

By David Brown
The Washington Post
Monday, March 23, 2009
The impending national discussion about broadening access to health care, improving medical practice and saving money is giving a group of scientists an opening to make a once-unthinkable proposal: Shut down the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health.
The notion that the world’s best-known medical research agency sponsors studies of homeopathy, acupuncture, therapeutic touch and herbal medicine has always rankled many scientists. That the idea for its creation 17 years ago came from a U.S. senator newly converted to alternative medicine’s promise didn’t help.

Although NCCAM has a comparatively minuscule budget and although it is a “center” rather than an “institute,” making it officially second-class in the NIH pantheon, the principle is what mattered. But as NIH’s budget has flattened in recent years, better use for NCCAM’s money has also become an issue.
“With a new administration and President Obama’s stated goal of moving science to the forefront, now is the time for scientists to start speaking up about issues that concern us,”

Steven Salzberg, a genome researcher and computational biologist at the University of Maryland, said last week. “One of our concerns is that NIH is funding pseudoscience.”

At least we will be talking about alternative treatments in our next webinar……yours, Dr. Don

I know that many of you have tried neurontin-some with success and some with side effects. As this information from Johns Hopkins suggests neurontin can be very helpful for pain, fatigue, and improving sleep. If you decide to ask your doctor about whether you might be a candidate for Neurontin, or perhaps to give Neurontin another try try to start on the absolute lowest dose possible (true for all meds in we FMS/CFS sufferers)…..yours, Dr. Don

New Option for Fibromyalgia Treatment

If you have fibromyalgia, you know that getting plenty of sleep and regular exercise are extremely important. While treatment options for the pain and fatigue of fibromalgia are limited, two new medications offer hope.

The treatment of fibromyalgia involves managing the symptoms. Drugs typically used include antidepressants, pain relievers, sleep medications, muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety agents, antiseizure medications, and medications used to control headaches.

Last spring, the FDA approved pregabalin (Lyrica) for the treatment of fibromyalgia. In clinical trials, Lyrica reduced pain of fibromyalgia better than placebo. This medication is also approved to treat neuropathic pain (pain from damaged nerves) in people with diabetes and pain in people who have had shingles (postherpetic neuralgia). It is also used to treat certain types of seizures.

Recently, results from a 12-week study reported in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism (Volume 56, page 1336) suggest that the epilepsy drug gabapentin (Neurontin) could offer some relief. The researchers randomly assigned 150 individuals with fibromyalgia to take gabapentin (1,200-2,400 mg) for 12 weeks or placebo (inactive) pills. They found that compared with placebo, gabapentin significantly reduced pain and fatigue and improved the quality of sleep, as measured by several standardized tests. In fact, more than 50% of the gabapentin group reduced their pain severity score by at least 30% compared with only 31% of those taking placebo.

Currently, the FDA has not approved gabapentin for the treatment of fibromyalgia. However since Lyrica has a similar mechanism of action, you could ask your doctor about trying it for your fibromaylagia pain and fatigue.