Drugs of today
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Review
Available therapies and current management of fibromyalgia: focusing on pharmacological agents.
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic medical condition characterized by physical, psychiatric and psychological symptoms. Widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, heightened sensitivity, morning stiffness, decreased volition, depressed mood and a history of early abuse are frequently reported by patients with FM. Treatment of fibromyalgia is multidisciplinary, with an emphasis on active patient participation, medications, cognitive-behavioral therapy and physical modalities. ⋯ Although nonpharmacological modalities are also frequently used, recent research has focused on identifying more effective pharmacological treatments, particularly antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Furthermore, several new pharmacological agents have been now officially approved for the treatment of patients with FM. Thus, the purpose of this review is to help healthcare professionals make informed decisions about the appropriate use of a number of pharmacological treatments for patients with FM.
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Vilazodone hydrochloride belongs to a new class of antidepressants-the indolalkylamines-and has dual activity as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and as a partial agonist of the serotonin 5-HT(1A) receptor. Its antidepressant activity has been demonstrated in two 8-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials and in a 1-year open-label study. ⋯ The most common adverse events were diarrhea and nausea, although these were mild to moderate in severity and rarely a cause for discontinuation. No important clinical changes in vital signs, laboratory values, ECG morphology and sexual function were observed or reported.