Mirapex

If you are suffering from the unbearable aches and pains of fibromyalgia syndrome

Growth Hormone Therapy

Much debate has gone on about the cause of fibromyalgia syndrome, and a number of theories as to its origins have been proposed. Recently, low growth hormone production has been pinpointed as a possible cause for the terrible fibromyalgia symptoms associated with the disorder. As a result, some fibromyalgia sufferers are now pursuing growth hormone therapy in order to reduce the intensity of their symptoms. If you are suffering from fibromyalgia syndrome and are interested in pursuing this treatment, read on to find out more about the ins and outs of growth hormone therapy.

What is Growth Hormone?
In order to grow, develop, and repair itself, your body produces a special hormone, called natural human growth hormone (GH). Everybody has this hormone; without it, we wouldn’t be able to grow in height, develop strength, or renew lost cells. GH is also responsible for other bodily processes, including managing metabolism. As you grow older, the amount of GH that your body produces will gradually decrease – this is why you see less growth, bone development, and energy as you age.

Some children are born with genetic disorders which limit the amount of GH they can produce. This lack of GH has astounding effects on their physical growth and development. It also causes symptoms that are very similar to those of fibromyalgia including: muscle weakness, chronic pain, fatigue, and hypersensitivity to the cold.

How Growth Hormone Works
GH is secreted in a special area of the brain, called the pituitary gland. In order to work its magic on your body, GH must travel to the bloodstream. A special hormone called growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) prompts the pituitary gland to release the GH into the bloodstream. The GH then travels through the blood until it reaches your liver. Once it reaches the liver, GH works to stimulate another hormone, called IGF-1. It is this hormone that actually does most of the repair work on your body. As levels of IGF-1 increase in your bloodstream, levels of GH begin to decline. Eventually, the whole process begins again.

Growth Hormones and Fibromyalgia
In the past ten years, it has been discovered that about 30% of all fibromyalgia sufferers have abnormally low levels of IGF-1 in their bloodstreams. Because GH is needed to produce IGF-1, this means that people with fibromyalgia also have very low levels of GH in their bloodstreams. It is theorized that this lack of GH may be the cause of many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia, including pain, muscle weakness, and fatigue. Because they don’t have adequate amounts of growth hormone, people with fibromyalgia just don’t have the resources to repair their bodies. As a result, they experience chronic and severe pain.

Treating Growth Hormone Deficiency in Fibromyalgia Sufferers
Now that growth hormone deficiency has been pinpointed in many fibromyalgia sufferers, various growth hormone therapies have been developed to help alleviate the symptoms of the illness.

Somatostatin Therapy
Some researchers believe that an excess of somatostatin causes the lack of GH in fibromyalgia sufferers. Somatostatin is a hormone that inhibits the release of GHRH. In order for GHRH to release GH, there must be low levels of somatostatin. For some reason, fibromyalgia patients seem to have too much somatostatin in their bodies, preventing the release of GH. Medications, such as the drug Mestinon, work to block the effects of somatostatin, allowing GH to be released. In studies, fibromyalgia sufferers who had taken Mestinon showed higher levels of GH and IGF-1 after just 6 months.

Human Growth Hormone Therapy
Human growth hormone therapy has proven highly effective in reducing the pain and suffering of many fibromyalgia patients. Numerous studies involving fibromyalgia patients and human growth therapy have been conducted. The majority of these studies show that patients report a significant reduction in symptoms after taking human growth hormone therapy for 9 months. Specifically, patients complained of less muscle weakness and morning stiffness. The number of tender points also dropped significantly.

As a result of these studies, human growth hormone is available in limited quantities to fibromyalgia sufferers. However, this type of therapy is extremely expensive, and usually costs between US$500 and $1000 monthly. Human growth hormone supplements are injected into the blood stream. Though generally safe, there are some side effects associated with human growth hormones. These include:

• hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• low thyroid function
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• enlargement of the heart or kidneys

Children should not take any type of growth hormone therapy unless advised by a health professional. Human growth hormone therapy has been linked with a rare disorder known as giantism. Giantism causes the body to grow at alarming rates, causing extreme health risks. Adults taking human growth hormone therapy should also be monitored by a health care practitioner.

Treating your fibromyalgia syndrome is an ongoing and sometimes frustrating process. There are so many different treatments available that it can be overwhelming trying to select the right one for you. Often, medications to relieve fibromyalgia symptoms cause unwanted side effects that are even worse than the pain itself. If you are having trouble finding an effective fibromyalgia medication, you may be interested in trying transdermal medications. These act fast to relieve stiff and aching muscles but cause fewer side effects than other types of medications.

What are Transdermal Medications?
Transdermal medications work differently than most other fibromyalgia medications. Instead of being taken orally, transdermal medications are applied to the skin. Over time, these medications penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream, providing fast and long-lasting relief.

There are a variety of different types of transdermal medications. You are probably already familiar with topical transdermal medications, simply referred to as “topicals”. These consist of creams, gels, and ointments that you apply to different areas of your skin. Topicals are available in both over-the-counter and prescription forms. The patch is a newer form of transdermal medication. Introduced in 1980, the patch works just like topicals – by releasing a steady stream of medicine into the body via the skin. Instead of coming in cream form though, these medicines are worn as a patch on the body.

How Transdermal Medications Work
Transdermal medications are all based on the same premise: they use the skin as a way of entering the body. The skin is actually your body’s largest organ. It is responsible for performing a variety of tasks to keep you healthy, including regulating body temperature and controlling fluid loss. The skin consists of many layers, which are interconnected by a network of blood vessels. As transdermal medications penetrate the skin, they slowly enter the bloodstream, providing steady relief of pain symptoms.

Transdermal medications also work by operating on nerve endings in your skin. Your skin is covered in miniscule nerve endings, which receive a variety of different messages about the environment around you. These nerve endings often receive pain messages, which are then sent to your spinal cord where they are amplified. Transdermal pain medications prevent these nerve endings from picking up on such pain signals.

Advantages of Transdermal Medications
Transdermal medications are rapidly becoming popular among fibromyalgia sufferers. This is because they offer numerous advantages that oral medications do not. Benefits of transdermals include:

• ease of application
• longer-lasting pain relief
• fewer side effects

Types of Transdermal Medications for Fibromyalgia Patients

Along with other medications and alternative treatments, transdermal medications can help you to achieve freedom from fibromyalgia pain.

Topicals
Topicals have long been used to treat fibromyalgia pain, but they are often overlooked as genuine pain medications. Here are some topicals to ask your health care provider about.

Zonalon Cream (5% Doxepin)
Zonalon cream contains the medication doxepin, which is a tricyclic antidepressant. It works to relieve pain by blocking sodium channels and NMDA receptors that are involved in sending and receiving pain messages. Zonalon cream also stimulates your body’s natural opioid receptors, enhancing pain relief. Studies show that fibromyalgia patients who used Zonalon cream experienced significant relief of muscle pain. Zonalon cream takes about 3 weeks to become effective. It can be applied up to 4 times a day. Side effects include: dry mouth, skin rash, headache, nausea, and drowsiness.

Menthol Creams
Menthol is often used in over-the-counter topical medications. Menthols works to block by pain by activating kappa opioid receptors in your body, providing natural pain relief. When applied, menthol creates a cool, tingling sensation, soothing the affected area. After a while, the menthol begins to warm up, providing relief from stiff muscles. When used over time, menthol actually increases your pain threshold. Possible medication side effects may include allergy and skin inflammation.

Transdermal Patches
Transdermal patches are relatively new to the medical world, but they have taken off in the past few years. They are less messy than topicals but provide the same pain relief. Here are some popular patches for fibromyalgia.

Fentanyl
The fentanyl patch, sold under the name Duragesic, is used to provide pain relief for up to 72 hours. It is an opioid pain relief medication and therefore recommended for use in those peole already using opiods therapy and have shown opiod tolerance. Fentanyl binds to receptors in the body encouraging pain relief. The patch takes about 12 hours to work, as the drug must build up in the bloodstream before it becomes effective. However, it can be worn safely for up to 72 hours. The fentanyl patch causes fewer side effects than oral opioids because it bypasses the stomach, eliminating nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. Possible side effects may include: dizziness, lightheadedness, weakness, and shortness of breath.

Lidoderm Patch (5% lidocaine)
The lidoderm patch releases a continuous supply of lidocaine, an anesthetic, into the skin. Lidocaine inhibits pain by blocking pain signals before they reach the brain. In recent studies, fibromyalgia sufferers using the lidoderm patch reported reduced pain symptoms and increased ability to sleep after just 3 weeks. Up to three patches can be applied within a 12 hour period. Possible side effects include skin irritation and swelling.

If you are part of the one-third of fibromyalgia patients that deal with depression, you may be prescribed antidepressants to help improve your mood. However, even if you do not have depression, you may still be prescribed antidepressants. Why? Because antidepressant medications can also help relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia.

What are Antidepressants?
Antidepressant medication is typically used to help relieve symptoms of depression. They work on different parts of the brain that control emotion, and help to change brain function so that people feel less depressed. There are three main classes of antidepressants: tricyclics (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Each class of antidepressant pills works on different areas in the brain in order to improve mood.

How do Antidepressants Help Treat Fibromyalgia?
Though antidepressant drugs are typically used to treat mood disorders, they have also proven effective in relieving the pain and sleep-related disorders of fibromyalgia. When people with fibromyalgia receive antidepressant prescriptions, it is typically in order to interrupt pain cycles and restore restful sleep. Antidepressants are prescribed in lower-than-usual doses in order to treat these symptoms.

Many people with fibromyalgia also suffer from depression. In these cases, antidepressant medications are prescribed in order to lift mood. However, regular doses of antidepressants are required in order to improve depression.

Types of Antidepressants Available
All three antidepressant types are available for treating fibromyalgia. You should speak with your health care provider in order to determine the best antidepressant for fibromyalgia. Each class is associated with different rates of effectiveness and have different antidepressant side effects.

Tricyclic Antidepressants(TCAs)
Tricyclic antidepressants are among the oldest antidepressants on the market. They work by acting on serotonin and norepinephrine, which are chemicals in the brain that help to transmit messages about pain and emotion. Low levels of these chemicals are associated with depression, fatigue and pain. TCAs work by slowing the breakdown of these chemicals. In low doses, tricyclics are also effective at reducing pain and facilitating restful sleep, both of which are helpful to fibromyalgia patients.

Studies show that TCAs are the best antidepressant drugs for people with fibromyalgia. About 32% of fibromyalgia sufferers experience relief with tricyclics. The most commonly prescribed TCA is amitriptyline; other tricyclics include doxepin, nortriptyline, and cyclobenzaprine. Though TCAs are highly effective, they are also associated with more severe side effects than other, new antidepressant medications. These side effects include: dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, fatigue, and low blood pressure. People with glaucoma, heart conditions, or seizure disorders should not take TCAs.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are one of the newer classes of antidepressants. They are widely prescribed for depression as well as a variety of other ailments. SSRIs work by stopping the breakdown of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which helps our brain to communicate pain signals and emotions. SSRIs are highly effective at reducing feelings of depression and anxiety.

SSRIs are used in fibromyalgia in order to improve sleep patterns. People with fibromyalgia often have disturbed sleep, which contributes to fatigue and persistent pain. SSRIs also help to bolster mood in fibromyalgia patients. Commonly prescribed SSRIs include: fluoxetine, paroxetine, and citalopram. SSRIs are not effective for pain relief and therefore are not used as often as TCAs. Recent studies show that SSRIs are most effective when used in combination with a TCA (for instance, fluoxetine and amitriptyline). Side effects of SSRIs are mild. This antidepressant’s drug side effects include nausea, weight gain, anxiety, loss of sex drive, and headaches.

Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitiors (SNRIs):
SNRIs are very similar to TCAs, as they work on both serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. However, SNRIs are better able to balance levels of both of these neurotransmitters, leading to fewer side effects. SNRIs are commonly prescribed to alleviate depression and boost energy.

SNRIs are used in fibromyalgia to relieve pain and disability. They are also beneficial for treating symptoms of depression. The most commonly prescribed SNRIs are duloxetine and venlafaxine. SNRIs are sometimes prescribed instead of TCAs because they tend to work faster and cause fewer side effects. Effects of this antidepressant medication include: indigestion, nausea, sexual dysfunction, and loss of balance. SNRIs are not recommended for people with heart conditions.

Just the name alone could put anyone off investigating this class of drug, but benzodiazepines aren’t as complicated as they sound. Benzodiazepines are a type of antidepressant. They are typically used to reduce symptoms of stress caused by generalized anxiety disorder.

However, benzodiazepines also have a number of other uses – they are used to help treat both sleep and pain-related disorders, and are often used as a type of fibromyalgia pain medication.

What are Benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines have been in use as an antidepressant since the 1970s, and currently 15 different types are available on the American market. There is some controversy about the use of benzodiazepines for treatment purposes, though.

Benzodiazepines are highly addictive and often cause symptoms of withdrawal if used for a lengthy period of time. However, benzodiazepines do have their merits, especially when taken as directed by your health care provider.

How do Benzodiazepines Work?

Benzodiazepines and the brain work together to produce fibromyalgia symptom relief. Your brain is made up of hundreds of chemical neurotransmitters, which relay messages about pain, emotions and other sensations.

Benzodiazepines help to ease pain by acting on these neurotransmitters, enhancing the amount of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), a type of neurotransmitter, in your brain. GABA works to calm down the brain, thereby minimizing pain and inducing a sleep-like state.

Effectiveness in Fibromyalgia

Benzodiazepine drugs have proven to be effective in minimizing sleep disorders in fibromyalgia sufferers. In particular, Clonazepam is effective at reducing restless leg syndrome, a common symptom of Fibromyalgia. However, benzodiazepines are only recommended for short-term use.

When taken for longer than two weeks, benzodiazepines used as fibromyalgia medication actually make sleep patterns worse, limiting the length of restorative deep sleep, and increasing the number of times you wake up each night.

Classes and Commonly Used Benzodiazepines

There are three classes of benzodiazepines, determined by the length of time that they act on your brain:

• short acting benzodiazepines: last for 2 to 10 hours
• medium acting benzodiazepines: last for 10 to 18 hours
• long acting benzodiazepines: last up to 32 hours

Long acting benzodiazepines provide longer relief, but are also more likely to produce addictive side effects.

There are a number of different types of benzodiazepines in each class used to relieve sleep disorders and other related symptoms of fibromyalgia. These include:

Temazepam

Temazepam is a popular short acting benzodiazepine that is often used to promote sleep and help fight anxiety. Temazepam is highly effective in treating insomnia in fibromyalgia patients as well as fighting feelings of depression. Sold under the brand name Restoril, Temazepam has been proven to decrease the number of times fibromyalgia patients wake up during the night. It also helps patients to fall asleep faster. Temazepam is only prescribed for short-term use and should not be taken if you are suffering from sleep apnea or if you are pregnant.

Lorazepam

Lorazepam is a medium acting benzodiazepine primarily used to reduce anxiety, and depression in fibromyalgia patients. Sold under the name Ativan, lorazepam is also very effective at combating insomnia and irritable bowel syndrome. Lorazepam is only indicated for short term use in fibromyalgia sufferers, due to the fact that it can cause habit formation. Generally, lorazepam is prescribed only for about 1 week. Do not take lorazepam if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Clonazepam

Clonazepam is a long acting benzodiazepine that helps to relieve chronic pain symptoms in fibromyalgia patients. Clonazepam can also be helpful in reducing anxiety and depression in people with the syndrome. Clonazepam does tend to cause more side effects than other benzodiazepines. Clonazepam, sold under the brand name Clonopin, should not be taken for more than 2 to 4 weeks, unless specified by your health care provider.

Benzodiazepine Side Effects

Every benzodiazepine is associated with some type of side effect. When combined with other antidepressants, sedatives, or alcohol, benzodiazepines can become toxic. Sometimes, benzodiazepines can cause severe side effects, including memory loss, confusion, and motor impairment.

There is also a high risk of habit formation with benzodiazepines. Be aware of the symptoms of benzodiazepine addiction, including the need to take extra doses or increased doses of your medication. Habit formation can result in severe benzodiazepine withdrawal.