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Logo of neurodistJournal URL: redirect3.cgi?&&auth=0LWUjHf5Rhim6OwjmnvWx0Dr1O_s6KWELVDMPHkBH&reftype=publisher&article-id=2646648&issue-id=176918&journal-id=503&FROM=Article|Banner&TO=Publisher|Other|N%2FA&rendering-type=normal&&http://dovepress.com/articles.php?journal_id=67
Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2008 December; 4(6): 1193–1201.
PMCID: PMC2646648
New treatment options in the management of fibromyalgia: role of pregabalin
Grazyna Zareba
Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
Correspondence: Grazyna Zareba, Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 575 Elmwood Ave., Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, USA, Tel +1 585 275 0795, Fax +1 585 256 2591, Email grazyna_zareba/at/urmc.rochester.edu
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common, chronic pain disorder with unknown etiology, characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tenderness, and accompanied by several other symptoms such as sleep disturbance, fatigue, and mood disorders. Pregabalin is the first drug approved for the treatment of FM. Pregabalin has analgesic, anticonvulsant, and anxiolytic activity and has earlier demonstrated efficacy in the management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, and as adjuvant therapy for adult patients with partial onset seizures. Pregabalin, a lipophilic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analog, is α2δ-1 ligand that binds to, and modulates, voltage-gated calcium channels. This modulation is characterized by a reduction of the excessive neurotransmitter release that is observed in certain neurological and psychotic disorders. Several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have demonstrated that pregabalin has been effective in pain management, improving sleep quality and fatigue, as well as in several domains of health related quality of life. Because of mild to moderate adverse effects it can be considered a well-tolerated therapy for FM.
Keywords: fibromyalgia, pregabalin, GABA analog, fibromyalgia treatment