Metformin found to alleviate pain in people with fibromyalgia

[DCUK NewsBot]

The type 2 diabetes drug metformin could be used to reduce the pain of fibromyalgia, researchers have said. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain all over the body, and is one of the most common conditions causing pain and disability. A team from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have been investigating how to treat people with the condition and found that metformin, which targets insulin resistance, helped dramatically reduce the pain. Metformin is prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes to help lower blood glucose levels, and has also shown benefits, or potential, in helping people with other conditions including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and some cancers. The researchers believe their findings could lead to a pioneering change in how chronic pain is treated in the future, potentially saving billions in painkillers. Using the HbA1c test, a common blood test that is used to diagnose diabetes, the researchers also found they were able to use the test to also identify fibromyalgia. Previous work have found links between insulin resistance and brain dysfunction, but a potential association with fibromyalgia has not been widely explored. Lead researcher Dr Miguel Pappolla, professor of neurology, said: "We showed that most - if not all - patients with fibromyalgia can be identified by their HbA1c levels, which reflects average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months." Despite extensive research the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, so there's no specific diagnostics or therapies for this condition other than pain-reducing drugs. "Considering the extensive research on fibromyalgia, we were puzzled that prior studies had overlooked this simple connection. The main reason for this oversight is that about half of fibromyalgia patients have HbA1c values currently considered within the normal range. "However, this is the first study to analyse these levels normalized for the person's age, as optimal HbA1c levels do vary throughout life. Adjustment for the patients' age was critical in highlighting the differences between patients and control subjects." The findings appear online in the journal PLOS One.

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[Kittycat_7_]

Many are being wrongly diagnosed with fibromyalgia when they have other more serious inflammatory conditions.
I tried Metformin it did nothing for my chronic pain, made me feel very ill.

 

[lucylocket61]

could be that inflammation from high or borderline sugars were triggering pain?

 

[ickihun]

Many are being wrongly diagnosed with fibromyalgia when they have other more serious inflammatory conditions.
I tried Metformin it did nothing for my chronic pain, made me feel very ill.

Metformin doesn't work unless taken longterm so the immediate affect must be related to something in the tablet makeup rather than the drug effect.
Sometimes changing meal time or additional liquid can change the digestive balance. More talcing powder in your diet? All tablets hv some in their formula.

 

[ickihun]

I'm no fibromyalgia expert but I've noticed huge pain sensitivity started around the same time as when I could no longer tolerate metformin.
However, what changed so I could no longer tolerate metformin? I'm told my age. High proportion of health experts say my age has changed my dynamics.
Could our DNA show the proof?
Ageing effects our strength to cope with illness etc.
We are living longer due to our availability of food. Or was.
Too much food is as bad as too little.
Could too much of the one same foods be causing fibromyalgia???
A restricted diet has relieved one problem for another.... for me.
Higher my carb intake the less need for 4hrly painkillers but weight gain and more weightbearing pain? Double edged sword.

 

[ickihun]

Ps. I've had decades of high IR but only been a painsufferer since changing to lower carbs within last 5yrs . True, unfortunately.
It may just be coincidence with ageing process and 2 kids nourished by my previous nutritiously fed skeleton. Courtesy of my hard working father.
Change will tell the full picture.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

I have said it before and I will say it again. I will start taking Merformin again when they prove that it fixes teeth. It proved pretty useless for me.

 

[Kittycat_7_]

could be that inflammation from high or borderline sugars were triggering pain?

The pain started in my childhood when my sugars were normal.
Thank you however