Fibromyalgia is a medical condition marked by muscle pain, accompanied by mood swings, memory problems, issues with sleep and feeling fatigue. This condition increases the pain you feel because it affects the way pain is processed in your brain, but be that as it may, there are ways to treat this condition.

Symptoms

The symptoms often manifest after an infection, injury, psychological stress, surgery or trauma. In some cases, the symptoms appear without any trigger. The studies also show that women are more susceptible to this condition than men. The most common symptom is a persistent ache coming from the muscles, and can affect different parts of your body. The most common locations are the inner knees, hips, the outer elbows and the upper chest.

The front of your neck, shoulder blades and back of the head are also frequent spots for fibromyalgia to manifest. In addition, the condition is accompanied by headaches, depression, anxiety or irritable bowel syndrome. Those afflicted with this condition often wake up feeling tired, and sleep can be interrupted by pain. What makes the condition worse is the fact that people afflicted with this condition are often saddled with various other sleeping disorders, which makes the ailment even worse.

When to Seek Medical Help

While this condition does not usually lead to complications, you should get medical attention if it has gotten to the point it is affecting your job or daily functions, and this condition can make a person feel irritable and contribute to stress. The exact cause is unknown, but it could be due to genetics as studies show it tends to run in the family.

The latest research also seems to indicate that it could be due to some sort of genetic mutation that makes you vulnerable to the disease. It’s because of this reason you should see a doctor, as he or she can help you determine the cause.

Treatment

There are several types of medications that you can take to treat fibromyalgia such as analgesics or antidepressants. One drug that may be prescribed to you is Lyrica, a medication formulated specially to treat fibromyalgia as well as nerve pain caused by spinal injury, and diabetic nerve pain. In addition, this medication can also be used to treat pain caused by shingles and partial seizures in adults. The drug is taken orally, with the maximum dosage 100 mg thrice daily.

This medication can treat the aforementioned conditions, but it must be pointed out that it can have serious side effects. Some of the more serious side effects are swelling of the mouth, face or lips and difficulty breathing. If you experience any of those symptoms, you should stop taking the medication and consult your doctor immediately. In addition, Lyrica, albeit in very few cases, can affect mood and behavior, so if a family member is taking this medication and undergoes a sudden change in behavior, contact a doctor immediately. However, those severe symptoms are quite rare and usually do not affect the majority of people taking the drug.