If you have fibromyalgia, you know that getting plenty of sleep and regular exercise are extremely important. While treatment options for the pain and fatigue of fibromalgia are limited, two recently available medications offer hope.

The treatment of fibromyalgia involves managing the symptoms. Drugs typically used include antidepressants, pain relievers, sleep medications, muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety agents, antiseizure medications, and medications used to control headaches.

Last spring, the FDA approved pregabalin (Lyrica) for the treatment of fibromyalgia. In clinical trials, Lyrica reduced pain of fibromyalgia better than placebo. This medication is also approved to treat neuropathic pain (pain from damaged nerves) in people with diabetes and pain in people who have had shingles (postherpetic neuralgia). It is also used to treat certain types of seizures.

Recently, results from a 12-week study reported in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism (Volume 56, page 1336) suggest that the epilepsy drug gabapentin (Neurontin) could offer some relief. The researchers randomly assigned 150 individuals with fibromyalgia to take gabapentin (1,200–2,400 mg) for 12 weeks or placebo (inactive) pills. They found that compared with placebo, gabapentin significantly reduced pain and fatigue and improved the quality of sleep, as measured by several standardized tests. In fact, more than 50% of the gabapentin group reduced their pain severity score by at least 30% compared with only 31% of those taking placebo.

Currently, the FDA has not approved gabapentin for the treatment of fibromyalgia. However since Lyrica has a similar mechanism of action, you could ask your doctor about trying it for your fibromaylagia pain and fatigue.