TORONTO -- Sodium oxybate (Xyrem) relieved fatigue and disordered sleep associated with fibromyalgia in two phase III trials, a researcher said here.
Mean scores for daytime fatigue and nighttime sleep quality were improved substantially more with sodium oxybate than with placebo in the two trials, one conducted in the U.S. and the other in seven European countries as well as the U.S., according to Todd Swick, MD, of the University of Texas School of Medicine in Houston.
Pain scores and patients' global ratings of symptom severity were also reduced significantly, Swick reported in a poster session at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting.
He said the improvements in sleep and fatigue were what set sodium oxybate apart from current fibromyalgia drugs such as milnacipran (Savella) and pregabalin (Lyrica). In many patients, these drugs actually worsen sleep, Swick said.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Fibromyalgia/19635Hey there. I have started taking Savella for my fibro. I can't take the full dosage because I get horrible headaches and other side effects. So, I am on 25 mg twice a day. I do okay at that dosage. I have had a hard time sleeping for years. I was on Ambien way too long. I took myself off and now only use it now and then. I do wish I could find something, other than ambien, to help me get a good night sleep. Savella helps a little with the fibro but no effect good or bad on my sleep, so far that I can tell. Thanks for the info. It gives me something to think about.