While no clinical trial to date has specifically targeted fatigue , r and omized controlled trials , systematic review s , and meta-analyses indicate that treatment modalities studied in the context of other fibromyalgia symptoms could also improve fatigue .
Fatigue is a disabling , multifaceted symptom that is highly prevalent and stubbornly persistent .
Although fatigue is a frequent complaint among patients with fibromyalgia , it has not received the same attention as pain .
Reasons for this include lack of st and ardized nomenclature to communicate about fatigue , lack of evidence -based guidelines for fatigue assessment , and a deficiency in effective treatment strategies .
Fatigue does not occur in isolation ; rather , it is present concurrently in varying severity with other fibromyalgia symptoms such as chronic widespread pain , unrefreshing sleep , anxiety , depression , cognitive difficulties , and so on .
Survey-based and preliminary mechanistic studies indicate that multiple symptoms feed into fatigue and it may be associated with a variety of physiological mechanisms .
Pregabalin for the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE Fibromyalgia syndrome ( FMS ) is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and lowered pain threshold . Other prominent symptoms include disordered sleep and fatigue . FMS affects an estimated 2 % of the population , predominantly women . This trial was design ed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pregabalin , a novel alpha(2)-delta lig and , for treatment of symptoms associated with FMS . METHODS This multicenter , double-blind , 8-week , r and omized clinical trial compared the effects of placebo with those of 150 , 300 , and 450 mg/day pregabalin on pain , sleep , fatigue , and health-related quality of life in 529 patients with FMS . The primary outcome variable was the comparison of end point mean pain scores , derived from daily diary ratings of pain intensity , between each of the pregabalin treatment groups and the placebo group . RESULTS Pregabalin at 450 mg/day significantly reduced the average severity of pain in the primary analysis compared with placebo ( -0.93 on a 0 - 10 scale ) ( P < /= 0.001 ) , and significantly more patients in this group had > /=50 % improvement in pain at the end point ( 29 % , versus 13 % in the placebo group ; P = 0.003 ) . Pregabalin at 300 and 450 mg/day was associated with significant improvements in sleep quality , fatigue , and global measures of change .  Pregabalin at 450 mg/day improved several domains of health-related quality of life . Dizziness and somnolence were the most frequent adverse events . Rates of discontinuation due to adverse events were similar across all 4 treatment groups . CONCLUSION Pregabalin at 450 mg/day was efficacious for the treatment of FMS , reducing symptoms of pain , disturbed sleep , and fatigue compared with placebo . Pregabalin was well tolerated and improved global measures and health-related quality of life
While no clinical trial to date has specifically targeted fatigue , r and omized controlled trials , systematic review s , and meta-analyses indicate that treatment modalities studied in the context of other fibromyalgia symptoms could also improve fatigue .
Fatigue is a disabling , multifaceted symptom that is highly prevalent and stubbornly persistent .
Although fatigue is a frequent complaint among patients with fibromyalgia , it has not received the same attention as pain .
Reasons for this include lack of st and ardized nomenclature to communicate about fatigue , lack of evidence -based guidelines for fatigue assessment , and a deficiency in effective treatment strategies .
Fatigue does not occur in isolation ; rather , it is present concurrently in varying severity with other fibromyalgia symptoms such as chronic widespread pain , unrefreshing sleep , anxiety , depression , cognitive difficulties , and so on .
Survey-based and preliminary mechanistic studies indicate that multiple symptoms feed into fatigue and it may be associated with a variety of physiological mechanisms .