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Freedom From FibromyalgiaYour Complete Guide To Pain Relief |
Treating Fibromyalgia with guaifenesin
Fibromyalgia can be an extremely frustrating illness. The chronic pain and other debilitating symptoms often compel fibromyalgia patients to try new, sometimes unconventional, medications. An unconventional, and controversial, new treatment of fibromyalgia is guaifenesin.
Guaifenesin is most commonly found in over-the-counter cold medicines, such as Robitussin, and is used to lessen congestion of the chest that results from a cold. However, guaifenesin is also being considered, at least by some, as a bona fide way of combating fibromyalgia. By taking guaifenesin, fibromyalgia patients, to some extent, are seeing a reduction in their symptoms.
Dr. R. Paul St. Amand, a researcher and professor of medicine at UCLA in California, was the first to experiment with guaifenesin in treating fibromyalgia patients. Believing that fibromyalgia is caused by too much phosphate in the body, Dr. Amand concluded the way to rid fibromyalgia patients of the phosphate was to take guaifenesin. By taking guaifenesin, fibromyalgia patients thus experienced an alleviation of their symptoms.
Amand found some in the medical community agreed with him, particularly because guaifenesin, in lower doses, can relieve pain and muscle spasms. To date, there have been several studies conducted to test Dr. Amand’s claims of fibromyalgia responding to guaifenesin for fibromyalgia.
Dr. Robert Bennett, in 1996, released findings from his yearlong study in which half of the study’s participants took guaifenesin for fibromyalgia while the other half were given a placebo. The results showed that by taking guaifenesin, fibromyalgia patients’ had no changes to their phosphate levels. Their symptoms, like those of the placebo group, also showed no improvement.
Still, there are those fibromyalgia patients, who have taken guaifenesin and will attest that the drug has, indeed, alleviated their symptoms. Of course, while guaifenesin for fibromyalgia is controversial, there are still doctors who subscribe to the belief that it does work. If you and your doctor agree that trying guaifenesin is the right move for you, you’ll want to discuss potential side effects.
By taking guaifenesin, fibromyalgia patients sometimes face side effects, including dizziness, headaches, nausea, rashes, and vomiting. More severe side effects, which might require immediate medical attention, may include hives, swelling of the facial extremities, and swelling of the throat.
According to Dr. Amand, by taking guaifenesin fibromyalgia patients will have their body rid of the fibromyalgia, which will be evident in an alleviation of symptoms and patches along the body. These patches – not to be confused with hives or rashes – are creating a body map.
This body map pinpoints each of the areas, including size, of both the tender points and where muscles spasms have occurred. The patches are to be expected and, according to Dr. Amand, they will eventually disappear as the fibromyalgia symptoms disappear. Taking guaifenesin, fibromyalgia patients have found the patches are much easier to handle than the chronic pain of their illness.
Furthermore, Dr. Armand believes that once you start guaifenesin for fibromyalgia, you must take it for the rest of your life, or else your symptoms will return. Additionally, he points out that, when on guaifenesin for fibromyalgia, you must not take aspirin or herbal medications. Additionally, it is detrimental to use skin creams and those products with aloe or other herbs.
Finally, Dr. Armand claims that he’s had patients taking guaifenesin for fibromyalgia for more than three decades, all with a high level of success. He also notes that the dose of your guaifenesin will be determined by how your body responds to the drug. Doses can be as low as 300 milligrams, taken two times each day. The maximum daily dose cannot exceed 3600 milligrams.
While guaifenesin for fibromyalgia is a controversial route to take, you may want to consider it. Start by talking to your doctor. Never just go to the pharmacy and start taking cough syrup. Rather, you want a professional doctor, preferably someone who believes that guaifenesin is a legitimate treatment for fibromyalgia,
Even if taking guaifenesin works for your fibromyalgia, keep in mind that the guaifenesin is simply a way to help you feel better: It is not a cure. Make sure you discuss the pros and the cons with your doctor, including any concerns you may have. Taking guaifenesin fibromyalgia patients’ symptoms may be alleviated or they may not; it depends on how the body reacts to the medicine.
Ultimately, the decision to take guaifenesin for fibromyalgia is yours alone. Take as much time as you need, after talking with your doctor, to consider your options. And, if you take guaifenesin for your fibromyalgia, make sure your doctor closely supervises your use of it.
© Health Research Today
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