MONDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Pregabalin may be added to reduce pain of fibromyalgia in patients who are taking antidepressants for comorbid depression, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, held from Oct. 25 to 30 in San Diego.
Lesley M. Arnold, M.D., of the University of Cincinnati, and colleagues conducted a randomized, two-way crossover, double-blind trial of pregabalin versus placebo in 197 patients (mostly white women; mean age, 50 years) with fibromyalgia who were receiving concurrent therapy with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor for depression.
The researchers found that the least squares mean pain score was significantly lower at the end of treatment with pregabalin (4.84) than with placebo (5.45). Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 77.3 percent of patients receiving pregabalin and in 59.9 percent of patients receiving placebo.
"The results of this study demonstrate that pregabalin is safe and effective in reducing fibromyalgia pain in patients who are also taking an antidepressant to treat their depression," Arnold said in a statement.
Several study authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, the manufacturer of pregabalin.
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