The top drug companies are following the dollar.  Look for your doctor to begin prescribing whatever pill Pfizer and Elly Lilly give them to push.  I don't know much about their drugs, but here are some excerpts from the Wall Street Journal:

"Pfizer and Eli Lilly, both of which now have drugs approved to treat fibromyalgia, are spending heavily on marketing to raise awareness of the disorder, whose very existence is debated in medical circles.

"As we’ve noted before, fibromyalgia is controversial. Despite being recognized as a disease by the FDA and insurers, the pain that marks the condition tends to be long-standing and vague. The cause is unknown, and there’s no lab test to guide diagnosis.

"Pfizer’s Lyrica and Lilly’s Cymbalta are approved to treat fibromyalgia. Both drugs, relatively new ones for both companies, are important replacements for blockbusters that have lost patent protection.

"Cymbalta’s fourth-quarter sales were up 15% to $721 million. Lyrica’s were up 25% to $702 million, a rise the company attributed in part to increased use of the drug for fibromyalgia."

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/02/09/pfizer-and-lilly-plow-marketing-money-into-fibromyalgia

It's certainly nothing against these companies, and I'm sure there is at least one good person somewhere, but if you read the whole article, you get the feeling that the dollar means more than the cure.

I personally have not used any of these medications.  I know of some friends that they have been of help, while others found some complications with other meds they were taking.  I would be interested to know your opinion.  Leave a comment and let us know.

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