Traditional pain relievers for fibromyalgia carry heavy side effects and are often ineffective. FDA-approved anticonvulsants such as Neurontin and serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are often prescribed with little benefit. The National Pain Foundation's large-scale 2014 survey of 1,339 fibromyalgia patients revealed that more than 60 percent of patients reported no improvements at all with these FDA-approved medications (1).

In constant pain, patients may also turn to traditional analgesics. These include over-the-counter medications like aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxyn, as well as prescription NSAIDs such as etodolac, nabumetone and Cox-2 inhibitors like Celebrex. However, acetaminophen-based products, as well as NSAIDs, can result in gastrointestinal bleeding and an increased risk of stroke.

Did you know over 100,000 patients are hospitalized each year for gastrointestinal complications from oral NSAIDs (2)?

To further complicate matters, use of these medications can disrupt the intestinal mucosal layer leading to “leakiness” which can heighten the immune response in the gut and disrupt microbial populations (3).

Numerous clinical trials, including rigorous randomized placebo-matched control studies, have all failed to show any positive clinical benefit for NSAIDs over placebo for the management of widespread pain associated with fibromyalgia (4).

A novel medical food known as Arthroben may offer a safer solution to peripheral pain in fibromyalgia and arthritic conditions. Medical foods are an FDA-regulated category of products intended for dietary management of diseases or conditions that have distinct nutritional requirements. Unlike drugs, medical foods must be Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).

Arthroben is a safe, effective, non-NSAID, anti-inflammatory formula offered in a highly absorbable powder free of flavorings and sweeteners. Its combination of nutrients works synergistically to reduce inflammation, stimulate connective tissue repair and increase joint mobility and function.

The main ingredient of Arthoben is flavocoxid which is a natural blend of the flavonoids baicalin and catechin. It has been shown to be as effective as Naproxen in managing knee osteoarthritis and produced improvement in 87% of patients. Flavocoxid is also a potent antioxidant agent by inhibiting oxidative stress pathways (5).

Summary of Effects

• Reduces inflammation by balanced inhibition of COX-1, COX-2, 5-LOX

• Offers potent antioxidant protection to reduce joint deterioration

• Increases mobility and function

• Stimulates joint repair, and provides nutritional building blocks for cartilage, ligaments, and skin

• Safe for patients on other medications (5,6).

Edit

Some concerns have been raised about liver toxicity with a similar flavocoxid product known as Limbrel. Published clinical trials of flavocoxid report rare instances of hepatotoxicity—suggesting an incidence rate of 0.011%. The manufacturer of flavocoxid has been transparent and provided clinical and biochemical features of 8 cases of clinically apparent liver injury and their results. Though extremely rare, these effects resolved themselves with discontinuation. It is unknown why a small group of people may experience liver injury, but it could be due to the green tea extract epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in the product; which has been speculated to cause liver injury in some in other studies.

Dark urine while using this product, should result in immediate discontinuation. In general, side effects are very rare and far less likely than those due to medications. Always work with a doctor.

References

1  FDAReg Watch. "Marijuana Rated Significantly More Effective in Treating Fibromyalgia Symptoms than FDA-Approved Drugs, Global Survey Finds." Press release, April 21, 2014.

2 Singh Gurkirpal, MD, Recent Considerations in Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Gastropathy, The American Journal of Medicine, July 27, 1998, p. 31S. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9715832

3  Bjarnason I & Takeuchi K. Intestinal permeability in the pathogenesis of NSAID-induced enteropathy. J Gastroenterol. 2009;44 Suppl 19:23-9. Epub 2009 Jan 16. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19148789

4  Brady, DM & Schneider, MJ. Fibromyalgia syndrome: a new paradigm for differential diagnosis and treatment. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2001 Oct;24(8):529-41. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11677554

5  Levy, RM et al. Efficacy and safety of flavocoxid, a novel therapeutic, compared with naproxen: a randomized multicenter controlled trial in subjects with osteoarthritis of the knee. Adv Ther. 2010 Oct;27(10):731-42. Epub 2010 Sep 15. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20845002

6  Bitto, A. et al. Flavocoxid, a nutraceutical approach to blunt inflammatory conditions. Mediators Inflamm. 2014;2014:790851. Epub 2014 Aug 24. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25242871