A study led by Dr. Roland Staud, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville, found that a common ingredient in cough syrup may be the next new hope in controlling pain of fibromyalgia patients. The cough suppressant, dextromethorphan, helped relieve pain by blocking a chemical messenger (NIMDA) from sending the brain pain signals.

Staud emphasized that those suffering from fibromyalgia and other chronic pain should not rush to their drugstores and buy all the cough medication available and then begin treating themselves, because there are side effects to dextromethorphan. Memory and confusion problems may come about after taking high doses of the medication.

Staud and his researchers are excited about the fact that dextromorphan showed promising results in reducing the pain of the women in the study and are hopeful that the medication will find its place in treating chronic pain in the future.

By Ellie Kuykendall