EFFECT OF GAMMA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE ON PAIN, FATIGUE, AND THE ALPHA-SLEEPANOMALY IN PATIENTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA - PRELIMINARY-REPORT

Objective. To evaluate the effects of using a gamma-hydroxybutyrate (G HB) administered in divided doses at night in 11 patients previously d iagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM). Methods. Subjects completed daily dia ries assessing their pain and fatigue levels and slept in the sleep la boratory before and one month after initiating GPIB treatment. Polysom nographic recordings were evaluated for sleep stages, sleep efficiency and the presence of the alpha anomaly in non-REM sleep. Results. Ther e was a significant improvement in both fatigue and pain, with an incr ease in slow wave sleep and a decrease in the severity of the alpha an omaly. Conclusion. Further controlled studies are needed to characteri ze the clinical improvement and the polysomnographic changes we observ ed.