NEW ORLEANS —
It’s a painful condition that mostly strikes women in the prime of their lives. Decades ago there was a debate about whether fibromyalgia was a real condition, but now the medical community knows it is.
A decade and a half ago, Valerie Griffitt had to give up her profession as a registered nurse.
"Emotionally it was very depressing. It was, you kind of lose your identity. That’s what I went to school for," said Valerie Griffitt.
It started with knee surgeries and an autoimmune condition, but then she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
"A lot of ache and a lot of burn and a lot of upper neck and upper back shoulder, and then it started radiating into other joints as I aged," said Griffitt.
Valerie tries to control the pain through lifestyle.
"Acupuncture, massages, yoga, swimming, which I still have to perform. With COVID, a lot of it went out the window, and the inflammatory response just heightened," she added.
"There’s no cure. There’s symptomatic treatment through pain medication. They try and keep the symptoms at bay and give the patient a better quality of life," said Emergency Physician Dr. Patrick Dennis, of DelRicht Research.
Dr. Dennis is the Principal Investigator for a fibromyalgia clinical trial going on now at DelRicht Research. It’s against FDA rules to name the medication, but doctors are studying one that has long been on the market for another condition to see if it will also help people suffering from fibromyalgia.
"The people are desperate. And not only the pain, but it leads to sort of anxiety depression, mental fatigue, insomnia," Dr. Dennis explained.
Valerie decided to join the study. And you can too.
"I’d like to see research funnel into helping people with this disorder, because it’s hard to put an exact label for an exact medicine," said Griffitt.
And she’s hoping this will be the one.
The study is for men and women with fibromyalgia 18 to 65 years old. To see if you qualify or to sign up for the free study, see below. You will also be compensated for the study.
Summary:
- This is a Phase 3, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 14-week study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sublingual tablets taken daily at bedtime for the treatment of fibromyalgia.
- Total of 6 visits over 3 months/14 weeks.
- Compensation is $80.00 for the first and final visits and $60.00 for the visits in between.
Qualifications:
- Male or female 18-65 years of age, inclusive.
- Must have fibromyalgia
- Must not be diagnosed with any infections or inflammatory arthritis (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout)
- Must not be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia HIV or hepatitis
- No history of cancer in the last 5 years (skin cancer ok)
- Meds: Not taking anticonvulsant medications for seizures
- Willingness to use an electronic diary for daily questionnaires
To join and see if you qualify, fill out the web form here.
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