Substance P, Fibromyalgia and chronic pain how are they linked?

Author: Barb Briley
Published on: Oct 30, 2001

Often I receive information from my members, subscribers and the medical professionals working to help me recover from Fibromyalgia. Sometimes I find the information provided not only helpful but also worthy of side comments here in our column.

Frequently my own Chiropractor, Dr. Navatnick supplies me with information from professional chiropractic magazines. These articles are filled with professional gobbly gook that I find interesting and revealing of some of the new studies being performed.

Most recently I was presented with 2 articles, the first of which is from the winter/fall of the ABS Newsletter, and the article written by David Sudderth, MD. (You will see a review of what the second article was in another article later in our column.)

Dr. Sudderth discusses in length the function of not only Serotonin but also the mystery Substance P. This substance is found only in the spinal column. Doctors believe it is an excess of Substance P enhancing our pain levels. Substance P has been shown to exist in higher levels in Fibros. The theory is that when found in higher levels Substance P as a neurotransmitter increases how we perceive pain. The higher the level of Substance P the more efficient our system is at pain transmission, it is that transmission which makes little pains feel horrible to Fibros. Perhaps then it would be advisable for the medical professionals to seek out a way to control substance P and reduce its presence in our system?

The answer is simple yet chemically complicated it is Serotonin. Some of us already know that Serotonin is vital to the chemical process of our brain and how it functions. Serotonin is involved in sleep, mood, and appetite. While some of us are on medications called Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or “SRI’S” we do not understand everything that can mean to our bodies. Recently with more research medical professionals are now talking about the influence of Serotonin when it comes to the control of Substance P. It seems that Serotonin is directly related to the control of the levels of Substance P.

Fibros as a group are asking what seems to be a simple question, why not change the Serotonin levels? It is not as simple as that, Serotonin, Substance P and the rest of the body’s chemistry is a complex chain and Serotonin production requires more than a simple pill to fix it.

Doctors begin to treat us by addressing the worst symptoms first. Pain, sleeplessness and chronic depression are at the top of this list. In their efforts they are placing us on the Paxil or other similar drugs which are “SRI’s”. While addressing our depression they are also addressing the problem with Serotonin. Medically we can actually influence the level of Serotonin, however we are far from completely controlling those levels. While taking “SRI’s” we will see some small to moderate improvement in many of the symptoms we are suffering from. Sadly it seems the treatment is just a little shy of being a complete answer. Our recovery is further complicated by the fact that medications seem to stop helping to often and too quickly. The Serotonin is being controlled but not to the point that seems to be needed to cause us to go into a remission. This does not mean that some Fibros have not had wonderful results and some do. Personally I am still dealing with a group of people who are not seeing satisfactory relief from their medications

There are other ways to influence Serotonin levels. What is important to remember is that it is more complex than the tablet your doctor ordered. If we could influence these levels easily and naturally it would be the answer to Substance P and its control over our pain levels. Better Serotonin levels would mean better control of Substance P and thus better control of our pain.

How then do we do this? If the doctors cannot control our Serotonin levels then how can we slow or reduce the severity of our pain levels? That is what I will attempt to address in next weeks article. Put on your thinking caps cause it’s going to get confusing. However it will be well worth our time to explore what we can do our selves.

As always please remember I am a fellow patient and not a doctor. Please do not substitute my opinions for those of a qualified medical professional. Always check with your doctor before making any changes in your diet, exercise or medications. Some medications are known to react with foods and vitamins be sure to ask your pharmacist if it is safe before adding anything new to your diet.