GLP-1 Medications May Reduce Pain and Fatigue in Patients with Fibromyalgia

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Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition marked by widespread pain, exhaustion, sleep problems and a lower quality of life. Millions of people live with it, but finding effective relief can be a long and frustrating journey. Many treatment options focus only on managing symptoms, and some — including opioids — can come with serious downsides.

But now, new research is giving patients and physicians reason to feel hopeful.

A recent study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases found that a class of medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) may significantly ease symptoms of fibromyalgia. These medications are typically used to treat Type 2 diabetes and support weight loss — but this study suggests they might also help reduce pain, fatigue and even the need for opioids.

What’s Behind the Buzz?

The team studied health records from more than 76,000 people with fibromyalgia. They looked at two groups:

• Group A included over 38,000 patients who had taken GLP-1 medications at least twice.
• Group B included a similar number of patients with fibromyalgia who had never taken GLP-1s.

The researchers used a method called propensity score matching to make sure both groups were similar in age, health conditions (like diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and arthritis), and medication use.

Here’s What They Found Over 5 Years:

• Less opioid use: People taking GLP-1s were 40% less likely to use opioids.
• Reduced fatigue: Reports of extreme tiredness and malaise were 10.8% lower.
• Lower pain reports: Chronic pain diagnoses were 9.1% lower in the GLP-1 group.
• Fewer ongoing doctor visits: These patients had 16.6% less follow-up care for fibromyalgia.
• Similar weight and hemoglobin A1c improvements: Both groups improved in blood sugar and body mass index (BMI), though the non-GLP-1 group had slightly better numbers overall.

The study didn’t show differences in disability rates between groups, but the reduction in pain, fatigue and medication dependency are major steps forward in care.

“This study supports the hypothesis that GLP-1 receptor agonists may reduce the symptom burden in fibromyalgia patients, particularly with regard to opioid dependency, fatigue and pain,” wrote Nouran Eshak, MB, ChB, rheumatology fellow at Mayo Clinic and the lead investigator of the study.

Why Might These Medications Help?

While GLP-1 medications were designed to regulate blood sugar, they also appear to have anti-inflammatory and pain-modulating effects. Scientists believe they may affect the nervous system in ways that reduce pain sensitivity and inflammation — two major drivers of fibromyalgia symptoms.

A 2024 narrative review from researchers in China also highlighted GLP-1s’ potential to treat various pain types — including nerve pain, arthritis, migraines and cancer-related pain.

What Does This Mean for Patients?

Although GLP-1s are not yet U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved specifically for fibromyalgia, this research may pave the way for new treatment guidelines and clinical trials. These findings are especially exciting because:

• Many patients with fibromyalgia are looking for alternatives to opioids.
• Fatigue, often just as debilitating as pain, is hard to treat — and GLP-1s may help.
• The medications are already FDA approved for other conditions, which could speed up access for broader use.

“These findings suggest that GLP-1 receptor agonists could represent a novel therapeutic option in fibromyalgia management,” concluded investigators. “Improvement in BMI, glucose control or other residual confounders may contribute to these outcomes. Further exploration through randomized controlled trials would be needed.”