Not Too Tired to Write a Letter

I was watching the commercials on TV this evening and became rather irritated by the insinuation that anyone who is feeling a tired should ask their doctor if they have fibromyalgia. Really?!??

The commercial I watched is not the kind of publicity we need, in fact, it's the opposite of what we need. The commentary used is exactly what makes people doubt the reality of fibro. This misleading information encourages an awareness that we don't want, one that is not based on the reality of fibromyalgia.

I get tired every darn day, but I don't have fibromyalgia nor should I ask my doctor if I do. And my "tired" does not even begin to compare to my daughter's tired.

We have to be real about this. Tired does not equal fibro. Tired people probably don't need fibro meds. Correct diagnosis and best practices are critical, and appropriate prescriptive medicines are key.

Let's hope that the pharmaceutical companies who are profiting from the new medications being marketed for fibromyalgia patients will be more responsible in the future with their advertising campaigns. I appreciate what they are doing in their R&D departments, just as I appreciate that they need to make a profit, but they still need to keep their advertising honest because when they don't it hurts our efforts to increase awareness of the reality of fibromyalgia.

In the meantime, while we're hoping for truth in advertising, I am going to write a letter to the maker of Lyrica, maybe you should too (oh yeah, it was their ad). They are making a huge contribution to the relief and control of symptoms and pain related to fibro, but we still need to demand forthrightness and honesty in promotion of their product because that is what will help our cause globally and for years to come.