Fri, 18 Jan 2008
The Invisible Hand
Something in the news recently pegged my bullshit meter. Last June the FDA approved a new drug to treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The drug is called Lyrica and is made by Pfizer. Recently there's been a bunch of articles attacking not only the drug, but the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. The New York Times led the way.
Other doctors -- including the one who wrote the 1990 paper that defined fibromyalgia but who has since changed his mind -- say that the disease does not exist and that Lyrica and the other drugs will be taken by millions of people who do not need them.
Those who follow alternative medicine know that the New York Times is unusually hostile to it and slavishly devoted to conventional medicine. It's more than a little odd that the New York Times would attack a conventional drug for its side effects unless there was some government action to hang the story on. And there's none here. Even odder, several seemingly independent stories attacked Lyrica and fibromyalgia over several days. Karen Heller, a columnist for the Philly Inquirer, criticizes Lyrica in a drive by shooting on an article about steroids. Alexander Toldt criticizes it in an on-line article, and so does this article for News Inferno. This sort of thing doesn't happen by chance. Someone put out a press release and/or called several friendly reporters.
The question is, who is behind this campaign and what is their motivation? I have no idea. But I do know that self-proclaimed skeptics have campaigned against fibromyalgia as an imaginary disease for many years. An article on the Arthritis Blog talks about the New York Times article and the lack of respect for fibromyalgia sufferers.
I've heard it myself. Although I do not have fibromyalgia, I asked a rheumatologist about the condition not long ago. The doctor said, "Fibromyalgia patients are very unfortunate people." When asked to elaborate, the rheumatologist explained, "Fibromyalgia patients have vague symptoms that don't point to a unique, treatable condition. As a doctor, there's little that can be done for fibromyalgia patients who seem destined within their own personality to suffer." I remember thinking, "Wow, I'm glad I have rheumatoid arthritis and not fibromyalgia. At least rheumatoid arthritis gets a little respect."
Find out who wrote the press release and you'll find out who pulls the strings on the skeptics movement.
