Pinning down the medication regimen that works for you takes time and trial and error. Some drugs might produce added benefits that might make them superior to other therapies. Others might have side effects or interactions with other drugs that you don't want to tolerate. For instance, doxepin (Sinequan) is a tricyclic that has an antihistamine and can help people with allergies. But fluoxetine (Prozac) may not be a good choice if you have trouble sleeping, since it can be stimulating.

And remember, just when you think you've found the right combination, your symptoms might change. It is simply the nature of fibromyalgia. That's why it's so important to remain watchful for any side effects or changes in how well a medication works. In some cases, the medicine you take may become less effective over time because your body has become better at breaking it down. When that happens, your doctor may need to put you on a different drug.