Improvements in pain responsiveness in patients with fibrositis after successful treatment with amitriptyline.

Thirty-six patients with fibrositis received low dose amitriptyline and placebo in a randomized double blind crossover study lasting 10 weeks. Amitriptyline was associated with significant changes on the outcome measures of pain, tender point sensitivity and patient assessment of well being. Clinically significant improvements for pain and tender point sensitivity and a statistically significant improvement in generalized pain responsiveness were found between patients who reported subjective improvement on amitriptyline and those who felt no change.