Question to Dr. T on the New Drug Tonmya™

Question:

Hi Dr. T. Because I always get good advice from you, I would like your opinion on this new drug for fibromyalgia, Tonmya™, that appeared in America in August. I have written to you before about myself and my problem, which is fibromyalgia. I would like to mention that your book, "You Can Heal from Long COVID" is very good.

With much respect and a thousand thanks, Carmen.

Answer:

Dear Carmen,

Tonmya™ (sublingual cyclobenzaprine) is not really new. Despite it being marketed as "first in class," IMHO it's not. It's the old, low-cost medication Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) at about the same dose I've recommended for decades. Get a coupon from the website GoodRx, an excellent resource that provides free discount coupons for prescription meds, and you can buy the 5 mg tabs at Walgreens for about 8 cents a pill.

Tonmya™ is basically 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet (2.8 mg in a form that dissolves under your tongue), but they will likely charge $5-$15 a pill when they come out. This is basically the dose I've recommended Flexeril be used at for decades. It isn't available in the US yet, but it is FDA approved and will become available in the next few months.

So, you can take 1/2 to a full tab of a 5 mg cyclobenzaprine pill for about 5 cents a day, crush it between your front teeth and let it absorb under your tongue. You'll have pretty much the same thing as the "new" and expensive Tonmya™.

Here is a good medical review on the Tonmya™ medication.

Hope this is helpful.

Love and Blessings,

Dr. T