Guai Protocol

Paul St. Amand, M.D., developed the guaifenesin or "guai" protocol for the treatment of fibromyalgia in 1992. Fibromyalgia -- characterized by muscular and skeletal pain -- affects roughly 2 percent of the population, and of those, approximately 85 percent are women.

Fibromyalgia

• Fibromyalgia is characterized by muscle and joint pain that gets worse with age. The disorder also appears to cluster with a multitude of other syndromes, such as chronic fatigue and irritable bowel. Fibromyalgia can be inherited -- a 2009 study established that it correlates with a gene mutation in some families.

Guaifenesin

• Guaifenesin is sold without prescription and is marketed under a variety of brand names for relieving chest congestion. However, for fibromyalgia treatment, doctors use guaifenesin to promote the slow release of phosphate from the kidneys.

Protocol

• Under the guaifenesin protocol, patients take quaifenesin daily -- dosage is dependent on the severity of the disorder. The protocol also cautions patients to not use personal products that contain salicylates -- a compound commonly found in plants and aspirin -- because they may block the effectiveness of the treatment.