Symptom Perception in Relation to Hormonal Status in Female Fibromyalgia Syndrome Patients

Premenstrual syndrome and fibromyalgia: the frequency of the coexistence and their effects on quality of life

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the association between Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), to assess common symptoms and quality of life (QOL) of them.

METHODS

Patients with PMS formed the PMS group and age-matched healthy normal controls were included in the control group. The diagnosis of the FMS and PMS were based on new American College of Rheumatology FMS criteria and DSM-IV PMS criteria. FMS-related symptoms assessed by visual analog scale and number of tender points (TePs) were analyzed. QOL, PMS severity and FMS severity were assessed with SF-36, fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) and premenstrual assessment form (PAF), respectively. Patients with PMS were divided into two subgroups according to coexistence of FMS or not.

RESULTS

The frequency of FMS in PMS and control group were 20 and 0%, respectively (p = 0.002). FMS-related symptoms, number of TePs in the PMS group were higher than those in the control group. The mean mental component summary (MCS) score of SF-36 was low in the PMS group. The mean PAF score in PMS with FMS subgroup was higher than those in without FMS subgroup. The mean physical component summary of SF-36 was low in the PMS patient with FMS. There was correlation between PAF score and FIQ score (r = 0.476, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

FMS was common among the patients with PMS and frequently seen in the PMS patients having severe premenstrual complaints. Mental QOL was distressed in the patients with PMS but while FMS accompanied to PMS, the physical QOL was decreased.

Overview of orofacial pain: epidemiology and gender differences in orofacial pain

Chronic orofacial pain is a prevalent problem that encompasses numerous disorders with diverse causes and presenting symptoms. Compared with men, women of reproductive age seek treatment for orofacial pain conditions, as well as other chronic pain disorders more frequently. Important issues have been raised regarding gender and sex differences in genetic, neurophysiologic, and psychosocial aspects of pain sensitivity and analgesia. Efforts to improve our understanding of qualitative sex differences in pain modulation signify a promising step toward developing more tailored approaches to pain management.

Menopausal transition symptoms in midlife women living with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue

We aimed to determine how menopausal transition symptoms cluster across 216 midlife women with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndromes (FMS/CFS), or both and subsequently to compare symptom factor severity scores by menopausal status among these women and compare symptom reporting with prior community-based samples of women without obvious illness. We designed a cross-sectional telephone survey of 216 women aged 35 to 55, diagnosed with FMS/CFS, symptomatic in the prior 6 months, and without hysterectomy. Thirty-six of 61 symptoms loaded on five factors: aroused/anxious mood, depressed mood/withdrawal, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal (GI), and vasomotor. Peri- and postmenopausal women had higher symptom severity scores for musculoskeletal, GI, and vasomotor factors but not mood factors. Symptoms for the women we studied who had FMS/CFS clustered similar to those in previous community-based samples of midlife women without major illness; however, the number of women experiencing symptoms was much higher among our sample.

Menstrual cycle influences on pain and emotion in women with fibromyalgia

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the influence of the menstrual cycle on pain and emotion in women with fibromyalgia (FM) as compared with women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to healthy controls.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty-five premenopausal women (21-45 years old) participated in this study (57 with FM, 20 with RA, and 48 controls). Pain and emotion assessments were conducted during the follicular and the luteal phases of the menstrual cycle.

RESULTS

Women with FM experienced more pain, menstrual symptoms, and negative affect than did women with RA and the controls. All women reported less positive affect during the luteal phase, although this pattern was more pronounced in women with FM and RA than in controls.

CONCLUSION

Although FM pain did not vary across the menstrual cycle, these results point to the importance of considering the lower level and cyclical nature of positive affect when studying women with chronic pain.