• American Journal of Medicine December 2009 - Supplement on Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a controversial disease. Clauw DJ. Am J Med 2009;122(12 Suppl):S1-2

Fibromyalgia: an overview. Clauw DJ. Am J Med 2009;122(12 Suppl):S3-S13

Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Goldenberg DL. Am J Med 2009;122(12 Suppl):S14-21

Pathophysiology of fibromyalgia. Bradley LA. Am J Med 2009;122(12 Suppl):S22-30

Strategies for managing fibromyalgia. Arnold LM. Am J Med 2009;122(12 Suppl):S31-43

Further strategies for treating fibromyalgia: the role of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Mease PJ. Am J Med 2009;122(12 Suppl):S44-55

• A systematic review on the effectiveness of treatment with antidepressants in fibromyalgia syndrome.
  Uçeyler N, Häuser W, Sommer C. Arthritis Rheum 2008;59:1279-98
  • in this systematic review it is concluded that amitriptyline (25-50 mg/day) reduced pain, fatigue, and depressiveness in patients with fibromyalgia and improved sleep and quality of life
  • most SSRIs and the SNRIs duloxetine and milnacipran are probably also effective
  • the authors recommend short-term treatment of patients with fibromyalgia using amitriptyline or another of the antidepressants that were effective in randomized-controlled trials but warn that data on long-term efficacy are lacking

• The Fibromyalgia Bladder Index.
  Brand K, Littlejohn G, Kristjanson L, et al. Clin Rheumatol 2007;26:2097-103
  • the aim of this study was to determine whether the Interstitial Cystitis Symptom and Problem Index (ICSI/ICPI), is a valid, reliable, and clinically relevant instrument to assess the sensory urinary symptoms in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FM)
  • factor analysis displayed two separate components of symptom and problem combinations as distinct from the original ICSI/ICPI developed for the interstitial cystitis population
  • the eight items of the index configured differently and formed two subscales of a newly developed Fibromyalgia Bladder Index
  • the two subscales of this index include the Bladder Urgency and Pain Subscale and the Bladder Frequency and Nocturia Subscale.

• SPA therapy in fibromyalgia: a randomised controlled clinic study.
  Donmez A, Karagulle MZ, Tercan N, et al. Rheumatol Int 2005;26:168-72
  • the authors of this study conclude that the addition of spa therapy to medical therapy has both short- and long-term beneficial effects in female patients with fibromyalgia

• Pharmacologic treatment of fibromyalgia.
  Baker K, Barkhuizen A. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2005 Oct;9(5):301-6
  • a review of treatment

• Review of the Chinese medical approach to the management of fibromyalgia.
  Zheng L, Faber K. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2005 Oct;9(5):307-12
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history of efficacy in treating chronic illness. This article briefly introduces the TCM model of human physiology and TCM diagnostics and describes the TCM pathophysiology and treatment models for fibromyalgia.

• Is there a role for cytokine based therapies in fibromyalgia.
  Wallace DJ. Curr Pharm Des 2006;12:17-22

• Multidisciplinary approaches for management of fibromyalgia.
  Burckhardt CS. Curr Pharm Des 2006;12:59-66

• Hyberbaric oxygen therapy in chronic pain management.
  Yildiz S, Uzun G, Kiralp MZ. Curr Pain headache Rep 2006;10
  • this review advises physicians performing HBO to be aware of oxygen toxicity.
  PMID: 16539861

• Biology and therapy of fibromyalgia. New therapies in fibromyalgia.
  Arnold LM. Arthritis Res Ther 2006;8:212 [Epub ahead of print]
  • a review of new therapies in fibromyalgia
  

• Antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral therapy for symptom syndromes.
  Jackson JL, O'malley PG, Kroenke K. CNS Spectr 2006;11:212-22
  • this article reviews the randomized controlled trial data for the use of antidepressant and cognitive-behavior therapy for 11 somatic syndromes: irritable bowel syndrome, chronic back pain, headache, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, tinnitus, menopausal symptoms, chronic facial pain, noncardiac chest pain, interstitial cystitis, and chronic pelvic pain

• Is fibromyalgia a neuropathic pain syndrome?
  Rowbotham MC. J Rheumatol Suppl 2005;75:38-40
  • a review
  

• A double-blind, multicenter trial comparing duloxetine with placebo in the treatment of fibromyalgia patients with or without major depressive disorder.
  Arnold LM, Lu Y, Crofford LJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum 2004;50:2974-84
  • in this trial, duloxetine (an antidepressant drug that is also used for overactive bladder and stress incontinence) was an effective and safe treatment for many of the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia in subjects with or without major depressive disorder, particularly for women, who had significant improvement across most outcome measures.

• Fibromyalgia Syndrome
  Canadian Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols - a consensus document