Clinical Characteristics of Chronic Headache Patients With Fibromyalgia: A Hospital-based Study

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic diffuse pain syndrome of unknown etiology. FM is commonly associated with various neurological symptoms and signs including headache, non-restorative sleep, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical features of chronic daily headache patients with FM comorbidity. METHODS: Outpatients with chronic daily headache were recruited. FM was diagnosed on the basis of 2010 American College of Rheumatology criteria. We analyzed clinical features of the patients with FM and which general somatic symptoms were common in them. RESULTS: Of the 70 patients with chronic headache, 22 (about 31%) met the new ACR criteria of FM. Most of them were female, and their headache was likely to be tension type. Paresthesia, itching, and heartburn were significantly common in the headache patients with FM. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that a significant proportion of female patients with chronic tension type headache had chance to have FM. While taking history from patients with headache, neurologists should concern other somatic symptoms of FM as well as headache itself. Identification of FM in chronic headache patients may help more efficient treatment for the headache.