ABSTRACT
Aims:
Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal syndrome of which the main symptoms are chronic widespread pain, debility and fatigue. This is an ailment that is seen 1-2% in general population, mostly in women. Most of the fibromyalgia patients are consulting to health care providers, have examinations made and getting chronic pain treatments. However, there is no sufficient data in the literature concerning long term follow-up of the fibromyalgia patients. Therefore in our study, we aimed to evaluate long term follow-up results of the patients formerly diagnosed as fibromyalgia. For this purpose, we aimed to evaluate our patients’ latest status, to diagnose whether any pain to continue, to determine if there is any autoimmune inflammatory disease developing and to assess whether they have taken a treatment or not.
Methods:
Seventy four female patients diagnosed fibromyalgia between the years 2003-2008 were taken to our study (Mean of age: 44.5+11.3). In the year of 2015, all of the patients are reached out and questioned about their complaints and treatments. In our study, chi-square test is used in the comparison of the categorical data (Fisher Exact test if necessary) and unpaired t test is used in the comparison of constant variables.
Results:
Sixty one of the patients (82.4%) remarked that their widespread pain complaints continued. Only 12 patients (16.2%) remarked that they are under follow-up of a rheumatology or physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinic because of their widespread pain or a rheumatologic disease. The percentage of patients who get treatment regularly because of the widespread pain was found 21.6% (16 patients). During the period of follow-up none of the patients developed any autoimmune inflammatory disease.
Conclusion:
In the group which the fibromyalgia complaints continue; scores of numbness, lassitude and somatization were found significantly high. Despite that regular treatment ratio was relatively low and the ratio of follow-through to treatment was higher in the smoker and well educated group.
