Introduction: Intramuscular depot betamethasone treatment had resulted in a significant improvement among fibromyalgia patients with elevated C-reactive protein (C-RP) levels. Here, we wanted to evaluate the same regi...Introduction: Intramuscular depot betamethasone treatment had resulted in a significant improvement among fibromyalgia patients with elevated C-reactive protein (C-RP) levels. Here, we wanted to evaluate the same regimen of treatment among fibromyalgia patients with normal C-RP levels. These patients represent the overwhelming majority of fibromyalgia patients. Patients and Methods: Consecutive patients with fibromyalgia attending the outpatient rheumatology clinic, with normal C-RP level and negative serology, who had failed different medical treatment, were asked to participate in our study. All patients have qualified the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria from 2010. After consent, patients had an intra-muscular injection of 14 mg depot betamethasone at the gluteal area. Just prior to the injection, 1 week and 1 month later, patients were interviewed by phone and asked to answer the Fibromyalgia Revised Questionnaire (FIQR). Wilcoxon’s signed ranked test was used to compare the results 1 week and 1 month following the injection, compared to the base line scores. Results: Seventeen (17) patients completed the study. Favorable effects were seen regarding 13 out of 19 parameters one week following the injection, including functional parameters, mood and anxiety, tenderness to touch and intolerance to noise and light. No significant favorable effect was seen 1 month following the injection except for one parameter: ability of walking for twenty minutes. Conclusions: IM depot betamethasone injection had very limited and transient favorable effects on fibromyalgia patients with normal C-RP levels. Such a treatment is not a recommended modality of routine treatment, among fibromyalgia patients with normal C-RP levels.展开更多
Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a common chronic pain syndrome, associated with different risk factors, including trauma. Many patients with the current or past history of manual labor attend our rheumatology clinic/s. ...Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a common chronic pain syndrome, associated with different risk factors, including trauma. Many patients with the current or past history of manual labor attend our rheumatology clinic/s. Should manual labor be considered a risk factor for the development of fibromyalgia? Patients and Methods: A prospective study, where all male patients seen at the rheumatology clinic/s with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia were asked about their present and past type of job/s. Manual job was defined as a job where the participant had a strenuous physical activity of more than 2 hours during the working day. A similar number of Ethnic- and age-matched female patients from the same clinic/s were recruited as a control group. Results: 69 and 40 Arab and Jewish male participants were recruited, respectively. 54% of the Arab male patients and 20% of the Jewish male patients were considered manual laborers. Construction and renovation accounted for 46% of the type of jobs practiced by Arab patients. Only 4% of Arab female patients were considered manual laborers. Conclusion: Manual labor seems to be a risk factor for the development of fibromyalgia among male laborers.展开更多
文摘Introduction: Intramuscular depot betamethasone treatment had resulted in a significant improvement among fibromyalgia patients with elevated C-reactive protein (C-RP) levels. Here, we wanted to evaluate the same regimen of treatment among fibromyalgia patients with normal C-RP levels. These patients represent the overwhelming majority of fibromyalgia patients. Patients and Methods: Consecutive patients with fibromyalgia attending the outpatient rheumatology clinic, with normal C-RP level and negative serology, who had failed different medical treatment, were asked to participate in our study. All patients have qualified the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria from 2010. After consent, patients had an intra-muscular injection of 14 mg depot betamethasone at the gluteal area. Just prior to the injection, 1 week and 1 month later, patients were interviewed by phone and asked to answer the Fibromyalgia Revised Questionnaire (FIQR). Wilcoxon’s signed ranked test was used to compare the results 1 week and 1 month following the injection, compared to the base line scores. Results: Seventeen (17) patients completed the study. Favorable effects were seen regarding 13 out of 19 parameters one week following the injection, including functional parameters, mood and anxiety, tenderness to touch and intolerance to noise and light. No significant favorable effect was seen 1 month following the injection except for one parameter: ability of walking for twenty minutes. Conclusions: IM depot betamethasone injection had very limited and transient favorable effects on fibromyalgia patients with normal C-RP levels. Such a treatment is not a recommended modality of routine treatment, among fibromyalgia patients with normal C-RP levels.
文摘Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a common chronic pain syndrome, associated with different risk factors, including trauma. Many patients with the current or past history of manual labor attend our rheumatology clinic/s. Should manual labor be considered a risk factor for the development of fibromyalgia? Patients and Methods: A prospective study, where all male patients seen at the rheumatology clinic/s with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia were asked about their present and past type of job/s. Manual job was defined as a job where the participant had a strenuous physical activity of more than 2 hours during the working day. A similar number of Ethnic- and age-matched female patients from the same clinic/s were recruited as a control group. Results: 69 and 40 Arab and Jewish male participants were recruited, respectively. 54% of the Arab male patients and 20% of the Jewish male patients were considered manual laborers. Construction and renovation accounted for 46% of the type of jobs practiced by Arab patients. Only 4% of Arab female patients were considered manual laborers. Conclusion: Manual labor seems to be a risk factor for the development of fibromyalgia among male laborers.
