The Frequency of Fibromyalgia in Migraine Patients

Ali Younis; Yahya Qasem; Ali Neamat Sulaiman Alallaf

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2022.8246

Authors

Ali Younis Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4561-8528
Yahya Qasem Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq
Ali Neamat Sulaiman Alallaf Neurology Unit

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2022.8246

Keywords:

Fibromyalgia, Migraine, Headache

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a prevailing debilitating ailment that has been described in patients with migraines in several investigations.

AIM: The study aimed to investigate the frequency of FM in migraine patients and to study the characteristics of migraine patients with comorbid FM.

METHODS: This case–control study was piloted in the Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine in Ibn Sina Teaching Hospital in Mosul, Iraq, between March and November 2020. One hundred consecutive patients with migraine and 100 healthy controls were included in this study. The sociodemographic and headache characteristics of the patients were recorded.

RESULTS: The frequency of FM was statistically higher among participants with migraines (27%) when compared to the controls (5%). Migraine patients with FM had a substantially older mean age and a higher ratio of female gender than migraine patients without FM. FM was found to be more common in patients without versus with aura. Patients with comorbid FM had greater headache frequency (p = 0.0002), headache intensity (p = 0.007), and higher scores on the “Headache Impact Test (HIT-6)” (p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: There is a high frequency of FM in patients with migraines. Patients with coexistent “FM” and “migraine” tended to have more depressive symptoms, greater headache intensity, headache frequency, and when compared to healthy people, they are more likely to have a significant headache-related disability.

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