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Cholecalciferol injection may reduce fatigue, musculoskeletal pain in patients with fibromyalgia
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Patients with fibromyalgia may have improvements in fatigue and musculoskeletal pain by increasing vitamin D levels through monthly, intramuscular cholecalciferol injection, according to recently presented research.
A study of 73 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 102 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and 40 patients with fibromyalgia (FM) who did not supplement with vitamin D was conducted. Baseline vitamin D levels were measured, and a VAS was used to assess musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. Patients received 200,000 IU cholecalciferol every 4 weeks through an intramuscular injection for a total of three injections during the study period. VAS and biochemical response were measured at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks.
Patients with FM (77.5%) had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared with patients with RA (64.4%) and OA (23.5%) at baseline. Levels of vitamin D were negatively correlated with VAS for pain and fatigue in all three diseases, but also with the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints in patients with RA and with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) score in patients with FM.
At week 12, mean serum 25-OHD levels were significantly higher in the 102 patients with 25-OHD deficiency at baseline. After receiving cholecalciferol injections, patients from each group showed significant decreases from baseline in VAS for pain and fatigue at weeks 12 and 24; however, the effects were greater in patients with FM compared with patients with RA or OA between weeks 12 and 24, according to the researchers. – by Shirley Pulawski
Reference:
Choi BY, et al. Paper #THU0307. Presented at: European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology; June 10-13, 2015; Rome.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.