Fibromyalgia and menopause: Friends with benefits?

Fibromyalgia and menopause often share common symptomatology, including musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, brain fog and sleep disturbances. The menopausal transition can represent a critical time at which fibromyalgia symptoms often worsen. This study examined the relationship between fibromyalgia and menopause using validated instruments.

The Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) was administered to 169 patients with fibromyalgia, and sociodemographic data and data on medication use were collected. Menopausal status was recorded, and the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS) was administered. Linear regression analyses were performed to identify the predictors of more severe fibromyalgia impact and worse climacteric symptoms.

Participants' mean age was 49.3 ± 9.6 years. Treatments for fibromyalgia included antidepressants (42.0% daily use), paracetamol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and dietary supplements. Among the peri-/post-menopausal women, 6.25% were on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The FIQR score was a significant predictor of the severity of menopausal symptoms (β = 0.38, 95% CI 0.26-0.51, p < 0.001), indicating that individuals with worse fibromyalgia tended to experience aggravated menopause symptomatology. Additionally, higher body mass index (BMI) was significantly associated with greater GCS scores (β = 0.84, 95% CI 0.35-1.33, p = 0.001) and more severe fibromyalgia impact (β = 1.1, 95% CI 0.61-1.57, p < 0.001, R² = 0.11). Fibromyalgia preceded menopause in 51.0% of the sample and occurred concurrently in 21.9% of the sample.

The findings suggest that fibromyalgia and menopausal symptoms overlap, worsening the symptom burden for patients in menopause. Higher FIQR scores were observed among patients with a greater BMI, indicating a greater overall disease impact and poorer quality of life.