title: High-dose thiamine improves the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
abstract: Living with fibromyalgia means living with chronic pain, fatigue, sleep disorders and other associated key symptoms. To date, pharmacotherapy generally produces modest benefits. Some observations indicate that the large majority of symptoms of fibromyalgia could be the clinical manifestation of a mild thiamine deficiency due to a dysfunction of the active transport of thiamine from the blood to the mitochondria or to enzymatic abnormalities. Between June and July 2011, we recruited three female patients affected by fibromyalgia. We proceeded with the study of the patients' history, a physical examination, an evaluation of chronic widespread pain using the Visual Numeric Scale and an evaluation of the fatigue using the Fatigue Severity Scale were also performed. The levels of thiamine and thiamine pyrophosphate in the blood were determined. After the therapy with high doses of thiamine, in the patients, there was an appreciable improvement of the symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Rehabilitation of the Clinic, Villa Immacolata, Viterbo, Italy. carapetata@libero.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.forename: Maria Immacolata
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tundo
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matteucci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005221:Fatigue / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013831:Thiamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D013831:Thiamine