A cross-sectional assessment of the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions and medication use in a sample of community-dwelling adults with fibromyalgia in Olmsted County, Minnesota.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the problem of multiple chronic conditions and polypharmacy in patients with fibromyalgia.


METHODS
Retrospective medical record review.


METHODS
Olmsted County, Minnesota.


METHODS
1111 adults with fibromyalgia.


METHODS
Number and type of chronic medical and psychiatric conditions, medication use.


RESULTS
Medical record review demonstrated that greater than 50% of the sample had seven or more chronic conditions. Chronic joint pain/degenerative arthritis was the most frequent comorbidity (88.7%), followed by depression (75.1%), migraines/chronic headaches (62.4%) and anxiety (56.5%). Approximately, 40% of patients were taking three or more medications for symptoms of fibromyalgia. Sleep aids were the most commonly prescribed medications in our sample (33.3%) followed by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (28.7%), opioids (22.4%) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (21.0%).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study highlight the problem of multiple chronic conditions and high prevalence of polypharmacy in fibromyalgia. Clinicians who care for patients with fibromyalgia should take into consideration the presence of multiple chronic conditions when recommending medications.
Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Ann
A
Vincent
Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Mary O
MO
Whipple
Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Samantha J
SJ
McAllister
Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Katherine M
KM
Aleman
Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Jennifer L
JL
St Sauver
D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D001168:Arthritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D019338:Polypharmacy; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012890:Sleep
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
EPIDEMIOLOGY; INTERNAL MEDICINE