Does the fibromyalgia affect the quality of life in the patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Background and aims: Data on the soft tissue rheumatism, especially fibromyalgia syndrome is limited in inflammatory bowel disease. Our aim in our study is to determine the prevalence of fibromyalgia syndrome and to evaluate the impact of it on quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease.
 Methods: 60 ulcerative colitis and 34 Crohn's disease patients were included. 2010/2011 and 2016 American College of Rheumatology criteria were used for fibromyalgia syndrome diagnosis. Fibromyalgia impact survey was applied to the all patients.
 Results: According to the American Colloge of Rheumatology-2010/2011 criteria, fibromyalgia syndrome frequencies were determined as 29.8% in inflammatory bowel disease, 23.4% in Crohn’s disease and 33.3% in ulcerative colitis (P ˃ 0.05). The frequency of fibromyalgia syndrome was significantly higher in inflammatory bowel disease and especially more in female. There was no significant difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease in terms of widespread-pain-index, somatic-symptom-severity and fibromyalgia syndrome scores. Fibromyalgia impact scores were found significantly higher in those with fibromyalgia syndrome in inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
 Conclusions: This is the first study to show the frequency of fibromyalgia syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Turkish population. Fibromyalgia syndrome has been shown to be increased in inflammatory bowel disease patients and more in ulcerative colitis and female. The quality of life is more affected in inflammatory bowel disease patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.