Anti-thyroid antibodies strongly linked to fibromyalgia, pain in patients with RA

[Bob]

Anti-thyroid antibodies strongly linked to fibromyalgia, pain in patients with RA
American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting
January 16, 2015
http://www.healio.com/rheumatology/...nked-to-fibromyalgia-pain-in-patients-with-ra

Reference:
Ahmad J, et al. Paper #401. Presented at: American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting. Nov. 14-19, 2014; Boston.

A strong positive association was found between the presence of anti-thyroid antibodies and fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to study results presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting.

The study comprised a cohort of 203 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had documented presence of anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-TG) antibodies. The researchers used logistic regression analyses to determine the statistical significance of the relationships between the thyroid antibodies and the presence of fibromyalgia and widespread pain.

Thirty-four percent of the patients had positive results for anti-TPO, and 35% tested positive for anti-TG. Of the total of patients with positive results for both antibodies, 37% were diagnosed with fibromyalgia or chronic widespread pain.

Logistic regression analyses adjusted by age, sex, diabetes and BMI showed patients with anti-TPO antibodies were more than 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The risk for fibromyalgia in patients with anti-TG antibodies was not statistically significant, according to the researchers.

Patients with either antibody were 2.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, or 2.5 times more likely when adjusted for degenerative disease.

– by Shirley Pulawski

 

[Bob]

The text is a bit contradictory, with many missing details, so it's hard to make sense of it, but it's interesting nonetheless.

I think it's saying that 37% of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, who were also identified as having both anti-thyroid antibodies (anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin), were diagnosed with fibromyalgia or chronic widespread pain.

For RA patients with only anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies, they were 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia (It doesn't say if this means 3x more likely than all RA patients, or RA patients without either antibody.)

For RA patients with only anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, there was no statistical difference in the risk of fibro.

They also say that 34% of the patients had positive results for anti-TPO, and 35% tested positive for anti-TG, but it isn't clear what cohort they are referring to.

 

[Bob]

@Jonathan Edwards, there's not much info in the opening post, above, but you might be interested in it anyway, as it's in relation to RA, fibromyagia, and thyroid antibodies.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

@Jonathan Edwards, there's not much info in the opening post, above, but you might be interested in it anyway, as it's in relation to RA, fibromyagia, and thyroid antibodies.

It is a pity that it is so badly reported, and I rather suspect badly performed. I cannot see what it would mean for someone with RA to have fibromyalgia. Most people with RA have widespread pain because they have RA. I think it would only make sense if the authors went looking for some feature that was not attributable to RA - like allodynia perhaps. Tender points are a waste of space I think. There is no information of how the patients came to be selected or whether they were assessed blind to their immunology and all the usual methodological necessities.

That said, it would be very plausible to my mind that anti-thyroid antibodies in RA might correlate with non-articular symptoms.

 

[cigana]

John C. Lowe spent much of his life trying to persuade people of the link between fibromyalgia and the thyroid, even writing this textbook on the subject.

 

[ahmo]

@cigana John Lowe's work was really the first step in recovering myself. At the time I found him, 2010, there was voluminous information on his websites (unfortunately they've all been disappeared.) And because I'd been taking thyroid most of my life, I didn't want to miss anything, and so bought the book. I didn't know how huge it was! And after embarking on his suggestions, was trying to set a phone consult with him.

However, I eventually found a glaring omission. Before I'd been able to arrange a consult, I'd found the GAPS diet. Within 3 days my most horrific nervous system over-activity had calmed. By the end of 2 weeks the connective tissue holdings in my hands, Dupuytrens Contractures, had melted.

When I went back to Lowe's book there was not a single entry for gluten. That was a major failing, to me. I had continued on with his suggestions for high dose T3, way too much, without touching the anxiety he speculated would be eliminated. Sorry if this is inappropriate here, but as much as his observations for switching to T3 have been helpful, and the links to FM, it was incomplete information.

 

[wastwater]

Interesting book never knew it existed does he mention cAMP by any chance

 

[jason30]

Very interesting because mine Anti-thyroid antibodies (TPO) are positive and i have fibromyalgia.

 

[jason30]

I have heard that Selenium lowers anti-TPO, but don't know if this true. But if it is, then my guess is that Selenium also lowers the fibromyalgia pain.
Does somebody use Selenium to lower the anti-TPO?