Efficacy of Vitamin D Supplementation in the Improvement of Clinical Status in Patients Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Systematic Review

[Shanti1]

Venkatesan N, et al. Curr Rheumatol Rev. 2022 Mar 7. PMID: 35255799.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35255799/

....We conducted a systematic literature review to examine the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in improving the clinical status of the patients and alleviating the symptoms of fibromyalgia....

Results: 2651 studies were retrieved, with 12 studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria. 11 out of these 12 studies were of high quality and showed low risk of bias. 11 of these also demonstrated definitive improvement in clinical status and various outcome measures following supplementation with Vitamin D.

Conclusions: Our study emphasizes an association between supplementation of vitamin D and improvement of the clinical condition of fibromyalgia through a systematic review of high-quality studies....

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I thought we lacked good solid diagnostics for fibromyalgia?

How is improvement measured?

 

[Shanti1]

Here are the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia:
https://www.pfizerpro.com/sites/def...671d1283062-01_acr_diagnostic_tool_for_fm.pdf

This was a systemic literature review, so the improvement criteria would have been evaluated differently in each study. I often have access to full text, but I don't yet on this one, so can't provide more detail.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Here are the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia:

reading here: It sounds like nobody hardly ever qualifies for federal disability with fibromyalgia. And all subjective diagnostics.

https://www.disabilitysecrets.com/resources/social-security-disability-ssdi-ssi-fibromyalgia.htm

I'm wondering how you note clinical improvement with out any way to quantitatively measure the actual problem.

I never bothered to even seek out a fibromyalgia diagnosis. I rarely even get to the topic- everything hurts. And looking at those criteria, no clue how I"d check boxes there. I'm lucky mine isn't bad.

My insurer sent a nurse here. The nurse told me she has "fibromyalgia" and there she is working full time. She told me my insurer will never treat this illness. I just received a denial for a Rx referral: off label Chronic Fatigue Syndrome not allowed.

funny- nothing is allowed.

Since that meeting, I've refused further chats with this home program.

 

[Shanti1]

I'm wondering how you note clinical improvement with out any way to quantitatively measure the actual problem.

I believe it would be similar to studies on other "subjective" conditions, such as ME/CFS, depression, or headaches, researchers rely on the study subjects to report symptoms via standardized questionnaires, visual analog scales, and, for fibro, tender point sensitivity/tender point number.

Here in the US, it seems to me that fibromyalgia has become more accepted by the medical community ever since a few medications were officially approved to treat it. I guess the medical perception is that, if there is an FDA-approved drug, it must be a real condition.

 

[kangaSue]

Here are the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia:
https://www.pfizerpro.com/sites/def...671d1283062-01_acr_diagnostic_tool_for_fm.pdf

Some other pro's and con's have since been raised about these fibromyalgia criteria;
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/4/1219/htm

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I'll never understand why my doctor phoned in to get authorization for a Modafinl....and told them I'd taken the fibromyalgia drug. As if some fibromyalgia drug has anhytnign to do with M odafinil (for narcolepsy)

I'd never taken the fibromyalgia drug, nor did they authorrize the modafinil. They won't cover Off label use of Rx for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome says the letter....why did I buy insurance since I have a disease it done's cover?

Can I sue for failure to provide the Goods, false advertising and forced imprisonment?

 

[Pyrrhus]

Here are the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia:
https://www.pfizerpro.com/sites/def...671d1283062-01_acr_diagnostic_tool_for_fm.pdf

Some other pro's and con's have since been raised about these fibromyalgia criteria;
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/4/1219/htm

Fortunately, the modern diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia look completely different from those older rheumatological diagnostic criteria:

AAPT Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia (Arnold et al., 2018)
https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/fibromyalgia-fm-diagnostic-criteria.86692/#post-2384796