Ambroxol for fibromyalgia: one group pretest-posttest open-label pilot study.

A consistent line of investigation proposes that fibromyalgia is a sympathetically maintained neuropathic pain syndrome. Dorsal root ganglia sodium channels may play a major role in fibromyalgia pain transmission. Ambroxol is a secretolytic agent used in the treatment of various airway disorders. Recently, it was discovered that this compound is also an efficient sodium channel blocker with potent anti-neuropathic pain properties. We evaluated the add-on effect of ambroxol to the treatment of fibromyalgia. We studied 25 patients with fibromyalgia. Ambroxol was prescribed at the usual clinical dose of 30 mg PO 3 times a day × 1 month. At the beginning and at the end of the study, all participants filled out the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ-R) and the 2010 ACR diagnostic criteria including the widespread pain index (WPI). At the end of the study, FIQ-R decreased from a baseline value of 62 ± 15 to 51 ± 19 (p = 0.013). Pain visual analogue scale decreased from 77 ± 14 to 56 ± 30 (p = 0.018). WPI diminished from 14.6 ± 3.1 to 10.4 ± 5.3 (p = 0.001). Side effects were minor. In this pilot study, the use of ambroxol was associated to decreased fibromyalgia pain and improved fibromyalgia symptoms. The open nature of our study does not allow extracting the placebo effect from the positive results. The drug was well tolerated. Ambroxol newly recognized pharmacological properties could theoretically interfere with fibromyalgia pain pathways. Dose escalating-controlled studies seem warranted.

IL-8 and IL-6 primarily mediate the inflammatory response in fibromyalgia patients.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease that has been linked to inflammatory reactions and changes in the systemic levels of proinflammatory cytokines that modulate responses in the sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. We found that concentrations of IL-6 and IL-8 were elevated in FM patients. Both cytokines correlated with clinical scores, suggesting that IL-6 and IL-8 have additive or synergistic effects in perpetuating the chronic pain in FM patients. These findings indicate that IL-6 and IL-8 are two of the most constant inflammatory mediators in FM and that their levels correlate significantly with the severity of symptoms.

Disminución del influjo parasimpático en fibromialgia: Su relación con la Psiquiatría en un centro especializado de referencia nacional / Reduction of the parasympathetic influx in fibromyalgia: Its relationship with Psychiatry in a national referral specialized center

Antecedentes La fibromialgia (FM) se caracteriza por dolor crónico generalizado, fatiga, alteraciones del sueño, depresión, ansiedad y disautonomía (hiperactividad simpática). Objetivo Comparar la variabilidad de la frecuencia cardiaca (VFC) en mujeres: 20 pacientes con FM vs. 20 controles, mediante Holter de 24 hrs. Método La medición consistió en segmentos de cinco minutos. El dominio de la frecuencia se determinó por logaritmo natural de la razón LF/HF (Low/High Frecuencies). Se utilizó ANOVA simple para dos grupos de variables dimensionales. Resultados El rango de edad fue de 30 a 60 años. Nueve mujeres presentaron comorbilidad psiquiátrica: depresión (77.7%) y ansiedad (22.3%). Hubo diferencias (F=24.45, p<0.0001) en LF/HF entre los grupos en la fase nocturna del registro (22 hrs a 2 am), mostrándose mayor activación simpática en las pacientes. En el índice SDNN (desviación estándar de intervalos entre latidos) existieron diferencias significativas en 9 de 12 periodos del registro. En el índice pNN50 (porcentaje de intervalos que difieren en más de 50 milisegundos), el grupo control mostró valores más altos de 6 a 12 hrs. La variación nocturna se observó de 22 hrs. (F=22.37, p=0.0001) hasta las 6 am (F=30.27, p=0.0001). El indicador rMSSD (raíz cuadrada de la media de las diferencias de la frecuencia cardiaca) mostró valores más altos para el grupo control desde las 22 hrs. (F=67.71, p=0.0001) hasta las 6am (F=80.35, p=0.0001). Discusión y conclusión Los resultados reflejan la disminución del influjo parasimpático en las pacientes con FM. Esto confirma la participación del sistema nervioso parasimpático en la fisiopatología de la FM.

Background Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety and dysautonomia (sympathetic hyperactivity). Objective To compare the heart rate variability (HRV) in women: 20 patients with FM vs. 20 controls by Holter 24 hrs. Method The measurement consisted of segments of five minutes. The frequency domain is determined by the natural logarithm of the LF/HF (Low/ High Frecuencies) reason. Simple ANOVA was used for two groups of dimensional variables. Results The age range was 30-60 years. Nine presented psychiatric comorbidity: depression (77.7%) and anxiety (22.3%). There were differences (F = 24.45, p <0.0001) in LF/HF between groups in the nocturnal phase of registration (22 pm to 2 am) showing increased sympathetic activation in patients. In the SDNN index (standard deviation of intervals between heartbeats) there were significant differences on December 9 periods of record. In pNN50 index (percentage of intervals which differ by more than 50 milliseconds), the control group showed higher values of 6 to 12 hrs. Nocturnal variation was observed in 22 hrs (F = 22.37, p = 0.0001) until 6am (F = 30.27, p = 0.0001). The rMSSD indicator (square root of the mean of the differences in heart rate) showed higher values for the control group from 22 hrs (F = 67.71, p = 0.0001) until 6am (F = 80.35, p = 0.0001). Discussion and conclusion The results reflect the decreased parasympathetic influence in patients with FM. This confirms the participation of parasympathetic nervous system in the pathophysiology of FM.

Funcionamiento familiar, creencias e inteligencia emocional en pacientes con trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo y sus familiares / Family functioning, beliefs regarding illness and emotional intelligence in patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and in their relatives

Mental health problems, specifically mental disorders, develop from a complex system and not from a single cause. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects more than 2% of the population and generally the course of the illness is insidious and chronic. When functioning adequately, family constitutes a very important resource to face health problems and to help to improve the patient's life quality. This is the reason why it is important to underline the relevance of a stable, good functioning of the family system aimed at attaining an optimal development of all its members. Such development may be hindered by the family's incapability to modify functioning patterns at crucial moments when they are trapped in a series of inadaptable interactions which prevent to give specific solutions to the problems that are appearing, and when reporting, within a context of expressed emotion, an emotional over-involvement and high levels of hostility and criticism towards the member with OCD. Family accommodation is a phenomenon typical of families where the identified patient exerts a control based on aggressiveness when his/her wishes are not rewarded within the group. There are very few researches on the functioning of families of patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Generally, these researches are related with the partially negative effects that the interactions have on the behavior of patients and their relatives by preventing or hindering the development of the subject's system. The accordance between the patient's emotional regulation or emotional intelligence and their relatives has not been studied. On the other hand, the knowledge of the beliefs that relatives hold regarding the illness may be related with the functioning of the group as a family, whereas beliefs will provide consistency to family life because they provide continuity between past, present and future. They are also a way to address new and ambiguous situations such as mental illness. This is the reason why getting to know these family systems may allow elaborating more specific and effective intervention programs for groups and families. Objective To determine the family types through a member identified with obsessive-compulsive disorder; to compare the emotional intelligence profile between patients and relatives according to the perceived type of family; to compare the relatives' beliefs toward the illness according to the perceived type of family. Material and methods A sample of patients and their families with obsessive-compulsive disorder was obtained from those who were sent by the doctor in charge of their treatment to participate in a model of group therapy for OCD, consisting of cognitive behavioral theory, practices and psychoeducation. During the first session patients and their relatives answered the following instruments: Family Adjustment and Cohesion scales (FACES-II) by Olson, Profile of Emotional Intelligence (PIEMO) by Cortés et al., Beck Inventory of Anxiety. Relatives answered too the Beliefs and Attributions Questionnaire by Salorio et al. In addition, data on family structure was complied. The sample was constituted by 48 patients and 61 relatives. All instruments were self-applied. Once that the type was obtained according to the Olson's circumflex model, the emotional profile, the anxious and the depressive symptoms were compared through factorial 2x3 ANOVA. Beliefs and attributions were compared through simple ANOVA. Results Three types of families were determined as follows: high cohesion with chaotic standards for expressing emotions and ideas; high cohesion with a rigid expression of ideas and emotions; low cohesion with a little expression of ideas and emotions. Different profiles of emotional intelligence were found not only for patients but also for relatives, in each family type. Families with high cohesion and high adjustment appear as most emotionally intelligent, less anxious and depressed, and with beliefs more attuned to reality. This type of family function was the less frequent. For beliefs and illness attributions, it was observed that comprehension of the disorder increases in proportion to a higher family adaptation, while the tendency of family members to experience feelings of guilt either towards themselves or towards the patient is decreased. As a result, the perception of experiencing the patient's illness as a nuisance disappears. With regard to the results of the Beck scales, family members perceived a high cohesion and low adaptation had higher scores for depression and anxiety. In patients who show high levels of depression and anxiety perceive family functioning as a rigid structure, with little prospect of change and interaction that prevents growth (high cohesion, low adaptation), and in those perceived isolation, without significant emotional ties with other family members and with the rigidity that prevents problem situations. Conclusions The results obtained are congruent with Olson's statements in regard to family functioning in the specific case of obsessive- compulsive disorder; these findings permit to understand the family dynamics which may typify the symptoms in the identified patients, and also to explain the adjustment situation described in literature. Family intervention is justified, stressing the handling of emotions as an important element to be considered in order to obtain higher therapeutic benefits for the patient. This study found differences in adjustment between patients and their families, do not perceive the need for flexibility in the operation of the system to find solutions that do not perpetuate and sustain interactions that reinforce symptoms. As for depression and anxiety, similar levels in either condition may be observed, thus confirming the close relationship between both. It was found that in patients and relatives, higher levels of family adaptation correspond to lower levels of depressive and anxious symptoms. One of the first approaches to the dynamics of these systems must be headed towards the family systems of beliefs, as the ideas that family members hold regarding the importance of their participation in the whole process of the illness has an impact in its course. Many families have rigid systems that make them more vulnerable to the fluctuations that this illness presents since for their members it is important and decisive to have control over the ailment. Families with flexible systems of beliefs are more prone to experience losses with a feeling of acceptance and therefore it is easier for them to let their members to implement changes in their functioning, thus compensating and overcoming their limitations. In this sense it is important to attain a therapeutic collaboration relationship that may create within the family a sense of realistic control and may help also to put into action the system's capabilities to promote improvement. This idea allows for openness in the system that may lead it to consider that there are more efficient operational measures that those applied to date.

Los problemas de salud mental y específicamente los trastornos mentales se desarrollan a partir de un complejo sistema biopsicosocial y difícilmente se puede identificar una causa única. El trastorno obsesivo compulsivo (TOC) afecta a más de 2% de la población y en general el curso de la enfermedad es insidioso y crónico. La familia es un importante recurso para enfrentar los problemas de salud y facilitar el mejoramiento de la calidad de vida del paciente, cuando su funcionamiento es adecuado. Existen pocas investigaciones realizadas sobre el funcionamiento de las familias de pacientes diagnosticados con trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo. Generalmente estas investigaciones están relacionadas con los efectos potencialmente negativos que dichas interacciones tienen en las conductas de pacientes y familiares que impiden u obstaculizan el desarrollo del sistema y de los individuos. La concordancia de la regulación emocional o inteligencia emocional de los pacientes y sus familiares no ha sido estudiada. Por otra parte el conocimiento de las creencias sobre la enfermedad por parte de los familiares puede estar relacionado con el funcionamiento del grupo como familia. Es por ello que el conocimiento de estos sistemas familiares podrá permitir estructurar programas de intervención grupal o familiar más específicos y eficaces. Objetivo Determinar la tipología de las familias con un miembro identificado con trastorno obsesivo compulsivo, comparando tres aspectos: 1) El perfil de inteligencia emocional entre pacientes y familiares según el tipo de familia percibido. 2) La ansiedad y depresión entre pacientes y familiares según el tipo de familia percibido y 3) Las creencias de los familiares hacia la enfermedad según el tipo de familia percibido. Material y métodos Se obtuvo una muestra de pacientes y sus familiares con trastorno obsesivo compulsivo (TOC) los que fueron enviados por su médico tratante a participar en el modelo terapéutico grupal para TOC, que consiste en Teoría y Técnicas cognitivo conductuales y psicoeducativas. Durante la primera sesión los pacientes y sus familiares acompañantes contestaron los siguientes instrumentos: Escala de cohesión y adaptación familiar (FACES-II) de Olson et al., Perfil de Inteligencia Emocional (PIEMO 2000) de Cortés et al., Inventario de Ansiedad de Beck, Inventario de depresión de Beck. Los familiares contestaron además el Cuestionario de Creencias y Atribuciones sobre la enfermedad de Salorio et al. Además se recabaron datos sobre la estructura familiar. La muestra se conformó por 48 pacientes y 61 familiares. Todos los instrumentos fueron autoaplicados. Una vez obtenida la tipología según el modelo circumplejo de Olson se compararon el perfil emocional y los síntomas ansiosos y depresivos por medio de ANOVA factorial 2x3. Las creencias y atribuciones se compararon por medio de ANOVA simple. Resultados Se determinaron tres tipos de familia: 1. Las de alta cohesión con lineamientos caóticos para la expresión de emociones e ideas. 2. Las de alta cohesión con rigidez en la expresión de ideas y emociones y 3. Las de baja cohesión con escasa expresión de ideas y emociones. Se encontraron perfiles de inteligencia emocional diferentes tanto para pacientes como para familiares en cada uno de los tipos de familia. Las familias con alta cohesión y adaptación se manifiestan como las más inteligentes emocionalmente, menos ansiosas y deprimidas y con creencias más apegadas a la realidad. Sin embargo, este grupo fue el menos frecuente. Conclusiones Los resultados obtenidos son coherentes con los planteamientos de Olson en relación al funcionamiento de las familias. En el caso específico del trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo estos hallazgos permiten entender la dinámica familiar que pudiera caracterizar el mantenimiento de la sintomatología en los pacientes identificados. La intervención familiar es un elemento importante a considerar para obtener mayores beneficios terapéuticos para el paciente.

La fibromialgia: ¿un Síndrome Somático Funcional o una nueva conceptualización de la histeria? Análisis cuali-cuantitativo

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Summary During the decade of 1880, Paul Briquet made a well detailed description of a syndrome named after him, characterized by a series of unexplainable medical symptoms that appeared in a hideous way, with clinical curse and without the paroxysmal seizures mentioned by Charcot in his description of hysteria. Nevertheless, all the patients that showed these symptoms were diagnosed as hysteric. Nowadays, the clinical scenery is substituting the term of hysteria in favour of its components and giving it different names such as dissociative disorder, conversive disorder, and disorder caused by somatic symptoms of somatoform. Other terms such as "functional somatic syndrome" or "medically unexplainable symptoms" have been added to the list. In spite of these denominations no explanation has been given to the etiology of hysteria. Each medical specialty has to contend with some functional somatic syndrome: gastroenterology presents irritable colon; cardiology, precordial pain; neurology, tensional cephalalgia; stomatology presents tempomandibular dysfunction, and ginecology, chronic pelvic pain. Lumbar pain is present in orthopedia, chronic fatigue in cases of infectiousness, and finally, in rheumatology, there is fibromyalgia. In spite of their differences, these symptoms have some likenesses: they are associated to depression and anxiety, and have a high comorbidity with personality disorders; patients show major emotional distress, they share stories of either psychological, physical or sexual abuse during childhool, and suffer from some type of chronic pain. Although having visited several specialists in their search for explanations and treatment, results have been poor and patients have been labelled, in a pejorative way, as hysteric or hypochondriac. When diagnosed with any of these syndromes, patients' stress is reduced while having to face the invisible, uncontrollable and unpredictable fact implied by suffering from the symptoms that are typical. In particular, fibromyalgia assembles all the characteristics mentioned above. Turk and Cathébras proposed that establishment and exacerbation of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia (pain and fatigue) still constitute and model of respondent conditioning and that repeated exposure to certain stimulus generalizes learning. Also, they affirm that the same symptoms create later a cycle that perpetuates fibromyalgia. Once that symptom have been installed and strengthened, patients avoid all kind of activities, they get involved in legal procedures to obtain leave or else, they look for labour prerogatives. Besides, patients with fibromyalgia show the classic behaviour described for hysteria: "belle indifference", secondary advantages, dramatizing, blaming for their sufferings events which are out of their daily routine, and scarce tolerance. The purpose of this study is to present quantitatively, in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia, the following agents: symptoms severity, prevalent personality, comorbidity with personality disorders, and degree of severity of depression and anxiety. Qualitatively, we wish to demonstrate the presence of the cycle that sustains the given symptoms. Participants: Ten patients with fibromyalgia participated in our study, 9 women and 1 man, diagnosed according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology, aged 37.9 ± 8.8 and with a medium time of evolution of 3 (2-23) years. Quantitative variables: Physical status and syndrome's severity were assessed using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ); for personality, disorders were evaluated with the Revised Personality Diagnose Questionnaire (PDQ-R); depression, with Beck's Inventory, and anxiety with Spielberger's Trait State Inventory. Qualitative theoretical focus: Life experiences narrated by patients in their daily record of events, emotions and thoughts associated with pain, are presented. Procedure: All patients were evaluated individually at the beginning of a cognitive behavioural intervention. Qualitative data was obtained from daily records kept during at least three weeks or a maximum of 12. Texts were transcribed and the words most mentioned were identified, as well as those scarcely reported, thus propitiating descriptive categories. Results: The American College of Rheumatology established as one of the diagnose criteria for fibromyalgia, the presence of al least 11 of a total of 18 hypersensitive sites. Patients presented in average 16.3 ± 2.5 painful sites. Incapability was measured by patients in 2.3 ± 2.2 in a scale of 0 to 3 points; they reported to have felt well 1.1 ± 1.2 days per week; they didn't work 1.0 ± 1.1 days per week. The following measures are reported in scale from 1 to 10 points. Laboural interference was calculated in 7.3 ± 2.3; intensity of pain was 8.1 ± 1.4, day long fatigue, 8.4 ± 1.9, morning fatigue was 8.5 ± 2.3. Rigidity was 7.5 ± 3.0; anxiety perceived, 7.5 ± 2.6 (FIQ), and anxiety state along 12 weeks was 38.5 ± 10.3. Anxiety trait during the same period was 50.9 ± 9.7; perceived depression, 6.9 ± 3.4 (FIQ), and cognitive depression 14.7 ± .5. In the scale of personality it was found that six patients reached punctuations higher than T60 in neuroticism, and two other punctuated below T40 in extroversion. Regarding personality disorders it was found an average for 1.8 ± 1.1 disorders per patient; those more frequent were the following: histrionic (4), borderline (3), passive aggressive (2) and schizoid (2). Qualitative data support the existence of the typical symptoms described for hysteria. Conclusions: According to the results obtained from the quantitative analysis of this group of patients with fibromyalgia, we can conclude that they suffer from a disorder that generates major incapability accompanied of pain and fatigue. Nevertheless, their personality characteristics show that they have high levels of neuroticism with presence of personality disorders and at the same time important levels of depression and anxiety, predominating in the former, anxiety as a trait. Manifestations described by patients in their daily record of events, emotions and thoughts associated with pain and fatigue, confirm the presence of the classic symptoms that typified the construct of hysteria. These patients are vulnerable to their surroundings, have a story of childhood sufferings, and assumed an adult role from a very early age. Symptoms appear to be the only mechanism which at a given moment in life allowed them to get rid of the responsibilities that burdened them from childhood. Unfortunately, this symptom was associated to their environment, according to the laws of learning. It is concluded that fibromyalgia, as nosologic entity accomplishes the characteristics of hysteria, although as etiology it is established by learning.