Affiliations: [a] Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA | [b] Pain Associates of Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, SC, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: William G. Kee, Ph.D., Suite B, 1341 Old Georgetown Rd, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464, USA. Tel.: +1 843 216 9870 #2; Fax: +1 843 216 9872; E-mail: keewg@aol.com
Abstract: 22 subjects were screened for either mild or moderate depression on the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI) and primary idiopathic fibromyalgia out of a pool of 136. Subjects had one week of washout from medications. Subjects then were treated for 6 weeks with citalopram 20–40 mg. Measures taken at baseline, end of washout week and end of study included: BDI, Visual Analog Scale for pain, McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), Sleep Questionnaire, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Pressure Threshold Gauge for Tender Points and Activity Diary. No consistent differences on independent variables were seen between subjects who completed the study and those who dropped out or between depressed and non-depressed patients. Regression analyses did not indicate any consistent relationship between subject variables and measures used in the study. Subject change during the 6 week medication trial showed significant improvement on: VAS scores, MPQ, FIQ, sleep, 4 tender points, 2 control points and pooled tender point score. Depressed subjects showed greater improvement than non-depressed. A maximum of 41.9% of the change in pain was attributable to depression leaving over 50% attributable to other factors. The study indicates that citalopram is effective in making changes in the symptoms of fibromyalgia beyond changes seen in mood.
