That is the message from a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Management in April 2018. Moreover, it found a startling high rate of co-occurrence of these conditions.
Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain disorder. it is associated with musculoskeletal pain. Moreover, there are other symptoms including chronic fatigue, problems sleeping, dizziness, sensitivity to light.
Furthermore, many people also experience problems with thinking or remembering. A symptom that is known as “fibro fog.
Other Diseases Can Come Along for the Ride
Fibromyalgia is not well understood, but one thing researchers know is that it is often accompanied by other medical conditions. Moreover, those that are known include depression, anxiety, interstitial cystitis (a bladder condition), and irritable bowel syndrome.
That is where this study comes in. Researchers from the University of Pretoria in South Africa began noticing that some adults with fibromyalgia suffered from extreme forms of impaired cognition and inattention.
Roland van Rensburg, a physician with the university, wondered whether those people with fibromyalgia who had more extreme fibro fog symptoms might actually have undiagnosed ADHD.
“In both conditions, patients have problems with thinking, remembering, focusing, or sustaining attention, which is generically termed dyscognition or cognitive impairment,” he says.
What is Fibro-ADHD Study Found?
In this study, more than 100 people with fibromyalgia were screened for adult ADH. Moreover, a screening questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) was taken. Furthermore, items on this 18-question screening tool include these queries:
- How often do you make careless mistakes when you have to work on a boring or difficult project?
- How often do you have difficulty finding things at home or at work?
- When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay getting started?
Participants also had their cognition evaluated. Moreover, almost half of the participants had both conditions
What is Fibro-ADHD Study Found?
In this study, more than 100 people with fibromyalgia were screened for adult ADH. Moreover, a screening questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) was taken. Furthermore, items on this 18-question screening tool include these queries:
- How often do you make careless mistakes when you have to work on a boring or difficult project?
- How often do you have difficulty finding things at home or at work?
- When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay getting started?
Participants also had their cognition evaluated. Moreover, almost half of the participants had both conditions.
