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Fibromyalgia and Chronic Daily Headache
M.F.P. Peres
Posted: March 2005  
Cephalalgia Vol. 20, Number 4

Both fibromyalgia and chronic daily headache (CDH) are very common disorders in clinical practice. The prevalence of fibromyalgia various from 0.6 to 2% in general population and from 14 t4o 20% in rheumatologic clinics. Chronic daily headache is as prevalent as fibromyalgia in general population and ranged from 40 to 65% in headache clinics.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of fibromyalgia in a chronic daily headache population, particularly transformed migraine (TM), and clinically characterize this subgroup of patients. We studied 101 consecutive patients with CDH, and TM. We analyzed age, sex, previous history of migraine, daily headaches, pain intensity, analgesic overuse, insomnia and disability. Patients with fibromyalgia (F) were compared to patients without fibromyalgia (WF). The prevalence of fibromyalgia was 35.6%. Patients were older in the F compared with the WF group. There was a female preponderance in both groups. In F group headaches were more incapacitating and patients had more insomnia when compared to the WF group. Analgesic overuse, pain intensity and previous history of migraine and daily headaches had no statistically significant difference. Fibromyalgia is a comorbid disease in CDH patients. This subgroup of patients are older, have more insomnia and more incapacitating headaches than patients without fibromyalgia.