Important: This article may arouse emotions including despair. If afflicted with intolerable, chronic pain then I suggest discussing these issues with your support network.

Fibromyalgia (FM) pioneer Prof Fred Wolfe looked up the endgame result for 8,000 fibromites and 10,000 osteoarthritis sufferers over a period of up to 35 years. Neither condition showed increased mortality overall, but for those 15 with FM who succumbed to suicide this risk was treble the national average.  His report is similar to one in Denmark reporting a six-fold increased risk, and not unlike the outcomes found from tracking registry CFIDS for Chronic Fatigue. Some insights can be found from a survey on symptoms of pain and Quality of Life which shows medical professionals failing to validate their illness to be the major determinant of poor subjective score.

Women’s Healthy Aging Project (WHAP) has tracked a cohort of 440 in Melbourne for 25 years to study disease impact on Quality Affected Life-Years. Although musculoskeletal has been included in scope (above the red line), requests for any available research rheumatologist to partake have been unfruitful.

Leaving aside the prioritised ranking of #8 (a Dutch burden report puts it up at #1, and cancer as #8), this is remarkable since Monash homes the Cochrane evidence base for musculoskeletal. Their collation of clinical guidelines by 700 active health care professionals, researchers and consumer representatives is a task shared with Ottawa, however the Canadian Govt recently pulled funding to Tugwell’s team. Although this group claims to be inclusive of FM, there’s no reviews of treatment efficacy published. Those are instead posted on the Pain, Palliative, and Supportive Care (PaPaS) group site, where 16 interventions are evaluated. Repeat – there’s no consideration given to treating FM syndrome, but focus is wholly upon symptomatic pain relief. In perpetuity, which makes the FM meds market rather attractive and trial sponsorship good business sense.

A challenge was issued to PaPaS editorial manager Prof Andrew Moore re the inclusion of a Pfizer employee, Dawn Carroll, in a 2009 ‘independent’ review of Pfizer products Lyrica and Neurontin (considered as helpful: “For gabapentin and pregabalin only we found reasonably good second tier evidence for efficacy” in the latest version). His reply was thoughtful and extensive, particularly in regard to their recent policy decision to segregate FM from neuropathic pain. This decision isolating distinct conditions is at odds with our TGA & PBS approvals for Lyrica/pregabalin for neuralgia but not FM – despite being the most commonly prescribed treatment. Further insanity is shown in the single approved med for FM, the SNRI (anti-depressant) milnacipran not actually being distributed in Australia.

But I can’t help but be troubled by their letter to the BMJ dismissing Dr Des Spence’s criticism of Cymbalta (and he’s someone who’s also skeptical of Lyrica’s benefit). Prof Moore reveals that he’s paid as a consultant by Eli-Lilly, the manufacturer of Cymbalta. Examination of publications reveals that Robert A Moore is the same person – the moniker varies depending on whether writing as an independent or apologist for a drug company.

Hope comes from bold rheumatologists who offer scrip for Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs in FM, and patient communities who share their experiences. Over 100,000 fibromite subscribers to one site donate their data in hopes of cure or remission. 1.6% are on a DMARD (including the aggressive biological agents). There’s no formal trials ever run on these drugs suitability, this is instead totally circumventing a broken system. For other solutions, see here.