Effects of Intravenous Lidocaine Treatment on Sleep and Quality of Life in Fibromyalgia: An Observational Study

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a psychosocial disorder characterized by widespread body pain, sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, and fatigue, impairing patients' quality of life. It is more common in middle-aged women, but its prevalence is 2% in the general population. Genetic factors, peripheral and central sensitization, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, and hypothalamic-pituitary axis dysregulation are thought to play important roles in its pathophysiology. In FM patients, decreased levels of norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, and some other neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and cerebrospinal fluid have been observed . Complaints in FM patients vary considerably. The pain often begins localized and progresses to widespread body pain. Physical examination frequently reveals allodynia and hyperalgesia. Irritable bowel syndrome, depression, primary headaches, restless leg syndrome, Reynoud phenomenon, dry mouth, palpitations, allergic conditions, sexual dysfunction, dysmenorrhea, chronic fatigue syndrome, and anxiety disorder may accompany the condition. While these diagnoses are also considered in the differential diagnosis, their presence does not exclude the diagnosis of FM. The 2016 revised American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria are frequently used for diagnosis. A multimodal approach is applied to treatment. These approaches include lifestyle changes, exercise, meditation, balneotherapy, yoga, psychotherapies, medical, and interventional methods. Antidepressants are often preferred for medical treatment. Patients' noncompliance with medication and side effects contribute to medical treatment failure. Acupuncture, dry needling, trigger point injections, and some complementary medicine methods are interventional methods . In recent years, particularly in chronic pain management, intravenous (IV) methods are thought to reduce both peripheral and central sensitization. Intravenous drug therapies for chronic pain have been reported to be b