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Abstract
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Background and Aims Fibromyalgia is a non-malignant chronic pain syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and a high prevalence of comorbid anxiety and depression, presenting a significant clinical burden and a complex treatment course. Due to the often-limited efficacy of current treatment options, the medical community continues to explore novel therapeutic strategies. Lidocaine is known to be a safe and effective treatment when it is administered intravenously (IV) to produce clinically efficient analgesia in patients who suffer from a variety of pain disorders, including FM.
Methods A 66-year-old woman with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and widespread chronic pain was referred for consideration of intravenous lidocaine therapy. She had undergone multiple pharmacological interventions with limited efficacy and demonstrated intolerance to duloxetine and pregabalin. A treatment regimen of incremental-dose lidocaine infusions was proposed, with doses ranging from 2mg/kg to 5mg/kg administered over five treatment sessions. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for pain were assessed before and after each lidocaine infusion, as well as 30 days following the fifth infusion.
Results The patient reported subjective improvement in pain intensity from the treatment initiation to its completion, as demonstrated in Figure 1. This improvement appeared to be sustained at the one-month follow-up, with the patient experiencing continued pain relief and enhanced quality of life.
Conclusions Intravenous lidocaine infusions demonstrated a favorable safety profile and efficacy in the treatment of fibromyalgia, resulting in pain improvement and enhanced quality of life.
Pain evaluation with VAS over treatments