Rates of severe multiple drug intolerance syndrome up in fibromyalgia, IBS

Patients with fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have increased rates of severe multiple drug intolerance syndrome (MDIS), according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

Alicia A. Alvarez, M.D., from Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Florida, and colleagues conducted a retrospective chart review to examine the prevalence of MDIS in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia or IBS. Patients who had been seen at a large academic center were identified and matched to controls seen within the same timeframe by exact birthdate and sex.

The researchers found that compared with controls, patients with fibromyalgia and IBS were 12 and three times more likely to have severe MDIS, respectively.

In both groups, severe MDIS was associated with polypharmacy. Across all participants, opiates were the most frequently reported drug intolerance. Patients with IBS more often reported gastrointestinal symptoms as adverse reactions, while those with fibromyalgia did not report pain or behavioral changes as adverse reactions more often.

"Further evaluation is needed to understand which patients with fibromyalgia or IBS are at risk of developing MDIS and whether this can be prevented, possibly by reducing polypharmacy," the authors write.