Cited by 79Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ResearchMenopause: Health Impacts and TreatmentsSexual function and dysfunction studies

Daily Fluctuations of Progesterone and Testosterone Are Associated With Fibromyalgia Pain Severity

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Schertzinger, Meredith, Wesson-Sides, Kate, Parkitny, Luke, Younger, Jarred·2018·The Journal of Pain

Abstract

The purpose of this longitudinal blood sampling study was to examine relationships between sex hormones and fibromyalgia pain. Eight women meeting case definition criteria for fibromyalgia provided venous blood samples and reported their fibromyalgia pain severity over 25 consecutive days. All women exhibited normal menstrual cycles and were not taking oral contraceptives. Cortisol, and the sex hormones estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone, were assayed from serum. A linear mixed model was used to determine if fluctuations of sex hormones were associated with changes in pain severity. In the entire sample, day to day changes in progesterone (P = .002) as well as testosterone (P = .015) were significantly and inversely correlated with pain severity. There was no relationship between estradiol and pain (P = .551) or cortisol and pain (P = .633). These results suggest that progesterone and testosterone play a protective role in fibromyalgia pain severity. Sex and other hormones may serve to increase as well as decrease fibromyalgia pain severity. PERSPECTIVE: Sex hormones fluctuate normally in women with fibromyalgia, but may still contribute to pain severity.

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  • Progesterone and testosterone, but not estradiol, seem to have a protective role in FM pain severity.

    “Fifth, progesterone and testosterone, but not estradiol, seem to have a protective role in FM pain severity [33].”
  • In female fibromyalgia patients, changes in progesterone and testosterone during the menstrual cycle have an inverse correlation with pain intensity.

    “In female FM patients, changes in progesterone and testosterone during the menstrual cycle have shown an inverse correlation with pain intensity [33].”

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Authors
Schertzinger, M., Wesson-Sides, K., Parkitny, L., & Younger, J.
Affiliations
University of Alabama at Birmingham (US)
Corresponding author
Younger, Jarred
Venue
The Journal of Pain
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-04
Volume
19
Issue
4
Pages
410-417
ISSN
1526-5900 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2774870377
Cited by
79
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 1
FWCI
3.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Pain (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • St Andrews Research Repository (St Andrews Research Repository) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (UL1TR001417)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI107655)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
Keywords
fibromyalgia, pain intensity, progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, cortisol, sex hormones, women
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Female, Fibromyalgia, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Progesterone, Severity of Illness Index, Testosterone, Likelihood Functions, Linear Models, Young Adult

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