The importance of lactic acid in migraines and fibromyalgia

Abstract

Background: Lactic acid is a byproduct of both muscle metabolism and the central nervous system. Changes in metabolism are related to various physiological and pathological conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between migraine and fibromyalgia with the levels of lactic acid in the blood.

Methods: We study of 93 patients was divided into five groups: 1) patients with fibromyalgia (n=20); 2) episodic migraine (n=20); 3) chronic migraine (n=20); 4) fibromyalgia and episodic migraine (n= 13); and 5) fibromyalgia and chronic migraine (n=20), and 20 healthy subjects (control group). Blood levels of lactic acid were measured at four different time points: at rest, during aerobic exercise, during anaerobic physical activity and while resting after anaerobic exercise.

Results: Lactic acid increased in all groups during anaerobic physical activity without predominance for either group. During aerobic physical activity, all groups increased lactic acid levels, but the increase was more expressive in the chronic migraine group and the chronic migraine with fibromyalgia group without statistical significance.

Conclusions: We did not found abnormalities involving the metabolism of lactic acid in episodic and chronic migraine with or without fibromyalgia.

Keywords: Chronic migraine; Enxaqueca crônica; Enxaqueca episódica; Episodic migraine; Fibromialgia; Fibromyalgia; Lactic acid; Ácido láctico.