Table 2.
Symptoms, associated disorders and prescribed drugs
| Symptoms , n (%) | All cases n = 97 | Normal mucosa (Marsh stage 0) n = 39 | Lymphocytic enteritis (Marsh stage 1) n = 58 | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widespread soft-tissue pain | 97 (100) | 39 (100) | 58 (100) | 1.000 |
| Digestive complaints † | 97 (100) | 39 (100) | 58 (100) | 1.000 |
| Fatigue | 88 (91) | 35 (90) | 53 (91) | 0.932 |
| Sleep disturbances | 81 (83) | 29 (74) | 52 (89) | 0.087 |
| Anxiety/depression | 64 (66) | 22 (56) | 42 (72) | 0.158 |
| Skin problems ‡ | 48 (49) | 20 (51) | 28 (48) | 0.934 |
| Foggy mind | 34 (35) | 14 (36) | 20 (34) | 0.941 |
| Urinary urgency | 28 (29) | 10 (26) | 18 (31) | 0.729 |
| Balance problems/dizziness | 27 (28) | 10 (26) | 17 (29) | 0.869 |
| Chronic headaches ⊥ | 26 (27) | 5 (13) | 21 (36) | 0.021 |
| Joint stiffness | 25 (26) | 9 (23) | 16 (28) | 0.794 |
| Paraesthesias | 23 (24) | 9 (23) | 14 (24) | 0.902 |
| Associated disorders , n (%) | ||||
| Osteoporosis | 12 (12) | 2 (5) | 10 (17) | 0.144 |
| TMJ disorder | 11 (11) | 5 (13) | 6 (10) | 0.959 |
| Restless legs | 11 (11) | 3 (8) | 8 (14) | 0.547 |
| Symptom duration, years, mean (SD) | ||||
| Gastrointestinal symptoms | 29 (6) | 29 (5) | 29 (8) | 0.029 |
| Extraintestinal symptoms | 9 (2) | 9 (2) | 9 (2) | 0.501 |
| Prescribed drugs , n (%) | ||||
| Analgesics * | 79 (81) | 34 (87) | 45 (78) | 0.344 |
| Omeprazole | 76 (78) | 29 (74) | 47 (81) | 0.595 |
| Antidepressants ⊥ | 65 (67) | 25 (64) | 40 (69) | 0.780 |
| Pregabalin | 55 (57) | 19 (49) | 36 (62) | 0.275 |
| Benzodiazepines/hypnotics | 55 (57) | 20 (51) | 35 (60) | 0.500 |
| Antispasmodics/Antidiarrhoeals † | 37 (38) | 17 (38) | 33 (57) | 0.281 |
| Laxatives | 13 (13) | 10 (26) | 27 (47) | 0.062 |
†Digestive complaints consisted of a combination of at least two of the following symptoms: bloating, heartburn, epigastric pain, diffuse abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhoea (separately or alternating); ‡skin problems included: itchy/dry/burning skin, dermographism, chronic urticaria, and one case of herpetiformis dermatitis; ⊥chronic headaches encompassed: migraines, muscle tension and combination headaches; *analgesics were usually used on an irregular basis (on demand), and generally consisted of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, paracetamol, tramadol, metamizol and codeine; ⊥antidepressants: tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, other antidepressants; †antispasmodics: mebeverine and/or otilonium bromide; †antidiarrhoeals: loperamide, diphenoxylate/atropine. TMJ: temporomandibular joint.