Objective: Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder characterized by widespread muscle and joint pain, fatigue, and morning stiffness, particularly in the back, neck, shoulders, and hips. This study aims to evaluate the impact of menopause on the clinical characteristics of fibromyalgia syndrome.

Material and Method: Female patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia and followed in our outpatient clinic were included in the study. Participants completed a structured face-to-face questionnaire that included demographic data, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), which consists of the anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D) subscales.

Results: A total of 130 patients with fibromyalgia were included. Among them, 62 were premenopausal and 62 were postmenopausal. Premenopausal patients had a VAS score of 4.66 ± 2.38, SF-36 physical score of 43.38 ± 7.33, and SF-36 mental score of 41.79 ± 9.20. Postmenopausal patients had a VAS score of 6.92 ± 2.17, SF-36 physical score of 31.73 ± 7.53, and SF-36 mental score of 35.65 ± 9.05. The HADS-A and HADS-D scores were 9.85 ± 4.12 and 8.35±4.53, respectively, in the premenopausal group, and 10.16 ± 4.17 and 9.72±4.19 in the postmenopausal group, both of which fall within the borderline range, as per HADS interpretation criteria.

Conclusion: Statistically significant differences were observed in VAS, SF-36 mental and physical scores, and HADS-D scores between postmenopausal and premenopausal patients with fibromyalgia (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found in HADS-A scores (p > 0.05). These findings are generally consistent with the existing literature.