Symptoms

This is a list of possible symptoms someone with Fibro could experience. Some symptoms come and go. Some stay for a long time. Some go into remission. And some appear years after a diagnosis. 

I have listed a few resources at the bottom of the page. 


Fibromyalgia Symptoms

• Restless leg syndrome

• Poor balance

• Delayed reactions to physical exertion or stressful events

• Other family members with fibromyalgia (genetic predisposition)

• Sweats

• Unexplained weight gain or loss

• Cravings for carbohydrate and chocolate

• Headaches & migraines

• Vision changes, including rapidly worsening vision

• Pain that ranges from mild to severe, and may move around the body (See The 7 Types of Fibromyalgia Pain)

• Morning stiffness

• Muscle twitches

• Diffuse swelling

• Fibrocystic (lumpy, tender) breasts (as an overlapping condition)

• Allergies

• Post nasal drip

• Runny nose

• Mold & yeast sensitivity

• Shortness of breath

• Earaches & itchy ears

• Ringing ears (tinitis)

• Thick secretions

• Light and/or broken sleep pattern with unrefreshing sleep

• Fatigue

• Sleep starts (falling sensations)

• Twitchy muscles at night

• Teeth grinding (bruxism)

• Menstrual problems

• PMS (as an overlapping condition)

• Loss of libido

• Impotence

• Bloating & nausea

• Abdominal cramps

• Pelvic pain

• Irritable bowel syndrome (as an overlapping condition)

• Urinary frequency

• Difficulty speaking known words, other language impairments (dysphasia)

• Directional disorientation

• Poor balance and coordination

• Paresthesias in the upper limbs (tingling or burning sensations)

• Loss of ability to distinguish some shades of colors

• Short-term memory impairment

• Confusion

• Trouble concentrating

• Staring into space before brain "kicks in"

• Inability to recognize familiar surroundings

• Sensitivity to odors

• Sensitivity to pressure changes, temperature & humidity

• Sensitivity to light

• Sensitivity to noise

• Night driving difficulty

• Sensory overload

• Panic attacks

• Depression (as an overlapping condition)

• Tendency to cry easily

• Free-floating anxiety (not associated with situation or object)

• Mood swings

• Unaccountable irritability

• Mitral valve prolapse (as an overlapping condition)

• Irregular heartbeat (arrythmia, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (as an overlapping condition)

• Pain that mimics heart attack, frequently from costochondritis (as an overlapping condition)

• Pronounced nail ridges

• Nails that curve under

• Mottled skin

• Bruising or scarring easily

• Hair loss (temporary)

• Tissue overgrowth (non-cancerous tumors called lipomas, ingrown hairs, heavy and splitting cuticles, adhesions)

• Hemorrhoids

• Nose bleeds

Fibromyalgia Tender Point Sites

• Occiput – at the suboccipital muscle insertions

• Low cervical – at the anterior aspects of the intertransverse spaces at C5-C7

• Trapezius – at the midpoint of the upper border

• Supraspinatus – at origins, above the scapula spine near the medial border

• Second rib – upper lateral to the second costochondral junction

• Lateral epicondyle – 2 cm distal to the epicondyles

• Gluteal – in upper outer quadrants of the buttocks in the anterior fold of muscle

• Greater trochanter – posterior to the trochanteric prominence

• Knee – at the medial fat pad proximal to the joint line

Conditions Related to Fibromyalgia

Research has also identified other comorbid diseases that are commonly associated with fibromyalgia. Prior to diagnosing a patient with fibromyalgia, physicians typically rule out the following conditions:

• Chronic fatigue syndrome – chronic pain accompanied with mood and sleep disturbances

• Osteoarthritis – chronic joint pain caused by loss of cartilage

• Rheumatoid arthritis – autoimmune disease that results in pain and inflammation in the joints

• Irritable bowel syndrome – abdominal pain or discomfort accompanied by diarrhea or constipation that typically lasts more than three months

• Tension/migraine headaches – recurrent headaches that typically last more than 30 minutes

• Localized myofascial pain disorder – muscular pain with fatigue and sleep disturbances

• Polymyalgia rheumatica – pain in the hips, back, shoulders, and neck that generally occurs in people over the age of 50

The American College of Rheumatology guidelines for diagnosing fibromyalgia include:

• History of widespread pain persisting for more than three months

• Pain must be localized in all four quadrants of the body (above/below the waist and on both sides of the body). Axial shoulder pain must be present along with cervical spine or chest, lower back, and thoracic spine pain.

• Pain in 11 of 18 tender points. These tender points are located in regions where muscles attach to joints, such as knees, hips, chest, elbows, biceps, shoulder blades, and buttocks

• Clinical symptoms including fatigue, stiffness, depression, anxiety, tenderness, sleep disturbances, and dyscognition

Links to check out:

aboutHealth

FMS-help

NyTimes

PositiveMed

NevadaPain