Fibromyalgia-Solution.com

The online solution guide for fibromyalgia

Signs and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia: What are they?

     Believe it or not, signs and symptoms can vary depending on the weather, stress, physical activity or even the time of the day.  Let’s look at common signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia.  The list down below points out the most common including:

• Widespread pain. Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in specific areas of your body when pressure is applied, including the back of your head, upper back and neck, upper chest, elbows, hips and knees. The pain of fibromyalgia has no boundaries.  The pain generally persists for months at a time and is often accompanied by stiffness. Frequently, the pain and stiffness may get worse in the morning and you may find muscle groups that are used repetitively more painful than other ones.

• Fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired and un-refreshed even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. The fatigue is often described as fatigue of the brain in which patients feel totally deprived of energy. Some studies suggest that this sleep problem is the result of a sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. So people with fibromyalgia miss the deep restorative stage of sleep. Nighttime muscle spasms in your legs and restless legs syndrome also may be associated with fibromyalgia.

Many people with this sign symptom of fibromyalgia depict this situation by saying that they feel as though their arms and legs are tied to heavy concrete blocks, and they have problems with concentration.

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).  As if having the pain, achiness, and mental confusion that accompany fibromyalgia isn’t enough, many people also suffer from irritable bowl syndrome. This is a colonic condition that, very simply put, causes the person to alternate between having constipation and diarrhea.  The constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating associated with IBS are common in people with fibromyalgia. You can’t either go at all, or you’re constantly running to the bathroom.  Interestingly enough, IBS is more prominent among women.

• Headaches and facial pain. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have headaches and facial pain that may be related to tenderness or stiffness in their neck and shoulders. Recurrent migraine or tension-type headaches are observed in about 70% of patients suffering from symptoms of fibromyalgia and can pose a major problem to deal with for this group of patients.  Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, which affects the jaw joints and surrounding muscles, also is common in people with fibromyalgia.

• Heightened sensitivity. It's common for people with fibromyalgia to report being sensitive to odors, noises, bright lights and touch.

Other common signs symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• Depression

• Numbness or tingling sensations in the hands and feet (paresthesia)

• Mood changes

• Chest pain

• Dry eyes, skin and mouth

• Painful menstrual periods

• Dizziness

• Anxiety

Since other conditions or disorders such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis can have similar symptoms, and may overlap fibromyalgia, your doctor or specialist should be able to order tests to confirm or rule out other conditions.