Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain around the body. The pain stems from a problem in the way the nervous system processes pain signals. Fibromyalgia also causes symptoms like tiredness, depression, and mental fog.
Doctors may not immediately consider fibromyalgia when evaluating these types of symptoms, because pain is also common with many other conditions. That’s one reason why it takes an average of five years for people with this disorder to get diagnosed.
Knowing the type and location of your pain, and what other symptoms you have, can help your doctor arrive at a diagnosis. The faster you get diagnosed, the sooner you can get started on a treatment to relieve your symptoms. Fibromyalgia has many symptoms that tend to vary from person to person. The main symptom is widespread pain.
Symptoms
Widespread pain
One of the main fibromyalgia symptoms is likely to be widespread pain. This may be felt throughout your body, but could be worse in particular areas, such as your back or neck. The pain is likely to be continuous, although it may be better or more severe at different times.
Simply put, you ache all over. Common symptoms include:
Muscle pain, burning, twitching, or tightness
Low pain threshold or tender points
Draining fatigue
Trouble concentrating and remembering, called "fibro fog"
Insomnia or not sleeping well
Feeling nervous, worried, or depressed
Fibromyalgia can feel similar to osteoarthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis. But rather than hurting in a specific area, the pain and stiffness could be throughout your body. Other fibro symptoms can include:
Belly pain, bloating, queasiness, constipation, and diarrhea
Headaches
Dry mouth, nose, and eyes
Sensitivity to cold, heat, light, or sound
Peeing more often
Numbness or tingling in your face, arms, hands, legs, or feet
Risk factors for fibromyalgia include:
Your sex. Fibromyalgia is diagnosed more often in women than in men.
Family history. You may be more likely to develop fibromyalgia if a parent or sibling also has the condition.
Other disorders. If you have osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, you may be more likely to develop fibromyalgia.
Treatments for fibromyalgia symptoms
Three drugs are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating fibromyalgia:
duloxetine (Cymbalta)
milnacipran (Savella)
pregabalin (Lyrica)
Cymbalta and Savella are antidepressants. They work by altering levels of chemicals in the brain and spinal cord that control the transmission of pain signals. Lyrica is an antiseizure drug. It stops the nerve cells involved in pain signaling from becoming overactive. Other types of antidepressants and antiseizure drugs may also be effective in treating fibromyalgia.
Alternative therapies
Some people with fibromyalgia try complementary or alternative treatments, such as:
acupuncture
massage
manipulation
aromatherapy
There's little scientific evidence that such treatments help in the long term. But some people find certain treatments help them relax and feel less stressed, allowing them to cope with their condition better. Research into some complementary medicines, such as plant extracts, has found they're not effective in treating fibromyalgia.
If you decide to use any complementary or herbal remedies, check with your GP first. Some remedies can react unpredictably with other medication or make it less effective.
