Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain, tenderness and a whole host of other symptoms. The pain and fatigue that are associated with Fibromyalgia are debilitating and relentless, but this chronic invisible illness involves so much more than that. So many are unaware of the multitude of Fibromyalgia symptoms and the effects they have on day-to-day living.
PAIN SYMPTOMS
The most prominent symptoms of Fibromyalgia include pain. The pain can manifest in many ways such as burning, stabbing, aching, numbness and tingling. Pain symptoms include headaches, tender points or trigger points, muscle pain, muscle twitching, muscle weakness, paralysis or severe weakness of an arm or leg, joint pain, TMJ syndrome and chest pain. The chest pain can be so severe that it feels like a heart attack.
BASIC SYMPTOMS
The basic symptoms of Fibromyalgia are fatigue that is made worse by stress or physical exertion, recurrent flu-like illness, sore throat, hoarseness, tender or swollen lymph nodes, shortness of breath, frequent sighing, tremor or trembling, severe nasal allergies, cough and night sweats. Other basic symptoms are low-grade fevers, feeling cold or hot often, cold hands and feet, low body temperature (below 97.6), heart palpitations, dry eyes and mouth, increased thirst and symptoms worsened by temperature changes, air travel and stress.
NEOROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
It was recently in the news that researchers have found a neurological connection to fibromyalgia. Neurological symptoms include lightheadedness, inability to think clearly (also known as brain fog or Fibro fog), seizures, seizure-like episodes, fainting, dizziness, numbness or tingling sensations, ringing in one or both ears, sensitivity to light and noise intolerance. Other symptoms are feeling spatially disoriented, balance difficulty, clumsy walking, dropping things frequently, difficulty judging distances and difficulty seeing what you are looking at.
COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS
The cognitive symptoms can be the most frustrating. They include difficulty with simple calculations, difficulty finding the right word, using the wrong word, difficulty expressing ideas in words, difficulty moving your mouth to speak, slowed speech, stuttering or stammering, inability to concentrate, easily distracted during a task, difficulty paying attention, difficulty following a conversation when there is background noise, losing your train of thought in the middle of a sentence and difficulty putting tasks or things in proper sequence. Those with Fibromyalgia may also experience short-term memory loss, long-term memory loss, forgetting how to do routine things, difficulty understanding what you read, verbal dyslexia, written dyslexia, difficulty remembering names of objects or people, difficulty recognizing faces, difficulty following written or verbal instructions, poor judgment, difficulty making decisions, difficulty following directions when driving, becoming lost when driving and feeling too disoriented to drive.
GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS
Gastrointestinal symptoms are stomachache and cramps, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, frequent diarrhea and constipation, bloating, decreased or increased appetite, food cravings and weight gain or weight loss.
EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS
Fibromyalgia greatly affects a person’s mood. Emotional symptoms are depression, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, frequent crying, feeling helpless and hopeless, inability to enjoy previously enjoyed activities, anxiety, irritability and overreaction, anger outbursts, unpredictable mood swings, phobias and personality changes. It’s important to note that Fibromyalgia causes depression. Depression does not cause Fibromyalgia.
SLEEP SYMPTOMS
Sleep symptoms include excessive sleeping, unrefreshing or non-restorative sleep, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep and vivid or disturbing dreams or nightmares. The sleep symptoms of Fibromyalgia can be some of the most frustrating because without a good night’s sleep, the body can’t rest and this causes the pain to become even more unbearable.
SENSITIVITIES
Fibromyalgia causes you to be more sensitive to just about everything. You become more sensitive to medications, odors from cleaning products, exhaust fumes, colognes, hairsprays, etc., and foods. Those with Fibromyalgia may also experience Alcohol intolerance and an alteration of taste, smell and hearing.
OTHER
Other symptoms of Fibromyalgia include rashes or sores, eczema or psoriasis, hair loss, mitral valve prolapse, cancer, dental problems, gum disease, canker sores, eye pain, changes in visual acuity, difficulty switching focus from one thing to another, blind spots in vision, hemorrhoids, nose bleeds, frequent urination, painful urination or bladder pain, prostate pain, impotence, Endometriosis, worsening of PMS and decreased sex drive.
Fibromyalgia is difficult to treat and even harder to understand. All of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia make it extremely difficult for people to believe you and this makes coping with this invisible illness all the more harder. The symptoms are real. Fibromyalgia is real.

13 comments:

Fibromyalgia is considered an arthritis-related condition. The connective tissue surrounding each muscle of the body.


Fibromyalgia symptoms

 

Fibromyalgia Symptoms are somewhat elusive, because the levels of symptoms vary between patients. Doctors are still studying the condition to determine exactly what causes fibromyalgia and what can be done to cure it.

 

I am also suffering with PCOS and Fibro. Thank you for a nice compilation of information : )

 

I've been so afraid it was something serious. :) Jk. Laughter is great medicine��

 

I was trying to find out if the seizures I've had were due to Fibromyalgia, since they have said it's not Epilepsy. The pain and headaches are bad enough, now I'm dealing with brain fog(I hid my daughters Christmas gifts from myself! )memory loss and seizures are awful! Thank you for this informative blog.

 

They might be from excess insulin production. Fibros tend to have low blood sugar. A blood test for insulin and c peptide will reveal.

 

We often produce too much insulin. That can cause seizures. A blood test for insulin and c peptide will reveal.

 

Its a horrible disease to deal with. My daughter who is 22 has suffered for 6 years+, been awful, her allergies are really bad, antihistamines do not work, any ideas on how she can cope, or anything that might work? Many thanks.

 

Can I ask where you retrieved all this info? My issue from friends and even family has always been, where's the scientific proof to back it up. I would love to share your post, but I know they will ask me that question.
Is there any way you could post your sources so I could say, see...there! Lol!
Thanks,
K

 

Thank you for putting together such a list. Now it will be easy to read off to the next person that asks what's wrong with me...lol. I've found the best Med for fibro is laughter. As long as you are laughing, you aren't crying. And anyone with fibro has the right to cry...scream...rant....rave....whatever. I was diagnosed 16 years ago and my condition continues to deteriorate. Recently I've been experiencing those seizures. Sometimes only from the hips down, other times it's the complete body. I've discovered two ways to notice an episode coming on. One, I'll start feeling what I describe as "waves of pain." It just feels like pain washing over you time and again. The second one is I'll start shaking really bad, especially in my hands. I also have hypoglycemia, but I can tell the difference between the two. This gives me the time to lay down and stretch out before the "seizure" hits. I hope these little insights might help others because there is one thing I know for sure...they aren't "in my head"!!
Michelle

 

I have Severe fibro. I am 35/f and got it after giving birth. I got in an accident about 6 yrs ago and life has not been the same since. I get fibro pain but more dibilitating is the attacks I get everyday. I wake up and my legs are so weak i cant hardly walk. It starts as soon as i get up then i get to tgr point where it feels like im having a stroke. I get dizzy, off balance, a feeling like im drugged and fughting for my life. It has even attacked my breathing. These episodes are there there all the time but are the worst with a fibro flare. I am having one now. It has been three weeks and no matter what i do it will not go away. I have horrible head, neck, shoulder, hip, knee, back, hand,wrist pain just to name a few...lol. i cannot seem to wake up but dont fall asleep dyring the day. What i want to know and am desperate to get help with is these outta jo where attacks like im having a stroke. I cant eveb talk, think, my body cannot stand up , i HAVE to get to safety fast! Its been the worst flare up of my 15 yrs of this and im scared to death! I was just trying to cook for my daughter( that i cant take care of anymore cuz i cant work) and all of the sudden i felt so bloody strange and total body weakness and exhastion i fell to the floor! I even start drooling! Plz can someone tell me if they get this???!!! I have seen a neurologist and all they say is " muscle atrophy" idk why. Not a heart issue either and have had every test possible! Lymes, ms.... so on. I feel like im being ruphied or poisoned everyday!!! Plz help. This has taken my daughter from me and i cannot work. Also .. i am not having an anxiety attack. Ive had tgem and this is not that. I am not worried or havin a panic attack.i also cant think , bump into things, drop things, slur, and cant walk in a straight line. If anyone knows a group ir place for me to go for support or advice plz let me know. Thnx for reading,
Miss my life.

 

Don't forget voice loss. This is my most recent symptom. I lost my voice for 6 weeks in Feb and it has never been the same since. I find it painful to talk, my voice cuts in and out, and it sounds very raspy now. I am told that this is due to my Fibro. I have been struggling with fibro for 11 years now.

 

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