Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Pain - The pain of fibromyalgia has no boundaries. People describe the pain as deep
muscular aching, burning, throbbing, shooting and stabbing. Quite often, the pain and
stiffness are worse in the morning and you may hurt more in muscle groups that are used
repetitively.
Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some patients and yet incapacitating in others.
The fatigue has been described as "brain fatigue" in which patients feel totally drained of
energy. Many patients depict this situation by saying that they feel as though their arms
and legs are tied to concrete blocks, and they have difficulty concentrating.
Sleep disorder - Most fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder called the
alpha-EEG anomaly. This condition was uncovered in a sleep lab with the aid of a
machine which recorded the brain waves of patients during sleep. Researchers found
that fibromyalgia syndrome patients could fall asleep without much trouble, but their
deep level (or stage 4) sleep was constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain
activity. Patients appeared to spend the night with one foot in sleep and the other one
out of it. In most cases, a physician doesn't have to order expensive sleep lab tests to
determine if you have disturbed sleep. If you wake up feeling as though you have just
been run over by a Mack truck--what doctors refer to as unrefreshed sleep--it is
reasonable for your physician to assume that you have a sleep disorder. It should be
noted that most patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome have the same
alpha-EEG sleep pattern and some fibromyalgia-diagnosed patients have been found to
have other sleep disorders, such as sleep myoclonus or PLMS (nighttime jerking of the
arms and legs), restless leg syndrome and bruxism (teeth grinding). The sleep pattern for
clinically depressed patients is distinctly different from that found in FMS or CFS.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, abdominal
gas and nausea represent symptoms frequently found in roughly 40% to 70% of
fibromyalgia patients.
Chronic headaches - Recurrent migraine or tension-type headaches are seen in about
50% of fibromyalgia patients and can pose as a major problem in coping for this patient
group.
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - This syndrome, sometimes
referred to as TMJD, causes tremendous face and head pain in one quarter of FMS
patients. However, a 1997 report indicates that as many as 90% of fibromyalgia patients
may have jaw and facial tenderness that could produce, at least intermittently,
symptoms of TMJD. Most of the problems associated with this condition are thought to
be related to the muscles and ligaments surrounding the joint and not necessarily the
joint itself.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome - Sensitivities to odors, noise, bright lights,
medications and various foods is common in roughly 50% of FMS or CFS patients.
Other common symptoms - Painful menstrual periods (dysmenorrhea), chest pain,
morning stiffness, cognitive or memory impairment, numbness and tingling sensations,
muscle twitching, irritable bladder, the feeling of swollen extremities, skin sensitivities,
dry eyes and mouth, frequent changes in eye prescription, dizziness, and impaired
coordination can occur.
Aggravating factors - Changes in weather, cold or drafty environments, hormonal
fluctuations (premenstrual and menopausal states), stress, depression, anxiety and
over-exertion can all contribute to symptom flare-ups.
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