Knowing the New Signs & Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is commonly seen with people of age 30 to 40 years. It is a condition where people experience chronic pain in some part of the body.
These pains come with no reason and is not easily treatable with continuous medication.
There are many controversies and discussions about the actual cause of fibromyalgia. The signs and symptoms also change from one person to another based on their body condition.
For some people it can also combine with any primary disease that they have. Fibromyalgia is not easily curable but there are some methods available that can help in keeping the condition under control.
Most of these treatments are merely an experienced shared from the people who already have fibromyalgia.
Understanding the reason for fibromyalgia is very difficult. Even the researchers are not sure about why this condition is seen commonly in people.
It is also seen that women report fibromyalgia to their doctors more compared to that of men.
It is another unsolvable mystery on why this is very common on women compared to men.
Pain the most known symptom of fibromyalgia
Most of the people with fibromyalgia express a widespread pain in their body. Usually for any problem in the body pain is the first symptom that is experienced.
That is the factor that makes you visit a doctor to get expert advice. In some cases the pain can be regional and then spread to a wide area.
The pain is experienced in the joint areas and around the muscle region. Some people gradually develop deep and sharp pain.
Some people get more pain when they do any hard work. The pain usually travels throughout the body and it is also considered to be seasonal.
For some people pain will be experienced during a particular season and it will go away after that.
For some people the pain will be in such a way that they will not be able to do any movement to their body or any kind of physical work.
Tender points become really painful and a little stress on the tender point can give a jarring experience.
When you are practiced with fibromyalgia, you will be able to easily predict the pain and act accordingly. Some of the pain regions are quite common and it usually comes and goes.
Fatigue the next important symptom of fibromyalgia
Though the pain is experienced in almost of everywhere in the body, fibromyalgia patients also experience a restless syndrome.
Even after having a good amount of rest or sleep they will feel tired and resistance to do work.
In most of the people fatigue is experienced like a situation similar to that of a flu. When people arise in the morning they feel very tired and also they see some symptoms of pain in their body.
Even though they get good sleep during the night, they tend to have tired feeling while arising in the morning. This can also be experienced after doing some mild works for the day.
If you have a fatigue condition, it will also make you feel lazy to do any work. People experience fatigue after continuous work, folding cloths, exercising, etc.
Sleep disturbances a sign for fibromyalgia
It is very common to see many people with sleep disturbances. This can be due many reason and out of which fibromyalgia can be one of the reason.
The symptom can be experienced by people who already have fibromyalgia problem or in individuals who are new to fibromyalgia.
The consequences of sleep disturbance can lead to many conditions like tiredness throughout the day.
Due the continuous pain experienced in the body, people usually find it disturbing to have a good sleep during the night.
Restless legs syndrome is also another reason why people get sleep disturbances during the night. This can be due to the amount of strain that people had the previous day.
When your body get exposed to so much of strain that prevents it from getting good sleep, it exhibits the problem in the form of fibromyalgia pain that a person usually experience in their body.
Tests have proved that most of the people with the condition of fibromyalgia have seen interruptions in their sleep. Their body find it difficult to rejuvenate without the help of deep sleep.
Depression and Anxiety a symptom for fibromyalgia
Depression can be an outcome of the mental strain that an individual undergo due to other fibromyalgia condition.
This can lead to other problems like anxiety as well. Some doctors prescribe antidepressants that help in keeping this problem under control.
When fibromyalgia patients experience constant pain in their body, it obviously creates too much of stress in the mind.
Due to this depression and anxiety is formed. If a person is usually very active but due to fibromyalgia if they find it difficult to be active, it will also lead to depression.
Foot pain and hand pain can be a sign for fibromyalgia
This is yet another common symptom seen in people who have fibromyalgia.
But as a next step to normal pain that people experience in their body, foot pain and hand pain can be very disturbing affecting their mobility.
When it comes to hand pain, it can be reflected in the form of hypersensitivity to touch.
On a day to day basis, if a person is required to lift and handle objects in their hand, they will feel severe pain towards the end of the day.
Similarly continuous walking can also lead to foot pain in fibromyalgia patients. Pains are usually experienced at times and will not last long.
But some pain will be experienced widespread in the body and will be constant. Some people even find it very difficult to type in keyboard in front of their computer.
This is also due to hypersensitivity of the nerves. It is important that this condition should be addressed immediately before it leads to further complications in the body.
All the above symptoms can be controlled with the help of continuous medication, frequent exercise or therapies based on the advice provided by your respective doctors.
I have had pain from my shoulders to my lower back for as long as I can remember. Dr kept telling me it was because of my weight, I have lost over 100#, the pain has just gotten worse. Finally got referred to a back and spine, they told me it looked like I had fibromyalgia but xrays don’t show that I’m in that much pain. They prescribed me lyrica, my insurance wouldn’t cover it, I called them 5 times to tell them and never got a call back. How can anyone tell me the xrays don’t show your in pain. I have 2 young kids who see me in pain, a husband who doesn’t really understand how bad I hurt ALL THE TIME, I had to quit my job because pain got to bad I need help and no one seems able to do that I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, restless syndrome, arthritis in spine, insomnia, I NEED HELP, SOMEONE PLEASE I PRAY EVERYDAY TO JUST HAVE ONE DAY OF NO PAIN WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO DO THAT?
For hubby, has he ever had the flu if so he will understand what u are feeling. My husband and I got flu one time he was whiny and couldn’t move but I was up taking care of him with fever. He asked how can u be up like that moving I said simple I feel like this every day. From then on he did question if I wanted to go lie down.
I have suffered extremely for 16 years. Fibro pain does not show up on xrays or any tests for that matter. Arthritis, pinched nerves, bulging discs – those type of things show up on xrays. Unfortunately there are no xrays or blood tests or any definitive tests for fibro. Fibro is diagnosed by meeting certain criteria. If nothing is showing up on xrays or mri’s, be glad. That would just mean you have another problem in addition to Fibro. I have had so many tests and procedures done in the last 16 years. There has been nothing to prove that my pain actually exists. Luckily, my many years of medical records speak for themselves with my Pain Management Specialist. He does everything he can to help me. Good luck to you. I also have 3 children and I understand how difficult it is but we must keep fighting.
Dawn, as far as the medication goes, write to the manufacture . Sometimes, they have/a patient assistance program that may be able to help with the cost. Learn where the tender points are on your body and try not to activate them. I have learned that for me, I must avoid repetitive movements or vibrations. So, I do not vacumn or iron clothes. If I do, I know I am asking for trouble. Either I take my pain medication around the time I need to do these activities or try to find someone else to do it. I hope this helps.
Thankyou Jo.
I have just been diagnosed with Fibro and have found i have the same issues with vibration and repetative movements. Im a cleaner 2 days a week and work in a cafe 3 days a week so my duties are all very repetative and hoovering is a killer (3hrs just at work) let alone at home too. im going to speak to dr now about taking pain killers before i do the hoovering especially. while a passenger in the car on a 3 hr journey i had a strange pins and needles shooting up my legs and a cold wet like sensation on my upper thigh which ive never experienced before. im going to assume that these are realted to the Fibro too.
There will never be a painless day, sorry to say it but it’s a sad truth for us. Also the drug seeker label. I live in a 3 stoplight town so that label harms me greatly but it’s there, untrue as it is as well.
Hi Dawn. Some doc’s don’t understand Fibromyalgia. See a rhemologist for your I’m going pain.
Good luck.
I just got diagnosed by my neurologists it has taken years to get a diagnosis my own GP thought I was making it up so I personally asked for referral to specialists in the hospital and he went through all my records and told me that day.
I have fibro, scoliosis, kyphosis, myofascial pain, arthritis and a list of other stuff. Amitryptylin helps with sleep and pain as well as nabilone or medicinal marijuana. Lyrica didn’t work for me neither did any of the others. It takes its toll on relationships, especially if you’re newly diagnosed. They just don’t understand and a lot of ppl think it’s in your head. I can only work part time. It took me job after job to finally accept that. I know it’s hard, but keep your chin up. See if you can find a support group.
I live with it too, nothing helps. Luckily I heard they just classified it as a real disability, since you had to quit working you may qualify for Ssi.
I have been suffering with fibromyalgia for 4 years now. Feeling helpless and hopeless. I had to quit working, missed so many activities with my children. In and out of countless dr. Office’s. NOTHING seemed to help or work. All they were doing was pumping me full of pills that just masked the symptoms. So I in conjunction with my rheumatologist checked into alternative medicine. I went to see a massage therapist trained in Myofacial pain release, a Chinese medicine dr. Trained in cupping and acupuncture, religiously following the Fibro diet… and taking magnesium and malic acid. I had MAJOR relief within days from just the diet. Then as I added these other components I feel better and better every day. Energy levels are slowly coming back, and I haven’t had to take anything other than Motrine for pain… These things have changed my life drastically. In my personal opinion don’t just let people pump you full of pills that don’t help much to start.. Try other methods! Good luck and I pray you can find some relief!!!
what kind of diet are you using for fibro.
It’s called the Fibro diet. Lot’s of information on Google. Basically it cuts out all white flour, sugar, white starches. No bad carbs. It is very similar to the Mediterranean diet. The point is to not eat the foods that stir up inflammation in the body. He helps keep flare ups at bay…
Thank you for that info. I am going to read up on the fibrowser diet. I need a big change. Hopefully doing this will help. I am so tired of this pain all the time.
Did your doctor do a blood test for the magnesium levels?
I don’t think Louisiana allows medical Marijuana for fibromyalgia but i am looking into it.
I will research the fibromyalgia diet.
Neurontin helped me a lot. It’s not very expensive if you use the discount plan which is online for free. I am prescribed 300mg 3 times a day. Yoga has helped tremendously and so has massage. I still have flair ups but it’s not on a daily basis. CBDs also help.
Prayers for You….. I completely understand you….. Lyrics numbed some pain for me but made me have horrible thoughts so I stopped taking it and the weight gain was worse. I tried medical marijuana and it worked better then any pain pills.
I went to a ruematologist and they can do blood tests that help with diagnosing your pain level along with inflammation. It did help. Initially they put me on Lyrica but it affected my eye sure and I had to stop it. It is a known side affect but does not happen to everyone. That might be a good place for you to start. The blood work gives them a good baseline of where to start. Good luck!
Pain isn’t shown in x-rays, and no one will truly ever understand your pain!! That is part of what makes this such a horrible condition to have!! You can explain until you’re blue in the face, but people who don’t experience it have no idea!!! The chances of the pain ever fully going away is slim. I just got diagnosed about 5 months ago, after seeking treatment for over 2 years. I was in such pain it was hard for me to do anything, and having a toddler, being a single parent, only made things haderfor me. I finally got help from a rheumatologist. That might be a good starting point for you!!! I wish you the best in this hard journey, as I am just learning a lot about it myself!!!
Hi, I was diagnosed in 1988. If you had a weight problem.. DON’T Take Lyrics! I gained 47# in two months!! I have tried everything! Best advice I have.. Hydrate, NO Chemical Exposure, a good pain pill and muscle relaxer, ADHD meds help fibro fog an exhaustion. Magnesium oil.(I buy flakes on Amazon&make mine.. Also take mag baths. Always check your pH.. Baking soda to stay alkaline. It upset ur stomach for 30min.. Then you feel better. Eat detox friendly foods. No cleaners with chemical no pump gas etc. Stay as clean inside as possible. No stress! Good Luck!
See a rheumatologist. They specialize in reconizing FMS and treating it. FMS isn’t ”seen’ in x-rays. It is a process of eliminating other diseases and noting symptoms.
I’m sorry your in pain. I understand that all to well. Some ideas to try: Neurontin and alfalfa. I swear by them. I live in constant pain as I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis, I’m on a biological for that. I’m allergic to lyrica. Some foods can be comforting too. Cherry juice for example. If you need to talk I am on Facebook under Denise Wadsworth please look me up. Sometimes just talking to someone can ease you pain. Good luck.
Hi Dawn, I am so so sorry that you have been diagnosed with this frustrating illness. It is frustrating because at this point Doctors are in a guessing game as to how to treat you. NO, X-Rays do not show anything wrong and neither does MRI’S, EKG Cat Scan etc etc. If you feel like someone has beaten the crap out of you every morning and you just can’t get out of bed…then yes, you have fibromyalgia. If you can, find a Doctor that you can trust and then start your journey called “what will make Dawn feel better”. It took me and my Doctor just shy of 3 years to get me on a daily medicinal no more guessing regime. Unfortunately, I was in a pretty bad accident on March 24 of this year and they have taken me off of everything I was on, so I get to start all over again. I am allergic to Lyrica.vI am now on Gabapentin, oxycodone, Amitriptalyn, vitamin B12, Paxil, valium (for anxiety) as well as long acting oxycotin. I am not happy. I broke 11 ribs, my pelvic front and back, 2 brain bleeds, my spleen ruptured, I still am unable to speak due to tracheostomy (I kept having respiratory malfunctions, I cracked my sacrum (which is the lowest part of your back) I had to be intubated 3 times and I was in ICU for 32 days. All of this has put me behind in all the work I had put in to figuring out what my body needed in order to not hurt as much. Pffffttt….GONE! So, here we go again. Get yourself to a good pain manager and if you are uncomfortable with them, look for another one and if that doesn’t help, look for another one. I don’t want to make you think I am giving you a hard time, I am as a matter of fact telling you the God’s honest truth. Dig your heels in, if what they are giving you for pain does not work TELL THEM and KEEP TELLING THEM UNTIL THEY LISTEN. I do wish you good luck on your journey but remember, take only what you need to feel better. I say this because so many people think Oh goody, this drug has made me feel so much better! I’m going to take 2 more and it will help me twice as much!!…..NO IT WON’T!!! It will wear off and you will never get the relief you had 30 minutes ago when you took 2 more pills. Be careful and don’t take drugs in hopes that they will make you feel good.
yea xrays will not show anything I learnt that 12 years ago. I was made to think it was psychological, But I learnt that Drs do not know what else to say. Finally 6 months ago I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. i would’t worry about nothing showing up on scans technology hasn’t given us an answer yet.
ask your doctor to give you Gabapentin.i have been using it for over a year now,my father was on Lyrica and found it not worth it and he now aslo takes Gabapentin and he gets much better results
Xrays only show problems in the bones. I’ve had enough xrays, MRIs, and CTs to glow in the dark. I was once tested for bone cancer since xrays were all negative but I was experiencing so much pain. This was many years ago. I’ve aged and xrays now show something as I have developed arthritis, bulging discs and compression fractures.
Ask your doctor for pain patches I use them it doesn’t stop pain altogether but it cuts it down a bit. I have Denpax 50mg but I also have a broken back which I am waiting for surgery for.
Ask your doctor about Gabapentin, that is what I am on for fibromyalgia, and I completely know how you feel. My husband doesn’t understand either but it’s up to us to inform them. You are no longer working but have you thought about applying for social security because now the courts recognized fibro as a permanent disability.
Hi Dawn,
If you go on https://www.lyrica.com/fibromyalgia/co-pay-savings-card, you will find a savings card. This will help with cost for lyrics.
I feel 4 u..yes xrays wont show but the neurologist put me thru a emg i believe its called years ago…its electro sent to nerves n muscle it will show how bad u are doing…..lyrica nus swelled me up immediately percocet n vicodin gave me sum 4 hrs of relief after that i resigned from work after 13yrs…..good luck…n trust me it will only gt worst….please pay attention to ur use of bathroom it has been said if it cums the time you lose control in it seek the E.R. immediately
I’m only 24 and i have fibromyalgia. Suspected that i had it since i was 8. (I had a stroke & bleed on the brain). Im in pain 24/7. Doctors just say im fat :,(
Get new doctor!! ASAP
Please email me the two articles – new signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia and understanding the biggest causes of fybromyalgia symptoms.
See a rheumatologist to get a proper diagnosis of fibromyalgia! Don’t give up! Also ask for a prescription for a tens unit. I have found mine to be extremely helpful on bad pain days. Find and join a local support group. If there are none locally, join one online. It does help. Stress is also a major trigger. Foods can trigger as well. If you don’t know what your triggers are keep a detailed diary for a month. I was diagnosed over 14 years ago. I’m still learning new things all the time. Be proactive in your own health care.
Yes, I agree 100% 🙂
I thought i was the only one suffering for this unknown pain, it started when i was 33 and i had any type of scan you can think of, result come clear and till this day i still have pains on my body mostly shoulders and stomach, some i cannot sleep, i ache, spine hurt and feel ever so down and low, don’t want to do anything, , it come and go as well, i literally can tell when the pain is gone, i feel light, full of energy, how i easy my pain since DR cannot help me is deep breathing in and out technique and i reduce intake on meat and milk
I can’t control my pain i feel like someone’s pulling on my shoulder my joints hurt my skin feels like I’m touching it with sandpaper my hands and feet are throbbing I’ve had enough nothing is working, I have a full day’s work in a school tomorrow I’m dreading it.
Althoigh I have enough quarters, I am unable to get any disability insurance benefits from social security because I didn’t earn my quarters in the past 10 years. I was told that disability benefits “expire”. To me that is total crap!!! That’s like telling a person who is retiring, “we’re only paying you for the benefits you earned in the past 10 years because the rest of the benefits expired”.
So now I have to work the next 4 years at menial jobs so I can pay into social security to get disability. Full-time jobs all pay into a retirement plan, pension fund, or mutual fund. I’m at my wits end and struggling to keep it all together.
There is a blood test for fibromyalgia Fm/a google it and you can get the blood test even if you don’t have a dr. And if you can’t afford it or don’t have insurance they will work with you. I have tried all Fibro medications and off label meds too there has never been any that has helped with the pain or other symptoms. I also believe it’s a progressive syndrome because I am so much worse 7 years later my symptoms are intense.
Hi Colleen,
Yes there is a test, which I imagine would be helpful for things like insurance purposes. However, test or not test, ultimately, it is about getting help and feeling better!
A holistic/functional health doctor is a good place to start regarding getting some tests and some answers.
Many of us are struggling with things like Lyme disease, as well as other parasitic infestations. (ps parasites can come from pork, fish, our pets…it is a HUGE issue that is not being dealt with by conventional medicine. They also burrow in our joints and muscles causing pain and aching).
We are also dealing with things like mitochondrial dysfunction, (antibiotics can smother – and kill – our mitochondria, our cell’s power houses).
Leaky gut syndrome is also an issue.
On top of all of this, we are hugely toxic. We are BORN toxic (an EWG study found over 287 toxic substances in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies – and this was prior to BPA coming under their radar).
Our food, water, body care products, air…all heavily contaminated.
Toxicity, in fact, is one of the primary issues for fibro and CFS. (Of course, big pharma (who is educating our doctors btw), doesn’t want us to know about this, as we/illness is hugely profitable for them!).
There are answers. And there is help. But not from your conventional doctor!
Be well,
Aly