Fibromyalgia Symptoms Explained
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome (fibromyalgia
syndrome, or FMS), or a cluster of problems.
People who have fibromyalgia suffer with pain, either all over or in
particular places, have sleeping problems, are overwhelmingly tired and may
have many other symptoms.
Five to ten per cent of the population has
fibromyalgia. Most of them are women,
but men and children do experience the symptoms, too.
Pain is the most distinguishing
characteristic of fibromyalgia.
Medically, it’s described as generalized musculoskeletal aches, pain and
stiffness. For the pain to be diagnosed
as fibromyalgia, it has to be present in all four body quadrants (arms and
legs) for at least 3 months, and there has to be pain when pressure is applied
to at least 11 of the 18 identified trigger points.
That’s the medical description. Here is how people with fibromyalgia describe
it.
“I can hardly move because of the pain I’m
in. I’m fighting to stay mobile.”
“There is no way to describe the pain. You live with it on a daily basis.”
“What people don’t realize is that I am in
pain all the time, every day.”
“Sometimes you think, no big deal, it’s
just pain. It’s not life
threatening. Sometimes you wish it
was. At least there’d be an end in sight.”
The pain waxes and wanes, varying in
intensity. People have good days and bad
days. Some days it’s not too bad; some
days it’s pretty much disabling. The
pain of fibromyalgia often gets worse on cold or humid days, when you haven’t
slept well, when you are too inactive or too active, when you are stressed or
when your hormones change.
The second most disabling characteristic of
fibromyalgia is fatigue. Recent findings
suggest that the fatigue is due to a stage four sleep disorder called alpha EEG
anomaly. During deep stage four sleep,
the brain has bursts of awake-like activity, so there is not enough undisturbed
deep sleep for the body to get sufficient rest.
In addition to alpha EEG anomaly, many FMS
sufferers also have sleep apnea, upper airway resistance syndrome, bruxism
(teeth grinding during sleep), limb movement and jerking and restless leg
syndrome. All of these contribute to the
fatigue of fibromyalgia.
Again, this is how fibromyalgia sufferers
describe their fatigue.
“The fatigue is worse than the pain.”
“Some days going to the bathroom feels like
a ten-mile hike.”
“On bad days, all I can do is turn on the
TV for the kiddies and veg with them.”
Pain and fatigue are the most disabling
features of fibromyalgia, but there are other distressing symptoms, too. 40-70 per cent of fibromyalgia sufferers
experience irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal problems. Constipation and diarrhea, abdominal pain,
excessive gassiness, nausea and gastroesophageal reflux are common.
Many fibromyalgia
sufferers are distressed by associated mental and emotional problems that
manifest themselves alongside the physical ailments. Anxiety and depression are common. It’s not known whether they are independent
factors, or if they are related to living in constant pain and fatigue and the
social stigma of fibromyalgia. People
also complain of confusion, experiencing difficulty thinking clearly and a
reduction in ability to perform mental tasks. This overall mental fogginess has
been termed “fibro fog.”
Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include
headaches, restless leg syndrome, skin sensitivity and rashes, dry eyes and
mouth, Reynaud’s syndrome, and various neurological problems.
Fibromyalgia is an invisible disease. Sufferers look fine on the surface. However, under their outward appearance they
are often exhausted and in excruciating pain.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness that is, at its worst, incredibly
disabling. The symptoms have to be managed, and even then the pain and fatigue
wax and wane. It’s a difficult disease
to live with, but it’s not hopeless.
Medical care and lifestyle management can make a big difference in how
you feel if you are suffering from fibromyalgia.There is more information on
Fibromyalgia symptoms to be found at Eliminate Fibromyalgia.
My doctor said I was just going to have to learn to live
with the pain of Fibromyalgia. He told me there is no cure for it, as
if I didn't know that already. The drugs I tried didn't work and anyway
they had horrible side affects. I searched for some alternative help
in natural and homeopathic remedies at book stores and on the web
searching through Google and Yahoo. I bought a number of these remedies
at websites, creams and different concoctions of herbs, barks, flowers,
vitamins, minerals and so forth that I drank as tea and also applied to
the painful locations on my body. For the most part they did not work.
I came across your ebook while searching on the web one day and purchased it. What a surprise, because from
that day forward everything connected to my Fibromyalgia changed for
the absolute better and very quickly at that. In fact, within a few
days it was as if I had never had Fibromyalgia in my life. It was so
incredible to me that I had to write and thank you.
Becky - Sarasota, FL
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