How Do I Know If I Have Fibromyalgia?

Scientists believe that fibromyalgia may begin in the brain. Repeated stress causes nerves to become hypersensitive leading to widespread pain. In general, fibromyalgia can make you feel like you have a bad case of the flu that just won’t go away. The four most common symptoms of the condition are:

• Muscle pain. You feel sore and achy all over. The pain may migrate to other areas.
• Insomnia. You can’t fall asleep, and if you do, you wake up frequently.
• Fatigue. You are exhausted from feeling constant pain and not sleeping.
• Depression. You are sad and anxious and may have trouble performing daily activities.

Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include heart palpitations, gastrointestinal problems such as acid reflux, bloating, decreased libido, increased perspiration, cold hands and feet, sensitivity to bright light and headaches. Some individuals experience something called ‘fibrofog’, a term used to described the mental haze that fibromyalgia can put you in. Fibrofog may make it difficult to learn and remember new information.

Because fibromyalgia affects many systems in the body it can be hard to diagnose. In fact, there is no one test to diagnose fibromyalgia so other tests must be done in order to rule out other conditions. Fifteen to twenty percent of the patients I see aren’t sure if they have fibromyalgia, but in my experience, there is one symptom that every fibromyalgia patient suffers from: trouble sleeping. If you can sleep well, it’s not fibromyalgia in my opinion.