Long list of Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Hi all...

A long time ago we had a list of the most common fibromyalgia symptoms and it became buried and loaded with posts, several pages of them. So I am re-posting the list since it is a comprehensive one. This list was compiled by a friend/member of Healing Well named Radio. He also has listed this on his personal web page.

I hope you find this list useful and for me and many others is also can give you a sense of relief. That feeling that you are NOT crazy or weird but what you are feeling is this darn disorder, Fibromyalgia. Please remember though that if you have a new symptom that is on the list the first thing you should do is report it to your doctor. It is likely part of fibro, but only the doctor will know for sure.

Chutz

*******************
1. PAIN- in the muscle: often described as aching, burning, throbbing, gnawing, shooting, tingling. Almost always exacerbated by exercise and may or may not be present at rest. Can be migratory and differing from day to day.

2. FATIGUE- From feeling tired to exhausted and requiring rest periods during the day.

3. SLEEP DISTURBANCE- not being able to fall asleep and or able to stay asleep. Unrefreshing sleep patterns " feels like I haven't slept."

4. PARESTHESIA- numbness or tingling. ( non dermatomal)

5. DEPRESSION- most often reactive as with chronic pain condition.

6. ANXIETY- may include panic attacks.

7. PERSONALITY CHANGES- usually a worsening of a previous tendency.

8. MOOD SWINGS

9. SUBJECTIVE SWELLING OF EXTREMITIES- i.e. feels swollen but no-one can find anything.

10. HEADACHES- tension and or migraine.

11. COGNITIVE FUNCTION PROBLEMS: calculation difficulties, memory disturbances, spatial disorientation, difficulty with concentration, short
term memory loss.

12. FREQUENT UNUSUAL NIGHTMARES- or being unable to dream.

13. DYSTONIA- stiff muscles due to involuntary contracture. Difficulty in moving tongue to speak.

14. FREQUENTLY SAYING WRONG WORDS

15. BURNING SENSATIONS

16. LIGHT HEADEDNESS- "Fibro Fog", spaced out, cloudy.

17. MORNING STIFFNESS

18. EASY BRUISING

19. MILD BUTTERFLY RASH- (LUPUS TYPE) May be photo sensitive.

20. NEUROGENIC INFLAMMATION- rashes, may be severe itching. NI causes the symptoms and signs of Dermatographia.

21. DISEQUILIBRIUM- Vertigo

22. MUSCLE WEAKNESS- variable with no "objective" abnormality to formal testing.

23. SCIATICA- like pain

24. PHOTOPHOBIA- Intolerance of bright lights.

25. ALTERATION OF TASTE, SMELL and HEARING.

26. LOW FREQUENCY, SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS.

27. DECRESED PAINFUL SOUND THRESHOLD.

28. TINNITUS- ringing in the ears.

29. OCCASIONAL EXAGGERATED NYSTAGMUS- involuntary rapid movementof the eye ball.

30. CHANGES IN VISUAL ACUITY- impaired function of the smooth muscle used for focus as well as skeletal muscles for tracking.

31. INTOLERANCE OF ALCOHOL

32. ENHANCEMENT OF MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS

33. INTOLERANCE OF PREVIOUSLY TOLERATED MEDICATIONS

34. WEIGHT CHANGES- usually gained due to the lack of exercise through pain and or tricyclic antidepressants

35. RESTLESS LEGS

36. HEIGHTENED AWARENESS- of symptoms of HYPOGLYCEMIA 9 when blood sugar falls)

37. POSSIBLE CARBOHYDRATE INTOLERANCE

38. SYMPTOMS OF IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (I.B.S.)

39. HEARTBURN- secondary to I.B.S.

40. SUB-NORMAL TEMPERATURE

41. NIGHT SWEATS.

42. SENSITIVE TO TEMPERATURE EXTREMES

43. HEART PALPITATIONS

44. BREATHING DIFFICULTIES

45. HEART MURMUR-Mitral Valve Prolapse appears to be more symptomatic in FM than normal.

46. IMPOTENCE- reactive and occasionally.

47. SEVERE PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME

48. FREQUENT VAGINAL YEAST INFECTIONS.

49. MUSCLE SPASM- twitching.

50. NON-CARDIAC CHEST PAIN- which may simulate cardiac disorder.

51. PELVIC PAIN.

52. ABDOMINAL WALL PAIN.

53. DRY EYES AND MOUTH.

54. TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER- usually due to abnormal muscle tone.

55. RAYNAUD'S- like symptoms.

56. CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME-possible related condition.

57. HAIR LOSS-secondary to psychological stress from FM.

58. VULVODYNIA- Vulvar discomfort or pain, burning, stinging and irritation.

59. PLANTAR ARCH-or heel pain. Exacerbated in FM.

This list of symptoms has been correlated by the Arthritis Foundation S.A.

The list does help alot Chutz thank you..
though when I go to the dr and hand him my list of symptoms,some all fibro,some other symptoms,the drs do not deal well with so much... I find!!! Some of my symptoms are pretty bad and nothing is said..Now I will be going to a pain clinic and am afraid to hand the dr my long list...just wonder what he will take seriously and what he won't.All my symptoms are real..I just want the dr's to know this.I know that all my symptoms can not be treated all at once,but I must know that they will be or atleast the dr speak to me about them..I am just not feeling so hopeful at the moment,
But the list has helped me pinpoint my fibro symptoms,so thats a good thing!
Lostspirit(Lee)

Hi SillyMe2!

Nice to meet you and I hope you're finding things you are looking for in here. Always ask if you need some help.

One thing I'm curious about...I've never heard of a 'butterfly rash' with fibro. The only Butterfly Rash I know of is a very typical sign of Lupus. It appears across the bridge of the nose. Some people can get it to go away and others just live with it. A friend of mine had lupus severely but worked her way back to a productive life after being immobile for a couple of years. Her daughter also has it. But the daughter has the butterfly rash and mom doesn't. If you have read or heard this some where can you share it with us? We're always interested in leaning new things.

Keep in touch...
Chutz

Wow Silly! I'm the silly one here. I've looked at that list dozens of times and never caught this discrepancy before you mentioned this. I'm SO glad you posted about it.

I did look around and never found anywhere that said the rash was linked to fibro. The many who made the list was a great member and I believe has a web page out there for his wife, who has fibro. That's been a while tho. What do YOU think? Have you ever heard of anyone having a lupus type rash that was diagnosed as being related to fibro?

I am glad you are getting tested though. There are good treatments out there for Lupus if you get a great health care team. The treatments are tailored to each individual since the disorder is so different in everyone.

And please don't worry about "shutting down and falling apart". Look around at some of the peoples' signatures and what all they deal with. Most of us have at least 1 other "issue" to deal with besides fibro and the large majority have more. But we are here...together...and that's what makes the difference. We reached out to find people who understand what we are living with and who can share their experiences. There's a fairly good chance I'm older than you are ;-)... and I have many things wrong with this body. Some days I feel like all I do is take pills and poke myself. (insulin dependent diabetes) But I'm not going to let it control my life. I do most of the things I want and enjoy even though some of them are in a modified form.

I remember one day when I was still working I was talking to a colleague who used to do nursing. After I listed off all of my ailments she looked at me and said... "you need to get your frame jacked up and get a new body put inside there!"...lmbo Very true but it got me laughing. Stick with us Silly, and we'll get through this together. Even me, who can't read a list...lol...intends to push on and enjoy my life. Coming with us??? ;-)

Chutz

ty Chutz the non cardiac chest pain im never going to get used to :( i did phone one of the uni hosps tho ty hun


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fibromyalgia/CFS, Hypermobility Syndrome, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,Anxiety,Depression,
Somatization Disorder, Sciatica, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Sodium Valproate, Diazepam, Thyroxine, Citalopram

 

Chutz said...
Hi all...

A long time ago we had a list of the most common fibromyalgia symptoms and it became buried and loaded with posts, several pages of them. So I am re-posting the list since it is a comprehensive one. This list was compiled by a friend/member of Healing Well named Radio. He also has listed this on his personal web page.

I hope you find this list useful and for me and many others is also can give you a sense of relief. That feeling that you are NOT crazy or weird but what you are feeling is this darn disorder, Fibromyalgia. Please remember though that if you have a new symptom that is on the list the first thing you should do is report it to your doctor. It is likely part of fibro, but only the doctor will know for sure.

Chutz

*******************
1. PAIN- in the muscle: often described as aching, burning, throbbing, gnawing, shooting, tingling. Almost always exacerbated by exercise and may or may not be present at rest. Can be migratory and differing from day to day.

2. FATIGUE- From feeling tired to exhausted and requiring rest periods during the day.

3. SLEEP DISTURBANCE- not being able to fall asleep and or able to stay asleep. Unrefreshing sleep patterns " feels like I haven't slept."

4. PARESTHESIA- numbness or tingling. ( non dermatomal)

5. DEPRESSION- most often reactive as with chronic pain condition.

6. ANXIETY- may include panic attacks.

7. PERSONALITY CHANGES- usually a worsening of a previous tendency.

8. MOOD SWINGS

9. SUBJECTIVE SWELLING OF EXTREMITIES- i.e. feels swollen but no-one can find anything.

10. HEADACHES- tension and or migraine.

11. COGNITIVE FUNCTION PROBLEMS: calculation difficulties, memory disturbances, spatial disorientation, difficulty with concentration, short
term memory loss.

12. FREQUENT UNUSUAL NIGHTMARES- or being unable to dream.

13. DYSTONIA- stiff muscles due to involuntary contracture. Difficulty in moving tongue to speak.

14. FREQUENTLY SAYING WRONG WORDS

15. BURNING SENSATIONS

16. LIGHT HEADEDNESS- "Fibro Fog", spaced out, cloudy.

17. MORNING STIFFNESS

18. EASY BRUISING

19. MILD BUTTERFLY RASH- (LUPUS TYPE) May be photo sensitive.

20. NEUROGENIC INFLAMMATION- rashes, may be severe itching. NI causes the symptoms and signs of Dermatographia.

21. DISEQUILIBRIUM- Vertigo

22. MUSCLE WEAKNESS- variable with no "objective" abnormality to formal testing.

23. SCIATICA- like pain

24. PHOTOPHOBIA- Intolerance of bright lights.

25. ALTERATION OF TASTE, SMELL and HEARING.

26. LOW FREQUENCY, SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS.

27. DECRESED PAINFUL SOUND THRESHOLD.

28. TINNITUS- ringing in the ears.

29. OCCASIONAL EXAGGERATED NYSTAGMUS- involuntary rapid movementof the eye ball.

30. CHANGES IN VISUAL ACUITY- impaired function of the smooth muscle used for focus as well as skeletal muscles for tracking.

31. INTOLERANCE OF ALCOHOL

32. ENHANCEMENT OF MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS

33. INTOLERANCE OF PREVIOUSLY TOLERATED MEDICATIONS

34. WEIGHT CHANGES- usually gained due to the lack of exercise through pain and or tricyclic antidepressants

35. RESTLESS LEGS

36. HEIGHTENED AWARENESS- of symptoms of HYPOGLYCEMIA 9 when blood sugar falls)

37. POSSIBLE CARBOHYDRATE INTOLERANCE

38. SYMPTOMS OF IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (I.B.S.)

39. HEARTBURN- secondary to I.B.S.

40. SUB-NORMAL TEMPERATURE

41. NIGHT SWEATS.

42. SENSITIVE TO TEMPERATURE EXTREMES

43. HEART PALPITATIONS

44. BREATHING DIFFICULTIES

45. HEART MURMUR-Mitral Valve Prolapse appears to be more symptomatic in FM than normal.

46. IMPOTENCE- reactive and occasionally.

47. SEVERE PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME

48. FREQUENT VAGINAL YEAST INFECTIONS.

49. MUSCLE SPASM- twitching.

50. NON-CARDIAC CHEST PAIN- which may simulate cardiac disorder.

51. PELVIC PAIN.

52. ABDOMINAL WALL PAIN.

53. DRY EYES AND MOUTH.

54. TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER- usually due to abnormal muscle tone.

55. RAYNAUD'S- like symptoms.

56. CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME-possible related condition.

57. HAIR LOSS-secondary to psychological stress from FM.

58. VULVODYNIA- Vulvar discomfort or pain, burning, stinging and irritation.

59. PLANTAR ARCH-or heel pain. Exacerbated in FM.

This list of symptoms has been correlated by the Arthritis Foundation S.A.

Hi, Angeleyes, and welcome!  I'm so glad you found us and joined in.  So you liked the list of symptoms, huh?  Be sure to check out Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum.  There are links to good information about fibro and you will learn a lot!  One of the links is this list of symptoms from Chutz, too.  So be sure to read it.  It's chocked full of information.

 

I hope your doctor ran a battery of tests on you.  They usually do to rule out other illness that have many of the same symptoms as fibro.  There is a link in Fibro 101 called What Else Could It Be.  They want to rule those out first because they are treated differently than fibro, for the most part.

 

I'm looking forward to getting to know you.  Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you.  I hope to hear more from you soon.

 

Sherrine

Thank you so much for this list. I am a new member and so happy I found this forum! I was just recently diagnosed with fm but I think I have had it for at least 10 years. My doctor has prescribed Savella for me and it is just a miracle for me. Don't get me wrong, it has some side effects that I am having to deal with, but I haven't felt this good in a VERY long time. I still have some fm symptoms and this list is helping me work through them. Funny how you can think some of the symptoms are just part of living and you just presume that everyone hurts like you. And then when you see it in black and white, you realize what's actually making you feel that way and that it's not normal at all - but maybe there's hope that you can eventually feel better. Thanks again.....

Hi, CharleyBee, and welcome!  I'm so glad you joined our family.  We have wonderful members that love to help one another and, as a bonus, we really do care about each other, too.  I think you will like it here. 

 

Be sure to check out Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum.  There are links to good information about fibro and you will learn a lot there.  There are some great things that you can print out for family and friends to help them better understand what you are going through.  A couple would be The Spoon Theory and also A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia.

 

I'm looking forward to getting to know you better.  Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you.  When you get a chance, start an introductory post about  you so members know you are here!  Courageous did that already.  I hope to hear more from you soon!

 

Sherrine

Thank you so much for this list!

I am trying to get diagnosed with something that I've been suffering from for two years this January and I believe it may be Fibro. The Rheumatologist I've been referred to has put me on Diclofenac twice a day and 30mg of Cymbalta (weird I know, but it does help Fibro patients) for the pain.

I have a mildly elevated RH factor and a mildly elevated ACE level.

Does anyone know if those are common with Fibro?

Thanks much for any information you can give!! Merry belated Christmas and God bless! :)

This list is so informative. Thank you so much for sharing!

I get these feelings like I have a bladder infection with no infection

Hi everyone, hope your all well.

I have just joined this site today upon finding out I may have Fibromyalgia. I have been experiencing quite a few of those symptoms for about 4 weeks now and can't even remember how it all started.

I started with headaches from out of nowhere, hadn't even banged my head. about 6 weeks before that I fell down the stairs and hurt my back and know for sure I didn't bang my head. Every time I type in how my head feels, it keeps coming back to Fibromyalgia.

The back of my head aches, my scalp gets very sore (this i've had before but as bad as it has been recently. I have a sensitive scalp anyway). I get very hot but when I take my temperature that's normal, I feel tired all the time, even after eating. I feel very emotional more so than usual. Certain loud noises literally does my head in and I have 3 children. I am constantly checking my head and it's not swollen. My daughter has also been experiencing some of these symptoms too.

I have made a doctors appointment so we will see if I am right.