Lesson 1: Exactly What is Fibromyalgia?

The Symptoms

Muscular pain can range from moderate to severe. Instead of staying in one place, it travels. One day you may have severe arm pains so that you can't hold onto your morning coffee. Then that goes away but your lower back becomes agonizing. The pain can be a dull ache, a stabbing pain, or a burning or throbbing sensation. Pain is often worst in the morning.

Most people with fibro experience something called myofascial pain, which shows itself in rope-like bands of muscles in the painful area. You can actually feel them roping up through the skin. This too, can come and go, and move to different areas of the body.

Fatigue can range from just feeling abnormally tired to feeling so exhausted that it's hard to move. Not only is the body tired but the brain is fatigued as well, so that concentration is difficult and your short term memory often fails you. Some doctors believe that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is closely tied to fibro; many people suffer from both. It is also a good idea to have your thyroid checked as many fibromites also suffer from underactive ones.

Hypothyroidism can cause fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance with low body temperature (under 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and achiness and poor mental function. So controlling your thyroid may alleviate many of your FMS symptoms.

Yeast infections, specifically Candida, are common among people with fibro and can also exacerbate the symptoms. The main symptoms of yeast overgrowth are chronic sinusitis and spastic colon (gas, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation). If you have these, you probably have fungal overgrowth. The good news is that treating this will not just help you to lose weight and decrease your fibromyalgia, but can also eliminate your spastic colon and sinusitis.

Sleep Disorder is common in fibro sufferers and is referred to as the alpha-delta wave anomaly. What this means is that the fourth and deepest level of sleep is constantly interrupted by bursts of activity that resemble the awakened state. Consequently the fourth level of sleep - deep restorative sleep - is never achieved. The restless leg syndrome (RLS) - a distinctly uncomfortable sensation in the legs that forces the person to keep moving them to find relief, can also disturb sleep. Some patients find that their muscles will sometimes jerk for no reason; others grind their jaws even when they are not suffering from tension. The resulting lack of rest leads to a condition referred to as "fibrofog" where the short term memory malfunctions. You may forget what you were saying mid-sentence, or get up to walk to another room and forget why you went there. Some people fear that this is early Alzheimer's disease, but it is not related. The fibro patient is quite aware of the memory loss; an Alzheimer's patient is not.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) leads to constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, abdominal gas and/or nausea. About 70% of fibro patients suffer from IBS.

Chronic severe headaches resembling migraines, or resembling tension headaches occur in about half of those suffering from fibro. This further complicates the accompanying fatigue and fog.

Facial and head pain, as experienced by almost 90% of all fibromyalgia patients is referred to as Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome or TMJD. It manifests itself as facial and jaw pain and tenderness, and while it feels like a joint problem it is actually pain in the surrounding muscles and ligaments.

Ultra-sensitivity to sensations occurs with about half of those diagnosed with fibro. Sound can be magnified to the point where it becomes unbearable; you can hear your watch battery running, or the sound of someone nearby swallowing normally. Lights become blinding, odors overwhelm. The sensitivity comes and goes.

Broken thermostats - Fibro patients can be abnormally sensitive to cold or hot weather. They are often cold when others are hot, or hot when most people are comfortable - and can also have chills while sweating.

Tender points come in pairs and are located in specific areas of the body. To be diagnosed with fibromyalgia a person must be sensitive in at least 11 of these points when pressure is applied. The tender points indicating fibromyalgia cluster around the neck, shoulder, chest, hip, knee and elbow regions.

Other common symptoms include numbness and tingling in hands and feet, Irritable Bladder Disease, dry eyes and mouth, impaired muscle coordination, dizziness, sinus and allergies and more. Many fibro patients appear to have mild symptoms of dyslexia at times. You can find a more complete list at the end of this lesson under additional resources.

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