What Fibromyalgia Feels Like

Fibromyalgia produces widespread pain, disturbed sleep, and exhaustion from head to toe.¹ Although the muscles hurt everywhere, they are not the only cause of your discomfort. Instead, the diffuse, body-wide symptoms are greatly magnified by malfunctions in the way the nervous system processes pain.^2,3

Regional muscle pain also occurs in the majority of people with fibromyalgia.⁴ Patients experience firm knots in their muscles, often causing restricted movement and radiating pain.⁵ Recent research has found that 90 percent of the tender points used to diagnose fibro are actually myofascial trigger points.⁶

The symptoms of fibromyalgia are unpredictable and most patients are frustrated by their physical limitations and inability to make plans. The fatigue is much more than being tired. Patients describe it as though you have to "push yourself" to get things done.⁷

People with fibromyalgia say that their muscles feel like they have been pulled or overworked, and sometimes they twitch or cramp.⁸ Even the skin may feel badly sunburned.⁹ To help your family and friends relate to your fibromyalgia symptoms, have them think back to the last time they had a bad flu. Every muscle in their body shouted out in pain. In addition, they felt devoid of energy as though someone had unplugged their power supply.

Given that the symptoms may be similar to a viral flu, experts in the field of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome believe that these two illnesses may be one and the same.¹⁰ Gulf War syndrome also overlaps with these two conditions.

Most Common Symptoms

The problem with fibromyalgia is that there are so many symptoms that you feel like a hypochondriac, especially when no one can see any of your pain, brain fog and exhaustion. Your symptoms are mostly invisible to others. Added to this is a tremendous variability of symptoms between one person with fibromyalgia and another. These complications cause physicians to be perplexed and patients to be frustrated.

In addition, research has shown strong links between sleep disruptions and pain. Symptoms of poor sleep resemble many of those found in fibromyalgia, such as muscle achiness, fatigue, memory and concentration difficulties.

Other Aggravating Factors

There are many symptoms associated with fibromyalgia that are not as common but can be distressing and irritating. They may come and go, or change without any known cause, which may be baffling to you. Many of these symptoms could be related to other illnesses, so always check with your doctor before assuming it is your fibromyalgia.

In addition, there are several factors that can make your fibromyalgia worse, and you may be able to avoid them by using preventative measures.

Fibromyalgia Quick Facts

• Affects 3 to 5 percent of the general population¹³
• Occurs in people of all ages, even children
• Men develop fibromyalgia too, although more women are diagnosed with it
• Symptoms are chronic but may fluctuate throughout the day
• Roughly one-quarter of people with fibromyalgia are work-disabled¹⁴
• FDA approved the first drug for fibromyalgia in 2007 and more treatments are being developed

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