Fibromyalgia - Much More than Just Pain and Fatigue

Who Is Affected by Fibromyalgia?

As a fibromyalgia sufferer, I really can relate to 90% of the symptoms listed below. It isn't just about pain, or lack of mental focus, it is so much more. 

Scientists estimate that fibromyalgia affects 5 million Americans 18 or older. Between 80 and 90 percent of people diagnosed with fibromyalgia are women. However, men and children also can have the disorder. Most people are diagnosed during middle age.

People with certain other diseases may be more likely to have fibromyalgia. These diseases include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (commonly called lupus)
• Ankylosing spondylitis (spinal arthritis).

Women who have a family member with fibromyalgia may be more likely to have fibromyalgia themselves.

How Is Fibromyalgia Treated?

Fibromyalgia can be hard to treat. It’s important to find a doctor who is familiar with the disorder and its treatment. Many family physicians, general internists, or rheumatologists can treat fibromyalgia. Rheumatologists are doctors who specialize in arthritis and other conditions that affect the joints or soft tissues.

Fibromyalgia treatment often requires a team approach. The team may include your doctor, a physical therapist, and possibly other health care providers. A pain or rheumatology clinic can be a good place to get treatment.

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Sensory Overload Part Of Your Fibromyalgia?

You expect to have painful muscles everywhere with fibromyalgia. Even if your discomfort fluctuates from day to day, this symptom is always present. The pain of fibro is amplified, as though the volume control knob is turned up as high as it could go. But there is much more to fibromyalgia than just the pain. Chances are, you have other sensory-related symptoms that are roaring off the charts and making your fibro all the more difficult to manage.
Take, for example, the sensory-related symptoms below. Most patients with fibromyalgia will recognize them as an added source of annoyance.

• numbness and tingling sensations in your extremities
• swelling sensations—feeling as though one’s limbs are made out of gelatin
• burning skin—just like a bad sunburn, despite no redness or visible rash
• sensitivity to loud sounds (you are always asking family members to turn down the volume)
• odors bother you much more than they do everyone else (your sense of smell is heightened)
• bright lights bother you, maybe even contributing to your headache, especially if you are walking in a colorfully lit shopping mall
• dry, burning eyes—sometimes they hurt so badly, they burn, but your doctor can’t find anything wrong with them and has ruled out medication side effects
• sensitivity to tastes

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Factors That Aggravate Fibromyalgia

Weather (especially cold climates and changes in barometric pressure), cold or drafty environments, hormonal fluctuations (premenstrual and menopausal states), poor quality sleep, stress, depression, anxiety, and over-exertion can all contribute to fibromyalgia symptom flare-ups.1,2

Other Situations That Make Fibromyalgia Worse:
Fibromyalgia patients are often sensitive to odors, loud noises, bright lights, some foods, and prescription medications.

You may also experience:

• chest pain unrelated to the heart
• shortness of breath
• dizziness
• nasal congestion
• painful periods
• palpitations
• irritable bladder/interstitial cystitis
• profuse sweating
• tingling/numbness sensations
• chemical sensitivities
• vulvodynia (vulvar pain)
• difficulty focusing eyes
• the feeling of swollen extremities
• dry/burning eyes and mouth

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