Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that affects muscles and soft tissues throughout the body. It may impact your arms, neck, shoulders, back, chest, hips, buttocks, and legs. Morning and evening discomfort may be more severe.

Fibromyalgia pain is often characterized as a persistent dull aching that has lasted at least three months. People with fibromyalgia describe the pain in the leg as a deep, dull muscle sore that worsens with vigorous activity. The discomfort may also be throbbing, shooting, or scorching. It may also radiate from sensitive places on the body and be accompanied by numbness or tingling in the limbs.

To be termed widespread, the discomfort must be felt on both sides of your body, above and below your waist.

About 4 million Americans develop Fibromyalgia at the age of 18 and above. The usual age range for fibromyalgia diagnosis is 35 to 45 years old. However, most patients have experienced chronic pain symptoms from childhood. In addition, women are more likely than males to suffer from fibromyalgia. 

What are usually the first signs of fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain and discomfort in muscles and joints throughout the body. The pain may vary from location to location, but you must have been in discomfort for at least three months to be diagnosed. In addition, the pain must be felt in a particular number of bodily areas and severe enough. Furthermore, you must not have any ailment (such as arthritis) that might explain your discomfort.

Fibromyalgia can produce other symptoms, including:

• Exhaustion.
• low energy.
• sleeping difficulties.
• Anxiety or depression.
• Memory issues and difficulty focusing (sometimes known as “fibro fog”).
• Headaches.
• twitches or cramps in the muscles.
• tingling or numbness in the hands and feet.
• Itching, burning, and other skin conditions.
• irritable bowel syndrome 

How do you get tested for fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia has the potential to mimic other conditions. With symptoms mostly consisting of widespread body pain and weariness, this ailment is difficult to identify since it is extremely similar to other health concerns. Because no test or scan can diagnose fibromyalgia, it might be difficult for your doctor to determine what is causing your aches and symptoms.

As a fibromyalgia diagnosed patient, to get the correct diagnosis, you may need to visit numerous physicians. Once you’ve done that, the appropriate therapies may help you feel better.

What are the 8 symptoms of fibromyalgia?

The following are the common fibromyalgia symptoms:

• muscle discomfort that is present throughout.
• a heightened, uncomfortable reaction to pressure at several delicate body parts.

These signs and symptoms may also be present in people living with fibromyalgia:

• mild to severe exhaustion.
• trouble sleeping.
• Joint rigidity.
• Headaches.
• Hands and feet tingling, numb, or having a burning or prickling feeling.
• difficult menstrual cycles.
• Inflammable bowel.
• issues with memory and thought. 

What triggers fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is frequently triggered by a traumatic or stressful event, such as physical or mental (psychological) stress.

Among the possible causes of the condition are:

• virus infection.
• birthing a child.
• undergoing surgery.
• the dissolution of a relationship.
• being involved in an abusive relationship.
• the loss of a loved one.

However, in rare situations, fibromyalgia may not develop in response to any clear reason. 

What happens if fibromyalgia is left untreated?

The danger of not treating fibromyalgia is that symptoms such as chronic pain, exhaustion, headaches, and depression may worsen with time. In addition, fibromyalgia significantly influences mental health, anxiety, and mood disorders, or worse, it could lead to a worsening case of post-traumatic stress disorder that may increase if not treated. 

What is used to treat fibromyalgia?

The FDA has authorized three medications for treating fibromyalgia which are; the antidepressants duloxetine and milnacipran, as well as the seizure medication pregabalin.

Pregabalin and gabapentin are primarily used to treat epilepsy, but research has shown that they can help some people with the pain associated with fibromyalgia.

Doctors occasionally prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat fibromyalgia-related deep muscle and joint pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen are accessible without a prescription. 

What does a fibromyalgia flare feel like?

Stressful situations, surgeries, or accidents might exacerbate fibromyalgia symptoms. Flare-ups can also be induced by a lack of sleep or performing too much or too little activity.

If you have fibromyalgia, your central nervous system may transmit “itch” impulses to your skin’s nerves. This might cause your skin to become oversensitive, resulting in itching. While this has not been confirmed to occur with fibromyalgia, it is associated with musculoskeletal and skin diseases. 

Does fibromyalgia cause weight gain?

Those with fibromyalgia have a 25% reduced metabolism than those of the same age and weight who do not have fibromyalgia.

That translates to 500 fewer calories burnt every day, or the equivalent of a light meal.

It isn’t only a lack of exercise. Several features of fibromyalgia lead to weight gain. Fibromyalgia is characterized by musculoskeletal pain, sadness, and headaches. Another sign might be excess weight.

Furthermore, the appetite-signaling hormone leptin may be out of sync, delivering erroneous hunger signals to the brain, causing you to eat more and gain a few pounds.

Pregabalin, for example, is a fibromyalgia medicine that increases hunger.

Many patients with fibromyalgia gain weight due to this mix of circumstances, often to as much as 30 pounds. 

Do hot showers help fibromyalgia?

Heat, particularly moist heat from hot showers, may alleviate severe pain and stiffness by increasing blood flow to the affected areas. Applying a warm, wet washcloth to the painful regions and having a hot shower or bath will help. A cold pack may also help with the deep muscular pain of fibromyalgia. 

What’s the difference between chronic pain and fibromyalgia?

Chronic pain syndrome often has a specific cause, such as rheumatoid arthritis
or a fractured bone that does not heal correctly. Fibromyalgia, a neural system illness marked by muscle and joint pain and tiredness, often develops without a recognized cause. 

Does fibromyalgia come on suddenly?

Fibromyalgia symptoms might occur quickly after an illness, physical trauma, or considerable psychological stress. However, in other patients, fibromyalgia symptoms arise gradually, and no one incident is thought to cause pain and exhaustion. 

Does fibromyalgia hurt to the touch?

Fibromyalgia may make you incredibly sensitive to pain throughout your body, and even the smallest contact may be uncomfortable. In addition, if you injure yourself, such as by stubbing your toe, the pain may last considerably longer than it would ordinarily.

You can also be sensitive to cigarettes, certain foods, and strong lights. When you are exposed to anything to which you are sensitive, your other fibromyalgia symptoms may worsen. 

Is fibromyalgia a disability?

Fibromyalgia is chronic pain, tiredness, and tenderness illness that may last a lifetime. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not provide a list of medical disorders that qualify as disabilities. Instead, the ADA establishes a broad definition of disability that each individual must fulfill. As a result, some persons with fibromyalgia will be considered disabled under the ADA, while others will not.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognizes fibromyalgia as a legitimate and possibly severely debilitating disease.