4 Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia sufferers complain of many symptoms that cause discomfort throughout the entire body. Here are 4 common symptoms of fibromyalgia…

1. Pain

I’m sure pain was not a hard symptom to guess. An estimated 5.8 million people in the United States are suffering from Fibromyalgia pain. This is the most common symptom of fibromyalgia and usually gives continuous stabbing pain throughout the entire body.

Of course everyone is different when it come to Fibro pain. Some report suffering from pain only at certain times—for example, if the weather is cold, if it is raining outside or stress levels are high. While some others feel it primarily in certain areas of the body like in the legs for example.

2. Joint & Muscle Stiffness

Many fibromyalgia patients suffer from stiffness in the muscles and joints. Usually in the morning the stiffness is at it’s worst, also if they sit for an extended period of time.

3. Exhaustion / Chronic Fatigue

Have you ever heard some one tell you ” If you just get some rest you will feel better ” ? Well if you suffer from fibro I am sure sometimes you wish you could just punch that person in the face. One common symptom of fibro is exhaustion, even after extended periods of rest. You never quite feel like you get the rest you needed. It is really hard to get true deep sleep when dealing with all your other symptoms.

It is all very common for fibromyalgia  patients to suffer from insomnia, usually caused by the constant pain. Even mild fatigue can cause the immune system and energy levels to drop.

4. Trouble Concentrating / Brain Fog / Fibro Fog

Having a hard time concentrating? Welcome to the daily life of the average fibro sufferers! This is not any fun, and even though the pain is horrible, fatigue sucks, joint stiffness is no fun, Brain Fog for some is the worst symptom. Many complain that not be able to think straight makes them feel like that are going crazy.

What Are the Other Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?

In addition to pain, chronic fatigue, other symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• abdominal pain
• anxiety and depression
• chronic headaches
• dryness in mouth, nose, and eyes
• hypersensitivity to cold and/or heat
• inability to concentrate (called “fibro fog”)
• incontinence
• sensitivity to touch
• irritable bowel syndrome
• numbness or tingling in the fingers and feet
• painful menstrual cramps
• painful trigger points
• poor circulation in hands and feet (Raynaud’s phenomenon)
• restless legs syndrome

That sounds like a lot of bad news!

I hope you didn’t expect a sunshine and rainbows when describing fibro symptoms. The good news is we have devoted this site to finding and sharing the best treatments, resources, diets and more to help you with your fibro journey.

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Did we miss a common symptom? How to do fight back against these?

STAY STRONG FIBRO FRIENDS

References: http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/guide/fibromyalgia-and-fatigue, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia/DS00079/DSECTION=symptoms, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia