Fibromyalgia


Your quality of life can be affected when you live with pain, fatigue, and other fibromyalgia symptoms on a daily basis. But despite misunderstandings, you find help managing this chronic condition.


Fibromyalgia is a long-term, or chronic, condition. It causes symptoms such as:



This condition can be hard to understand, even for healthcare professionals. Its symptoms mimic those of other conditions, and there are no tests to definitively confirm a diagnosis. As a result, fibromyalgia is often misdiagnosed.


In the past, some healthcare professionals even questioned whether fibromyalgia was real. Today, it’s much better understood. Most fibromyalgia cases are diagnosed in females. Most people get diagnosed in middle age, but fibromyalgia can also affect children.


Some of the stigmas that previously surrounded fibromyalgia have eased, but it can still be challenging to treat. Medications, therapy, and lifestyle changes can help you manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.


Fibromyalgia symptoms


Fibromyalgia causes what’s now referred to as regions of pain.


Some of these regions overlap with the areas of tenderness traditionally known as tender points or trigger points. However, some of these previously noted areas of tenderness are not included in the regions of pain.


The pain feels like a consistent, dull ache. A healthcare professional will consider a diagnosis of fibromyalgia if you’ve experienced musculoskeletal pain in four out of the five regions of pain outlined in the 2016 revision to the fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria.


Current diagnostic criteria refer to fibromyalgia pain as multisite pain. The diagnostic process now focuses on the severity of pain and the areas of musculoskeletal pain. In the past, the duration of pain was the focal point of a fibromyalgia diagnosis.


Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include:


The condition can affect your emotions as well as your physical health. 


Fibro fog


Fibro fog or brain fog is a term some people use to describe the fuzzy feeling they get. Signs of fibro fog include:


According to a 2015 literature review, some people find mental fogginess from fibromyalgia more upsetting than the physical pain. 


What does fibromyalgia pain feel like?


Pain is the hallmark symptom of fibromyalgia. You’ll feel it in various muscles and other soft tissues around your body. The pain can range from a mild achiness to an intense and almost unbearable discomfort. Its severity could dictate how well you cope day to day.


Chest pain


When fibromyalgia pain is in your chest, it can feel similar to the pain of a heart attack. Chest pain in fibromyalgia is centered in the cartilage that connects your ribs to your breastbone. The pain may radiate to your shoulders and arms.


Fibromyalgia chest pain may feel sharp,stabbing,like a burning sensation, as if you’re struggling to catch your breath, which is also a symptom of a heart attack


Back pain


Your back is one of the most common places you’ll feel pain. Most people have low back pain at some point in their lives. If your back hurts, it may not be clear whether fibromyalgia is to blame or if it’s another condition such as arthritis or a pulled muscle.


Other symptoms such as brain fog and fatigue can point to fibromyalgia as the cause. It’s also possible to have a combination of fibromyalgia and arthritis.


The same medications you take to relieve your other fibromyalgia symptoms can help with back pain, too. Stretching and strengthening exercises can help support the muscles and other soft tissues of your back.


Leg pain


You may feel fibromyalgia pain in the muscles and soft tissues of your legs.


Leg pain caused by fibromyalgia can feel similar to the stiffness of arthritis or the soreness of a pulled muscle. The pain can be described as deep, burning, or throbbing.


Sometimes fibromyalgia in the legs feels like numbness or tingling. You may have a creepy-crawly sensation. An uncontrollable urge to move your legs is a sign of restless legs syndrome, which can overlap with fibromyalgia.


Fatigue sometimes manifests in the legs too. Your limbs can feel heavy, as if they’re held down by weights.


Fibromyalgia causes


Healthcare professionals and researchers do not know what causes fibromyalgia.


One theory is that the brain lowers the pain threshold. Sensations that were not painful before become very painful over time. Another theory is that the brain and nerves may misinterpret or overreact to normal pain signals. They become more sensitive, to the point where they cause unnecessary or exaggerated pain. This may be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain or an abnormality in the dorsal root ganglion, which is a cluster of neurons in the spine.


According to the latest research, the cause appears to involve a genetic disposition complemented by one or more triggers (such as infection, trauma, or stress).

Fibromyalgia often runs in families. If you have a family member with this condition, you’re at a higher risk for developing it. Researchers think certain gene mutations may play a role. They’ve identified a few possible genes that affect the transmission of chemical pain signals between nerve cells.


Infections


A past illness could trigger fibromyalgia or make its symptoms worse. Infections that have possible links to fibromyalgia include:



Fibromyalgia risk factors

Available research still has not identified an exact cause of fibromyalgia. Factors that may increase your risk of developing it include:



Fibromyalgia diagnosis


A healthcare professional may diagnose you with fibromyalgia if you’ve had widespread pain for 3 months or longer in four out of five specific regions. “Widespread” means the pain is on both sides of your body, and you feel it above and below your waist.


After a thorough examination, they must conclude that no other condition is causing your pain. Healthcare professionals typically use a process of elimination to diagnose fibromyalgia. There are no imaging scans that can detect it. However, a healthcare professional may use imaging scans or various blood tests to help rule out other possible causes of your chronic pain.


The FM/a test is a blood test that may be used to diagnose fibromyalgia. The manufacturers of the test claim that it’s definitive, but other experts are more skeptical of its usefulness. It detects the presence of chemokine and cytokine proteins. 


Fibromyalgia and autoimmunity


In autoimmune diseases such as RA and lupus, the body mistakenly targets its own tissues.


The immune system uses proteins called autoantibodies to attack the joints or other healthy tissues in the same way it would normally attack viruses or bacteria. Having a small number of autoantibodies is normal, but high levels may indicate an autoimmune disease.


Autoimmune diseases and fibromyalgia have some overlapping symptoms, such as fatigue and trouble concentrating. 


Fibromyalgia treatment


There’s no cure for fibromyalgia at the moment.


Instead, treatment focuses on reducing symptoms and improving quality of life with medications, self-care strategies, and lifestyle changes.


In addition, you may wish to seek out support and guidance. This may involve joining a support group or seeing a therapist.


Fibromyalgia medication


Medications can relieve pain and help you sleep better. Common medications for fibromyalgia include pain relievers, antiseizure drugs, and antidepressants.


Fibromyalgia pain can be uncomfortable enough and consistent enough to interfere with your daily routine. Do not just settle for pain. Talk with a healthcare professional about ways to manage it.


If your pain is mild, one option is to take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol),aspirin ibuprofen, naproxen. These medications can lower your pain levels, reduce discomfort, and help you better manage your condition. They may even help you sleep better.


Many of them bring down inflammation, too. Though inflammation is not a primary symptom of fibromyalgia, you may experience it if you have a related condition such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


Please note that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) do have side effects. Caution is advised if NSAIDs are used for an extended period, as is usually the case when you’re managing a chronic pain condition. Follow always doctor prescription.



Pregabalin (Lyrica), an antiseizure drug, was the first medication the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for fibromyalgia. It blocks nerve cells from sending out pain signals.


Gabapentin (Neurontin) was designed to treat epilepsy, but it may also help reduce symptoms in people with fibromyalgia. Gabapentin has not been FDA-approved to treat fibromyalgia and is considered an off-label drug.



Off-label drug use means a drug that’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for one purpose is used for a different purpose that has not yet been approved.


However, a doctor can still use the drug for that purpose. This is because the FDA regulates the testing and approval of drugs but not how doctors use drugs to treat their patients. So your doctor can prescribe a drug however they think is best for your care.



Antidepressants such as duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella) are sometimes used to treat pain and fatigue from fibromyalgia. These medications may also work on rebalancing neurotransmitters and help improve sleep. The FDA has approved both duloxetine and milnacipran for the treatment of fibromyalgia.



Other drugs that are not FDA-approved to treat fibromyalgia, such as sleep aids, can help with specific symptoms. Muscle relaxers, which were once used, are no longer recommended.


Natural remedies for fibromyalgia


If medications do not relieve your symptoms entirely, you can look for alternatives.


Many natural remedies focus on lowering stress and reducing pain, and they can help you feel better both mentally and physically. You can use them alone or together with traditional medical treatments.


Natural remedies for fibromyalgia include:



Therapy can potentially reduce the stress that triggers fibromyalgia symptoms. Group therapy may be the most affordable option, and it can give you a chance to meet others who are going through the same issues.


Individual therapy is also available if you prefer one-on-one help. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one approach for managing stressful situations.


If you’ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, try to eat a balanced diet overall. Nutritious foods provide you with a constant energy supply and help you keep your body healthy. They may also help prevent symptoms from getting worse.


It’s important to note that most alternative treatments for fibromyalgia have not been thoroughly studied or proven effective. Ask a healthcare professional about the benefits and risks before trying some of these treatments.


Living with fibromyalgia


Your quality of life can be affected when you live with pain, fatigue, and other symptoms on a daily basis.


Complicating matters are the misunderstandings many people have about fibromyalgia. Because your symptoms are hard to see, it may be easy for those around you to dismiss your pain as imaginary.


Know that your condition is real. Be persistent in your pursuit of a treatment that works for you.


Before you start to feel better, you may need to try more than one therapy or use a few techniques in combination.


Lean on people who understand what you’re going through, such as your doctor, close friends, or therapist.


Be gentle with yourself. Try not to overdo it. Most importantly, have faith that you can learn to cope with and manage your condition.