Fibromyalgia Symptoms Recognition

Fear of the unknown and unexplainable

It is common to hear that there are complex diseases, although the complexity lies in the lack of knowledge of the mechanisms that cause them. When we get to know the mechanism better, these diseases are no longer considered complex.1

However, when there is widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and many other symptoms shared by people with fibromyalgia, there is another common manifestation, fear, or rather, the various fears that appear while searching for explanations.2

Fear increases in the experience of incomprehensible aches and pains

Often fears and uncertainty appear during the search for explanations to a persistent condition. Fear begins when we see the doctor we go to, with questions such as: Will he understand what is happening to me? Will he believe me? Or will he say that it is nothing and everything is in my mind? Will he find a solution that will help me or will I be stuck forever with this pain? These are common fears in people with fibromyalgia.2

Also, fear of the possible severity of the disease causes alterations in our mood that can lead to an anxiety crisis. Fibromyalgia is a disease with many symptoms experienced at once, so it can be difficult to detect and isolate.2

Fear increases in the experience of incomprehensible aches and pains

Fear increases in the experience of incomprehensible aches and pains

Fatigue or tiredness?

Fatigue is synonymous with tiredness, and both words are used interchangeably to refer to an unpleasant feeling of lack of energy; although generally, we speak of tiredness when it is a consequence of physical activity and fatigue when it is more at a mental level.2

Fatigue is often associated with other symptoms such as pain, anxiety, depression, apathy, sleep disorders or cognitive disturbances, all of which are common symptoms in people with fibromyalgia.2

Fatigue or tiredness?

Fatigue or tiredness?

Fatigue, the frequent symptom of chronic diseases

As a symptom, fatigue accompanies many diseases, be it infectious, neurologic, psychiatric, oncologic, rheumatologic, etc. The only condition is that it must be chronic in nature, or at least of a certain duration.2

When fatigue is associated with symptoms such as pain, anxiety, depression, apathy, sleep disorders or cognitive disturbances, it may be fibromyalgia.2

Fatigue, the frequent symptom of chronic diseases

Fatigue, the frequent symptom of chronic diseases

How do you know if it is fibromyalgia?

In addition to persistent pain, symptoms such as anxiety, depression or apathy are present in up to 70% of people with fibromyalgia.3

For a long time, it was thought that these manifestations were the cause of a psychiatric disease that ended up producing fibromyalgia.3

However, this is not the case, but quite the opposite: Fibromyalgia ends up producing these symptoms in a high percentage of patients.3

How do you know if it is fibromyalgia?

How do you know if it is fibromyalgia?

Where do fibromyalgia symptoms come from?

People with fibromyalgia experience a significant number of symptoms, although the origin of these symptoms is not clear. This causes confusion, as it is not clear whether these symptoms are caused by fibromyalgia or by another disease. Knowing the origin of the symptoms allows us to have better control over the disease and provide the necessary peace of mind to face this complicated disease.3

Previously it was thought that pain, fatigue or intolerance to physical exercise, common in fibromyalgia, originated in the locomotor system, but recent evidence seems to indicate that it is related to an irregular processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord.3

Where do fibromyalgia symptoms come from?

Where do fibromyalgia symptoms come from?

Frequent symptoms of fibromyalgia

There are many frequent symptoms of fibromyalgia, including: Headache, dryness, palpitations, dizziness when standing up, burning, choking, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, intense sweating, generalized itching, changes in the menstrual period or cystitis, which originate in the autonomic nervous system, and belong to what is called dysautonomia.3

It is important to understand the origin of the symptoms in people with fibromyalgia, both for the patient and for the physician, as this will minimize unnecessary examinations, and will help provide the most appropriate treatment to obtain optimal control of the disease.3

Frequent symptoms of fibromyalgia

Frequent symptoms of fibromyalgia

Is everything I feel because of fibromyalgia?

In fibromyalgia there may be other conditions that are responsible for some of the symptoms. In these cases, you must rely on your doctor’s experience to determine which symptoms belong to one or the other disease and, of course, describe in detail what you feel so that your doctor can manage it and explain it to you.3

In people with fibromyalgia, the different origins of the symptoms should be well known by both the patient and the doctor in order to avoid unnecessary examinations, providing the most appropriate treatment and thus obtaining optimal control of the disease.3

Is everything I feel because of fibromyalgia?

Is everything I feel because of fibromyalgia?

If you (or a person close to you) has experienced unexplained widespread pain for more than three months and cannot get a diagnosis, this may be fibromyalgia

GO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR.
References:
  1. Rivera, J., 2022. El largo camino de la fibromialgia. [online] Fibromialgia sin miedos. Available at: https://www.fibromialgiasinmiedos.com/el-largo-camino-de-la-fibromialgia/ [Accessed 31 January 2024].
  2. Rivera, J., 2022. Los miedos de las personas con fibromialgia. [online] Fibromialgia sin miedos. Available at: https://www.fibromialgiasinmiedos.com/los-miedos-de-las-personas-con-fibromialgia/ [Accessed 31 January 2024].
  3. Rivera, J., 2022. ¿De dónde vienen los síntomas?. [online] Fibromialgia sin miedos. Available at: https://www.fibromialgiasinmiedos.com/de-donde-vienen-los-sintomas/ [Accessed 31 January 2024].