I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia two months ago.
This "fibromyalgia" has been the indirect result of a car accident.
This occured after "pressure points" were discovered in my neck, lower back and knees by an orthapedic surgeon. I am now discovering that the constant pain, tiredness,fatigue,depression, sleeplessness, dizziness and brainfog (the list goes on)that I have experienced for some years is part of this syndrome.
It is nice to be able to put all the pieces of this puzzle together then put a name to it.
However there are two symptoms that I am experiencing that I am not sure whether they are FM symptoms. I occasionlly have hypoglycemia. I am not a diabetic however this can occur at any time without warning. I also have a migrane without a headache. A haylo will move across my vision. Then I will have stiffness in my neck and fogginess for a short time.
Could this be a condition of fibromyalgia as well? http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/confused.gif

Hi Trinny, here is some good information that I have c/c/p'd from a great fibro site (http://members.tripod.com/~ms_stix/fibro.htm).. Best of luck to you!

Signs and Symptoms of FMS

1. Widespread Pain for more than 3 mo.-- diffuse musculoskeletal pain and fatigue; the presence of musculoskeletal tender points; pain that is often described as aching, burning, throbbing, gnawing, shooting, tingling. It can be localized, generalized, can feel like muscle spasm and can be scattered throughout. It may be migratory, with pain presenting in one or more areas on one day and other areas on another day. Pain is often experienced very quickly after any repetitive movement - even something as simple as holding arms up to brush or comb hair etc.

FMSers have 3-4 times the amount of Substance P in their bodies than normal people. Substance P is the vehicle that carries pain stimuli to the brain. The brain may also interpret the pain improperly and respond inappropriately. What might be experienced as a "tickle", itch or annoyance normally - is experienced as pain in those who suffer with FMS. There are often more pain receptors in FMSers, therefore pain is magnified.

There is Bilateral Pain in various points in areas throughout the body. There are 18 TPR's - Diagnosis of FMS is made if pressure on 11 of these 18 points causes pain. Areas throughout the body may feel "bruised" when touched. The tender point is considered to be positive if an approximate force of 4 kg. of pressure causes pain when applied to the specified points. Widespread pain must have been present for at least 3 months with the associated tenderpoint pain in order for Fibromyalgia to be diagnosed.

2. Sleep Disturbances, NON-Restorative sleep, Morning Mental & Physical fatigue, Morning stiffness lasting greater than 30 minutes. Sleep disturbance/non restorative sleep: may be described as not being able to fall asleep, not being able to stay asleep or more common, "I feel like I haven't slept" may awaken frequently and be unable to return to sleep for some time. May wake up "full" of pain and feel "more tired" than on going to bed.

Due to the lack of Stage 4 sleep, muscle repair does not occur properly and muscles take longer to heal and regenerate after injury, including trauma that is experienced by everyone in day to day life. Micro trauma during exercise is not repaired in FMS patients in the same manner as it is in normal people - thus the muscle stiffness causes much more distress in FMSers and takes longer to subside, therefore exercise is not refreshing but continuously causes pain making patients reluctant to engage in an exercise routine.

There is a disturbance in the sleep pattern and FMSers are not able to enter into stage 4 sleep, thus they awaken frequently through the night when they reach Stage 4. It's almost like the sleep patterns and awake patterns are playing in the brain at the same time. Restful sleep is never achieved. Thus there follows deep aching discomfort throughout the body and the feeling of being exhausted. The shoulders, neck and low back are often the most painful.

3. Nervous System: numbness, tingling, burning, especially in the arms/legs, sciatica, abnormal sweating, intolerance to alcohol, sensitivity to chemicals- including medications, Weight gain or loss, low grade fever, (99-100 degree range).

4. Bone, Joint, Muscles; pain can be localized/diffuse; swelling, chestwall/rib pain, Costochondritis, muscle twitching, spasms, ataxia, cramping.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder: in many FM patients, problems are encountered because of the abnormal tone in muscles around the joint, not because of abnormalities in the joint itself. (Pain in the face and jaw)

5. Gastrointestinal system: Abnormal appetite-- too much, or too little, trouble swallowing, Nausea, Heartburn, Abdominal pain, Diarrhea, constipation, Excessive bloating and gassiness, Lactose Intolerance, Rectal pain, Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

6. Genitourinary (Reproductive): frequent urination, incontinence, PMS, Severe Menstrual cramping, Irregular menstrual periods, Endometriosis, Sexual dysfunction or decreased interest, difficulty with orgasm, pain with erection.

7. Skin: Dry Skin, hives, itching, Raynauds Phenomenon (coldness/redness, color changes in the hands and feet), Peeling of the skin, reddish rashes on nose and cheeks.

8. Lymph Nodes: swollen, tender, mostly in the neck, armpits, and/or groin.

9. Reactive Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

10. Visual problems: (blurred vision), floaties, frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions.

11. Auditory problems: ringing, decreased hearing in the ears.

12. Respiratory Dysfunction: Shallow breathing, asthma, allergies, bronchitis.

13. Cognitive (Memory) Deficits: Brain Fog, difficulty with word-finding, losing things, disorientation, acquired dyslexia; attention deficit disorder, calculation difficulties, memory disturbance, spatial disorientation, difficulty with concentration and short-term memory. These things are commonly referred to by FMSers as "fibrofog".

14. Hypersensitivity to noises, odors, heat or cold.

15. Clumsiness: dropping things abruptly, running into things frequently, depth perception problems.

16. Endocrine System Deficits: decreased production of the thyroid, growth hormone, setotonin, melatonin etc...

Btw, the fogginess that you experience, us fibro's call it "fibro fog"

Trinny,
Hi, I am sorry you have to go through this terrible illness. I want to tell you that there are so many symptoms you can have that you would be surprized was FM. But to answer your questions I have FMS Fibro and CMPS Chronic Myofasical Pain Syndrome,( those are the main disorders) but I have many more which could over lap FMS and CMPS anyways I get Hypoglycemia often and it isn't always when I do not eat. I also get it after I eat about 1 to 2 hours and it is caused by what I may have ate. As for the migraines. I get them bad! All the symptoms but without vomiting. But I to have had the weird vision problems like you mention with or without dizziness. I think it could very well be Fibro symptoms for you. I was diagnosed last part of last year yet I have had problems that have been named Fibro and Myofasical pain for nearly 20 yrs. I suffered through so many unbelieving Doctors and now I am doing a lot of studying and I have a super Doctor yet I remain in severe pain(Mainly in my back) so Pain is my worst problem yet I have many of the other symptoms too and they are hard to live with. Good Luck to you. Raven

Trinny,
You need to talk to me. You are the spitting image of me. Tell me about the care wreck. Where did you hit--I mean was the trauma to the head or what. How old are you. I am now 44 years of age and was in a car accident when I was 15. I have been through a lot of doctors and a lot of diagnosis before the truth came out. I am not saying you have what I have. I am just saying that you have what I have but I will go into my complete, lengthy history after you let me know a little about your condition. Again, your description of the way you feel, sounds so much like myself, perhaps you could compare your symptoms to what I have been through.