Im curious what are the symptoms of fibromyalgia and how is this diagnosed?

Hey PinkyPriscilla,

These are all medically accepted symptoms of fibromyalgia (which I compiled from books written by doctors, very reputable websites and scientific journals):

Abdominal Pain
Anxiety
Balance Problems
Bloating
Blurred Vision
Constipation
Costochondralgia (muscle pain where the ribs meet the chest bone)
Depression
Diarrhea
Difficulty Concentrating
Difficulty Swallowing
Dizziness
Drug Allergies & Sensitivity
Dry Eyes
Dry Mouth
Facial Pain
Fatigue
Flushing
Headaches
Heart Murmurs (Mitral Valve Prolapse)
Heavy Sweating
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Interstitial Cystitis (inflammation of bladder wall)
Intolerance to Alcohol
Irritable Bladder
Joint Pain
Light Hypersensitivity
Low Grade Fevers
Memory Lapses
Migraines
Mood Swings
Muscle Spasms
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Nasal & Sinus Congestion
Nausea
Neurally Mediated Hypotension
Night Sweats
Odor Hypersensitivity
Painful Sexual Intercourse
Painful Menstrual Periods
Raynaud's Syndrome
Restless Leg Syndrome
Ringing In The Ears
Shallow Breathing
Skin Complaints (dry, itchy, blotchy)
Sleep Disorders
Sore Throat
Sound Hypersensitivity
Spaciness (fibrofog)
Stiffness
Swelling
Swollen Glands
Temperature Hypersensitivity
Tingling
TMJ Dysfunction
Tooth Pain
Touch Hypersensitivity
Vertigo
Weight Fluctuations
Widespread Pain

FMS sufferers don't usually experience all of the symptoms, but rather a combination from that list.. That should help answer the physical symptom portion of your question..

As for the diagnostic part, all conditions with similar symptoms must first be ruled out (like lupus, lyme disease, MS, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.), a patient must have 11 of 18 specified tender points when tested by their physician and a history of chronic, widespread pain that affects all four quadrants of the body for a minimum of three months.. I hope that helps!

Take Care,
Melanie

What kind of doctor diagnoses Fibro?

Do you have to have tender points? what are they?

I can tell you about some of my fibromyalgia symptoms. I'm cured of these now after having my mercury fillings replaced with less toxic ones, almost 10 years ago.

When I was a teenager, I first noticed problems with my gums - occasionally I would get a horrible gum disease. As I got older I could control this gum disease with salt water solution. At about age 27, I started having these strange unexplained muscle problems. They were mainly near the joints, and from what I saw in a book or on the internet, they were mostly near those "tender" points.

I'll never forget. I was just 27, trying to do some exercise. And with this exercise, the muscle just "froze" up with pain. I tried to limp around the pain, but the pain transferred to the other joint area, where more stress was applied. I couldn't believe it. Here I was, crippled...at such a young age. Doctor after doctor, they could not help me. It was pain that could not be seen, but it was there. Why? Why can't these doctors understand? And a lot of them still can't. But it is real...not made-up stories in our head.

I still fight this. I feel that I'm constantly detoxifying my body, as I push my running speed faster and faster. With such emphasis, including a better diet, occasionally I'll get strange skin marks or eruptions. The last time I saw my dermatologist, he could not understand what these red marks were. He thought they were cancer. He started in a rampage about how dangerous cancer was...lectured me like I was a five-year old...like I was going to die any minute...like somehow it was my fault for not getting enough checkups.

But the next time I saw him, these red marks that he circled with his pen were gone. I told him that they come and go. This doctor gave me a puzzled look (I've seen this dumb look so many times from so many doctors). But how can any of these doctors understand that toxins can play a role in disease? And a common place for these toxins are in our head. It's in our teeth. Why are they so slow to understand?

By the way, my other symptoms, fall right in line with other fibromyalgia symptoms. I've expressed them from time to time. A lot of people have heard my stories, that span over 20 years. I'd be glad to help anyone else understand this. I've been in those shoes; I know how it feels. I'm one of the few that was initially well, got sick, and am now well again. I had to go outside traditional medical care to be cured.

I'm not familar with fibro doctors. I abandoned doctor's care with this years ago, as soon as they made me worse or did nothing for me. There was something they were missing. I didn't initially know what it was. But, when I discovered it...that is the link of dental amalgams to illness, I learned more. I learned that they (the medical establishment in general) are still in denial. They can't understand that mercury is so bad for us. Why can't they? Why are they not doing more studies and listening to more of us? I believe (or suspect) that other toxins in addition to mercury could also possibly cause fibromyalgia too.

Hey PinkyPriscilla,

Although fibromyalgia can be diagnosed by a regular physician, I highly recommend that anyone who thinks they might have fibromyalgia sees a rheumatologist.. They specialize in chronic pain disorders and are usually more educated about making a diagnosis..

As for the tender points, since I can't post a link to another website, I recommend that you look it up on a search engine.. They're just 18 preordained spots on the body that are supposed to be sore when a certain amount of pressure is applied to them.. A lot of fibromyalgia sites have graphics that pinpoint the spots..

Take Care,
Melanie