What are the main symptoms of fibromyalgia?

My sister has been feeling very tired lately and has painful joints and muscles.

The signs of Fibromyalgia are numerous, but they all seem to trace back to pain symptom. Since many medical conditions are only noticed through pain, it can be hard to distinguish the symptoms of Fibromyalgia from a variety of other medical conditions involving pain.

In general, there are pains all over the body with a number of tender points as mentioned above.

One of the complications of the pain symptom is difficulty getting good sleep which will result in additional symptoms of Fibromyalgia such as difficulty remembering things and trouble solving complex problems.

Maybe this is why the Fibromyalgia Syndrome is also often related to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Depression can also be a symptom of Fibromyalgia as well as other mood issues and disorders.

It is not easy to diagnose so you may want to discuss this with your doctor.

Signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary, depending on the weather, stress, physical activity or even the time of day. Common signs and symptoms include:

Widespread pain. Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in specific areas of your body when pressure is applied, including the back of your head, upper back and neck, upper chest, elbows, hips and knees. The pain generally persists for months at a time and is often accompanied by stiffness.
Fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired and unrefreshed even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. Some studies suggest that this sleep problem is the result of a sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. So people with fibromyalgia miss the deep restorative stage of sleep. Nighttime muscle spasms in your legs and restless legs syndrome also may be associated with fibromyalgia.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating associated with IBS are common in people with fibromyalgia.
Headaches and facial pain. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have headaches and facial pain that may be related to tenderness or stiffness in their neck and shoulders. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, which affects the jaw joints and surrounding muscles, also is common in people with fibromyalgia.
Heightened sensitivity. It's common for people with fibromyalgia to report being sensitive to odors, noises, bright lights and touch.
Other common signs and symptoms include:

Depression
Numbness or tingling sensations in the hands and feet (paresthesia)
Difficulty concentrating
Mood changes
Chest pain
Dry eyes, skin and mouth
Painful menstrual periods
Dizziness
Anxiety

good 1st answer

need to note that fms symptoms are similar to other conditions from normal response to lifestyle to depression to lymes to lupus to ms to b12 or vitamin d deficiency.....

need to rule out these 1st

final determination is a tenderpoint exam-if there are about 11 out of 18-may be diagnosed with fms

to find a competant doc in the US
email kiindness@fibrobetsy.com

most docs (even rheumatologists) are not competant to diagnos FMS-they either think it doesn't exist-isn't so bad or label anyone with normal aches and fatigue with FMS