Fibromyalgia

  • What Is Fibromyalgia?

  • “Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals.”
  • Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia:
  • muscles spasms
  • muscle twitches or cramps
  • numbness or tingling in the hands and feet
  • extreme tiredness
  • poor quality sleep
  • trouble sleeping
  • fatigue
  • interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome
  • trouble with remembering, learning, paying attention, and concentrating referred to as “fibro fog”
  • slow or confused speech
  • frequent headaches or migraines
  • temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ)
  • frequent or painful urination
  • irritable bowel syndrome
  • depression or anxiety

  • From the look of the symptoms, everyone “has” fibromyalgia, right? The symptoms are broad. But there are tests that your doctor can perform to diagnose you correctly.
  • These symptoms are not “oh yeah..I get headaches..”,
  • these symptoms are from an entirely different world.
  • “In some cases, these coexisting problems might be connected to how your body processes pain signals. In fibromyalgia, your brain amplifies pain signals, so you feel a higher level of pain than what might be commonly expected for certain types of painful stimuli.
  • The pain and lack of sleep associated with fibromyalgia can interfere with your ability to function at home or on the job. The frustration of dealing with an often-misunderstood [and invisible] condition also can result in depression and health-related anxiety.💜
  • Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress.”
  • Fibromyalgia in the spotlight:
  • Research. Research well. Find questions. Find things that scare you. Find things that make you feel comforted (it will be hard). Take it to your doctor. One step at a time.
  • I hate to tell you, but this is the most difficult change in your life, because it never stops changing. Five years from now, you’ll still be assessing every single symptom, you’ll still betesting the boundaries. This is a systemic disease, and rarely does it bring relief. Learn to live with changes. Become comfortable while being uncomfortable. And research. Research, research, research. You cannot know too much. 
  • Take it all into your mind, and make your life work.
  • The following websites have helped me for the entirety that I’ve been diagnosed with this disease. They regularly update as research provides. The first link is now your favorite website, your favorite book, and your essential bible for your health.
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Healthline
  • WebMD
  • Center For Disease Control and Prevention
  • American College of Rheumatology
  • Medical News Today
  • If you suspect that you may have fibromyalgia, consult your doctor. This page is in no means for diagnostic purposes, rather a sign that you are not alone in the darkness of this never ending tunnel.❤️