Fibromyalgia is a syndrome with many symptoms. The three primary symptoms are chronic pain, fatigue and sleep disturbances. There are numerous other associated ailments which are usually referred to as secondary symptoms.

Primary Symptoms :

CHRONIC PAIN : All fybromyalgia patients suffer from chronic pain which presents on specific and well defined areas of the body. The pain extends from the muscles of the neck, shoulders, arms down through the muscles of the pelvis to the knees and is deeply rooted in the soft tissues of the muscles surrounding the joints (as opposed to arthritis that affects the joints). This is a non-inflammatory pain and is not degenerative.

CHRONIC FATIGUE : The fatigue caused by fybromyalgia is characterised by sluggishness as a result of physical exertion, of prolonged intellectual work or by the onset of sudden weakness with no apparent cause. It is intensified by a lack of sleep and by prolonged or consecutive stressful situations. Chronic fatigue is experienced by all fybromyalgia sufferers and the symptoms may continue for several days, weeks or even months. It has a significant affect on the daily activities and quality of life of fybromyalgics.

CAUTION : it is important to distinguish between chronic fatigue associated with fybromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. These are two separate syndromes which are closely related and often difficult to differentiate. One doctor may diagnose chronic fatigue and another may diagnose fybromyalgia in the same patient. You must discuss either diagnosis because it is vital that the cause of your fatigue is identified. Note that you cannot have fybromyalgia without chronic fatigue - but you can have chronic fatigue and not suffer from fybromyalgia.

SLEEP DISTURBANCES : Characterised by difficulty in falling asleep, frequent waking up and loss of deep sleep. These sleep problems cause chronic stiffness and sluggishness. In healthy sleep the essential deep sleep phase restores the forces necessary to balance the body. In fybromyalgia, the frequency of alpha waves caused by the sleep disturbances are abnormally high in comparison with the essential delta waves of deep sleep. This anomaly results in a state of light sleep which in turn deprives the body of essential rest.

A fibromyalgia sufferer may suffer from one, some or all of the following secondary symptoms in varying degees from mild to severe :

• allergies
• carpel tunnel syndrome
• irritable bowel (alternating diarrhea and constipation)
• cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) or bladder irritability
• depression (mild to severe, often proportional to the intensity of pain)
• numbness and tingling
• sore throat (hoarseness or difficulty swallowing)
• headache (migraine or tension)
• loss of cognition( memory disorders)
• gastro-oesophageal reflux (heartburn)
• PMS
• dry eyes, dry mouth (associated to Sjörgen's Syndrome)
• thyroid problems (hypothyroidism, thyroiditis)
• cold extremities (similar to Raynaud's disease)
• maxillo-facial pain

It is important to note that fibromyalgia is a diagnosis of exclusion. Before confirming a diagnosis it is necessary to carry out tests to exclude other diseases that may present similar symptoms.