If you feel tired all the time and have muscle aches and pains, you might think you’re coming down with the flu or another illness. But if your symptoms have been persisting for weeks or months and you also have insomnia, GI distress, or cognitive issues like “brain fog,” consider making an appointment with your general practitioner to discuss the possibility.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
This is a disorder that causes widespread chronic pain and tenderness. According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibro (as many patients call it) is more common in women than in men and also common among people with arthritis or chronic pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or lupus. Fibromyalgia can occur at any age but most often first strikes in middle age.
Diagnosing Fibromyalgia Can Be Difficult
There’s no single test (such as a blood test or an imaging test like an X-ray) that can confirm a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Rather, fibromyalgia is considered a “diagnosis of exclusion,” which means that doctors first have to rule out other health problems.
Make an appointment with your family doctor or rheumatologist (if you already have one) to discuss your symptoms. It could be helpful to download a fibromyalgia pain log to track your symptoms, the severity of pain, and how your lifestyle is impacted and bring that to the physician’s office.
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