Fibromyalgia Symptoms Checklist

You’ve probably read about fibromyalgia symptoms such as pain, fatigue and fibro fog, but the list of possible symptoms is far-reaching and body-wide. Here is a “monster list” of 60+ symptoms to let you know that you’re not alone.

Knowing the full range of symptoms can help you track them, either to help your doctor reach a diagnosis or to help you identify triggers. It also helps to know you’re not the only person experiencing these!

Some of the following are noted as overlapping conditions, which means they commonly occur with fibromyalgia but actually are conditions that need to be diagnosed and treated separately.

We can have any combination of the following symptoms, and to varying degrees of severity. Your mix of symptoms may also change over time. Some people have fairly constant levels of symptoms, but many of us experience symptom flares and remissions (periods of reduced symptoms).

General Symptoms

• Delayed reactions to physical exertion or stressful events
• Other family members with fibromyalgia (genetic predisposition)
• Extreme sweating
• Unexplained weight gain or loss
• Cravings for carbohydrate and chocolate
• Headaches & migraines
• Vision changes, including rapidly worsening vision

Muscle & Tissue Symptoms

• Pain that ranges from mild to severe, and may move around the body (See The 7 Types of Fibromyalgia Pain)
• Morning stiffness

• Muscle twitches
• Diffuse, low-grade swelling (NOT large amounts of inflammation)
• Fibrocystic (lumpy, tender) breasts (as an overlapping condition)

Cognitive (“Fibro Fog”) & Neurological Symptoms

• Difficulty speaking known words, other language impairments (dysphasia)
• Directional disorientation
• Poor balance and coordination

• Paresthesias in the upper limbs (tingling or burning sensations)
• Loss of ability to distinguish some shades of colors
• Short-term memory impairment
• Forgetfulness
• Confusion
• Trouble concentrating
• Difficulty learning new information
• Impaired reading comprehension
• Staring into space before brain “kicks in”
• Inability to recognize familiar surroundings

Sensory Symptoms

• Sensitivity to odors
• Sensitivity to pressure changes, temperature & humidity
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to noise
• Night driving difficulty
• Sensory overload

Sinus & Allergy/Respiratory Symptoms

• Allergies
• Post nasal drip
• Runny nose
• Mold & yeast sensitivity
• Shortness of breath
• Earaches & itchy ears
• Ringing ears (tinnitus)
• Thick secretions

Sleep-Related Symptoms

• Light and/or broken sleep pattern with unrefreshing sleep
• Fatigue
• Sleep starts (falling sensations, also called myoclonic jerks)
• Twitchy muscles at night
• Teeth grinding (bruxism)

Reproductive/Sexual Symptoms

• Menstrual problems
• PMS or extremely painful periods (as an overlapping condition)
• Premature menopause

• Loss of sex drive
• Impotence in men

Abdominal & Digestive Symptoms

• Bloating & nausea
• Abdominal cramps
• Pelvic pain
• Irritable bowel syndrome (as an overlapping condition)
• Frequent urination

Emotional Symptoms (These do NOT mean that fibromyalgia is a mental illness!)

• Panic attacks
• Depression (as an overlapping condition)
• Tendency to cry easily
• Free-floating anxiety (not associated with situation or object)
• Mood swings
• Unaccountable irritability

Heart-Related Symptoms

• Mitral valve prolapse (as an overlapping condition)
• Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) (as an overlapping condition)
• Pain that mimics heart attack, frequently from costochondritis (as an overlapping condition)

Skin, Hair & Nail Symptoms

• Pronounced nail ridges
• Nails that curve under
• Mottled skin
• Bruising or scarring easily
• Hair loss (temporary)
• Tissue overgrowth (non-cancerous tumors called lipomas, ingrown hairs, heavy and splitting cuticles, adhesions, skin tags)

Miscellaneous Symptoms

• Hemorrhoids
• Nose bleeds

Don’t be Overwhelmed

This is a long list and it can be scary to look at it. Keep in mind that many of these symptoms have a relatively small impact or no real impact on your life. Also, treatments often help quiet multiple symptoms, so you don’t have to tackle each one separately.

Rather than being overwhelming, this list can be a comfort because it helps you see that all of these things have a common cause and you’re not the only person who’s experiencing them.

_Sources

_{Devin J. Starlanyl. All rights reserved. Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Myofascial Pain (CMP) For Doctors and Other Health Care Providers.}

_{Mayo Clinic. Fibromyalgia. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fibromyalgia/basics/symptoms/con-20019243}