Symptoms

People with fibromyalgia complain of widespread pain and achiness, similar to the symptoms of a bad bout of the flu. Sometimes the pain is described as gnawing or burning. People often feel stiffer and achier in the morning than at other times of the day. The severity of pain may vary from day to day, but most people with fibromyalgia report that some level of pain is always present. Exercise, physical or emotional stress, poor sleep, or even bad weather may increase the intensity of pain. Numbness, tingling, and the sensation of swelling of the hands are other common complaints. Fibromyalgia is also accompanied by moderate to severe fatigue.

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Depression has been linked to fibromyalgia, but it is not clear whether depression causes the syndrome or is a consequence of it. Approximately 20 percent to 30 percent of people with fibromyalgia are clinically depressed at any given time, and 50 percent of all people with fibromyalgia will experience major depression or an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives (compared with 10 percent to 20 percent of the general population). Other research has shown that depression occurs with about the same frequency in people with fibromyalgia as in those with other chronic conditions. Certainly, long-term pain and fatigue can lead to depression. Nevertheless, some researchers believe that the mechanisms that underlie depression may be similar to those involved in fibromyalgia.

About one third to one half of people with fibromyalgia also have irritable bowel syndrome, a gastrointestinal disorder of unknown cause. In addition, restless leg syndrome (a condition marked by an unpleasant aching in the legs at bedtime, accompanied by an overpowering urge to walk around for relief) may affect three quarters of fibromyalgia patients.