Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disease. When you go to your doctor with your symptoms, he or she will undoubtedly draw blood for an ANA (AntiNuclear Antibodies) test, which is the usual test performed for autoimmune disease.
Fibromyalgia patients experience several symptoms. The five most common signs of fibromyalgia are:
Confusion
This is often called fibro fog.” Patients with fibro fog have a hard time concentrating, thinking straight, and understanding simple things.
Depression and Anxiety
These often go hand in hand. When someone has the debilitating pain and discomfort of fibromyalgia, it’s easy to slip into depression and experience anxiety even over the littlest things. Sometimes patients cannot make a simple decision.
Fatigue
Getting out of bed in the morning, or having energy to go out of the house is often difficult for Fibromyalgia patients.
Malaise
Many fibromyalgia sufferers complain of a general malaise. They cannot enjoy doing things the way they used to.
Pain
Pain is very debilitating in fibromyalgia patients. The pain is widespread. Your doctor will check 18 tender points on your body. Most fibromyalgia patients will we sensitive in at least 11 of these areas. They are: the front of the neck, the lower back of the head, the outer elbows, the inner knees, the outer upper thighs, the upper side section of the butt, the upper chest below the collarbone, and the upper back region. These 18 points (9 pairs) are the standard check for fibromyalgia.
If you feel tired, your body is in constant, widespread pain, you’re having trouble concentrating, you get periods of anxiety or depression, or generally feel unease with everything, check with your doctor. You might have fibromyalgia.
