FMS

[archane]

I finally have long-term health insurance again. In preparation for seeking out a new doctor familiar with FMS and covered by my insurance, and then going in for a complete physical and what have you, I decided to do something of a personal update on what are currently considered symptoms of FMS, and whether or not they effect me.

I figured I'd leave this public for anyone else who may care about FMS symptoms.
Unless otherwise cited, information is taken from We Are FMily
underline marks symptoms that I've noticed in myself; may or may not have elaboration after.


Constant presence of widespread pain
[also frequent muscle twitching and spasms?]

Stiffness

• upon awakening
• after prolonged periods of sitting in one position
• after prolonged periods of standing in one position
• coincide with changes in temperature
• coincide with changes in relative humidity.

Increased Headaches Or Facial Pain

• frequent migraine headaches [infrequent; once or twice monthly]
• frequent tension headaches [moderately frequent; 4-7 times a month]
• frequent vascular headaches [unknown]
• referred pain to the temporal area (temples)
• referred pain behind the eyes.
• TMJ - approximately one-third of patients with fibromyalgia are thought to have pain and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (located where the jaw meets the ear) [potential; undiagnosed - talk to Dr.]
  
  
  From MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
  
  • headache [see above]
  • earache [frequent, especially in right ear]
  • jaw pain or tenderness of the jaw [regular; on right side]
  • dull, aching facial pain [occasional; once a month or so]
  • biting or chewing difficulty or discomfort
  • clicking sound while chewing or opening the mouth [on right side]
  • grating sensation while chewing
  • reduced ability to open or close the mouth

Sleep Disturbances

• awaken feeling unrefreshed [far less common if sleeping at least 8 hours, with a bedtime of 2 am or later]
• trouble falling asleep [frequent]
• trouble staying asleep [moderate; once weekly or so]
• sleep apnea

Gastrointestinal Complaints

• digestive disturbances [including occasional incomplete digestion]
• abdominal pain
• bloating
• IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) [potential, undiagnosed; talk to Dr.]
  
  
  From MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
  
  
  • chronic and frequent diarrhea, usually accompanied by pain
  • chronic and frequent constipation, usually accompanied by pain
  • abdominal pain or tenderness
    
    
    • following meals
    • relieved by bowel movement
    • intermittent
  • abdominal fullness
  • gas
  • bloating
  • abdominal distention
  • nausea and vomiting
  • loss of appetite [likely only peripherally related]
  • emotional distress [likely only peripherally related]
  • depression [likely only peripherally related]


• difficulty swallowing food

Genito-Urinary Problems

• increased frequency of urination
• increased urgency to urinate
• IC (interstitial cystitis) [see MedlinePlus for more information.]
• more painful menstrual periods [only about 1/2 the time]
• worsening of their FMS symptoms during this time
• vulvar vestibulitis [see University of Iowa Health Care for more information.]
• vulvodynia [see Vulvodynia.com for more information.]
• [increased susceptibility to bladder infections? Talk to Dr.]

Paresthesia - numbness or tingling, particularly, in:

• hands
• feet

Temperature Sensitivity

• highly sensitive to ambient temperature
  
  
  
  • abnormally cold
  • abnormally warm
• Raynaud’s Phenomenon [some possibility, undiagnosed; talk to Dr.]
  
  
  
  From MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
  
  
  • toes or fingers that change color when exposed to the cold [some]
  • toes or fingers that change color upon pressure
  • pain in the fingers or toes when exposed to the cold
  • tingling or pain on warming
  • skin redness or inflammation
  • bluish skin [far more pronounced when colder; especially in hands and legs]
  • paleness

Skin Complaints

• itchy
• dry
• blotchy
• dryness of the eyes
• dryness of the mouth
• sensation of swelling, particularly in extremities, like fingers (not equivalent to the joint inflammation of arthritis)

Chest Symptoms

• chest and upper body pain (thoracic pain and dysfunction; usually from activities involving continuous, forward body posture [i.e., typing, sitting at a desk, etc.])
  
  
  
  • shallow breathing
  • postural problems
• costochondralgia [see MedlinePlus for more information]
• MVP (mitral valve prolapse) [potential, undiagnosed; talk to Dr.]
  
  
  From Conscious Coice
  
  
  • migraine headaches
  • dizzy, spacy feeling
  • difficulty concentrating
  • balance problems, vertigo
  • insomnia, sleep disturbances
  • hyperventilation; shortness of breath
  • palpitations of the heart; skipped or irregular heart beat [infrequent; two or three times a month, then several months between]
  • panic attacks, with pounding heart beat
  • phantom chest pain with no apparent physiological cause [usually along the breast bone or tops of breasts]
  • hypersensitive startle reflex
  • cold sweats
  • cold hands and feet
  • numbness or tingling in the fingers or toes
  • bowel urgency, diarrhea, constipation
  • sensitivity to drugs, including alcohol, caffeine, and medications

Dysequilibrium

• nausea or "visual confusion" when driving a car, reading a book, or otherwise tracking objects.
• problems with focus
• neurally mediated hypotension - drop in blood pressure and heart rate upon standing with resulting light-headedness, nausea, and difficulty thinking clearly [three or four times a month; sitting from prone or standing does not have to be swift]

Cognitive Disorders ("Fibrofog")

• difficulty concentrating
• spaciness
• short-term memory lapses
• overwhelmed easily

RLS (restless legs syndrome)

From Medline Plus


• sleeping difficulty
• persistent leg movements during sleep hours [often but not always]
• irresistible urge to move the legs [I don't know that I'd call it an urge, the legs twitch or bounce seemingly on their own]
• abnormal sensation in the legs (occasionally, feet, thighs, arms)
  
  
  
  • creeping sensations or discomfort (not pain, not cramps) relieved by movement of the legs
  • may occur during the day
  • worse when lying down

Environmental Sensitivity

• hypersensitivity to light
• hypersensitivity to noise
• hypersensitivity to odors
• hypersensitivity to weather patterns
• neurogenic inflammation [see Interstitial Cystitis Association for more information.]
• Allergic-like reactions to a variety of substances (i.e., medications, chemicals, food additives, pollutants, etc.)
• non-allergic rhinitis consisting of nasal congestion/discharge and sinus pain [potentially]; [see About.com for more information.]

Depression

Anxiety