I have a Facebook page, like thousands of other people around the world.  At some time between Thanksgiving and Christmas I found a Fibromyalgia Awareness group on Facebook.  I don’t visit the group as often as I would like, but today was going through some of the posts and was brought to tears by a couple of them.

Someone posted a list of FM symptoms that they had found at About.com.  I’ve seen symptoms lists, but I have never seen one so extensive or that appeared to be written by my own hand.  And then the subsequent posts by others.  Oh my.  I knew that I wasn’t alone in my battle with FM, but I had no idea that so many people were experiencing the EXACT same things that I have been.  Our feelings are the same.  Both emotional and physical.  It was amazing to read.

And then it hit me.  Although, I have been thinking about it for a short while…  I have been dealing with FM for ALL of my adult life.  All of it.  If I could remember back a little further, I am sure that I have been experiencing symptoms since I was quite young.

I’ve taken the liberty of copying and pasting this very comprehensive list below.  It can be found at:  FM Symptoms – Monster List

You’ve probably read about fibromyalgia symptoms such as pain, fatigue and fibrofog, but the list of possible signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia are far-reaching and body-wide. The following “monster list” of fibromyalgia symptoms is adapted from one put together by leading fibromyalgia expert Devin Starlanyl.

Many of these fibromyalgia symptoms also can be caused by other ailments and this list isn’t intended as a diagnostic tool. Knowing the full range of symptoms, however, can help you track them either to help your doctor diagnose you properly or to help you identify triggers.

• Learn how doctors diagnose fibromyalgia.
• Find a doctor who treats fibromyalgia.

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.

People with fibromyalgia can have any combination of the following symptoms, and to varying degrees of severity:

General Fibromyalgia Symptoms

• Delayed reactions to physical exertion or stressful events
• Other family members with fibromyalgia (genetic predisposition)
• Sweats
• Unexplained weight gain or loss
• Cravings for carbohydrate and chocolate
• Headaches & migraines

Muscle & Tissue-Related Fibromyalgia Symptoms

• Pain that ranges from mild to severe, and may move around the body
• Morning stiffness
• Muscle twitches
• Diffuse swelling
• Fibrocystic (lumpy, tender) breasts (as an overlapping condition)

Sinus & Allergy-Related Fibromyalgia Symptoms

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

Sleep-Related Fibromyalgia Symptoms

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

Reproductive Fibromyalgia Symptoms

• Menstrual problems
• PMS (as an overlapping condition)
• Loss of libido
• Impotence

Abdominal & Digestive Fibromyalgia Symptoms

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

Cognitive (fibrofog) Fibromyalgia Symptoms

• Difficulty speaking known words
• Directional disorientation
• Loss of ability to distinguish some shades of colors
• Short-term memory impairment
• Confusion
• Trouble concentrating
• Staring into space before brain “kicks in”
• Inability to recognize familiar surroundings

Sensory Fibromyalgia Symptoms

• Sensitivity to odors
• Sensitivity to pressure changes, temperature & humidity
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to noise
• Night driving difficulty
• Sensory overload
• Paresthesias in the upper limbs(tingling or burning sensations)

Emotional Fibromyalgia Symptoms

• 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 Fibromyalgia Symptoms

• Mitral valve prolapse (as an overlapping condition)
• Rapid, fluttery, irregular heartbeat
• Pain that mimics heart attack, frequently from costochondritis (as an overlapping condition)

Skin, Hair & Nail-Related Fibromyalgia Symptoms

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

Miscellaneous Fibromyalgia Symptoms

• Hemorrhoids
• Nose bleeds

I either currently experience or have experienced 44 – FORTY-FOUR – of the 65 symptoms above for as long as I can remember…some of them even pre-high school.  That’s approximately 68%.  Sixty-eight percent of the symptoms.  I have to say that I am baffled.  Positively baffled.

As I’ve written previously, I was just diagnosed in October 2008.  This means that I have been experiencing Fibromyalgia symptoms for no less than 20 years. When I say that I’ve been or am experiencing the symptoms, please don’t get me wrong.  I don’t just relate to one or two at a time, but a whole handful.  They seem to work together against me.  Example:  Most recently, pre-diagnosis, I experienced the following all at the same time for TWO YEARS:

sweats; cravings; headaches; full body pain; morning stiffness; muscle twitches; all of the “Sinus/Allergy” symptoms; all of the “Sleep Related” symptoms; all of the “Abdominal/Digestive” symptoms; 6/8 “Cognitive” symptoms; all of the “Sensory” symptoms; 4/6 “Emotional” symptoms; and, 4/6 of the “Skin, Hair & Nail” symptoms.

I am still experiencing some of the symptoms, but am holding out hope that my medication regimen will make them go away!!!

What have I found to be the most defeating aspect of this syndrome???  The fact that I feel like I am letting down all of the important people in my life because I almost always feel “sick.”  I am quite thankful that I am no longer in pain.  However, just because I am pain-free doesn’t take away all of the other things that I feel.

The hardest part of dealing with FM is that I can’t put a band-aid or a cast on what I am experiencing, and consequently most people can’t comprehend that it’s real.  I’ve had people accuse me of being a hypochondriac.  I’ve had people tell me that it’s psychosomatic.  Now that I know what is going on with me and that it has been going on for so long, all that I can do is attempt to explain it and pray that the people close to me can understand and/or accept it.