More Symptoms Part 1

Fibromyalgia has a huge range of documented symptoms. Exactly what is a separate but overlapping condition can be difficult to figure out. You are not going to have all of these symptoms, and you won't have them all of the time as they tend to change as constantly as your pain does. Some might be frequent, some might be only occasionally.

In this entry I am going to select symptoms from a huge list compiled by Adrienne Dellwo, the FM guide on About.com, which incorporates the work of fibromyalgia expert Devin Starlanyl along with other recent research. I am adapting her list and incorporating my own perspectives about it. I am leaving out a lot of the stuff I have already covered.

Since this entry is my reflections on the different symptoms, as a male I am leaving out the symptoms that only impact women. These include the PMS and painful menstrual problems. I am also leaving out the cognitive problems as I will go into more detail about those in a separate entry, including the issues I have had with dysphasia. I am also leaving the pain issues, since we cover that a lot, and

Other family members with fibromyalgia

I have an aunt who was diagnosed, but who was later rediagnosed as suffering from lyme disease. Her symptoms as described to me second hand since we are not close were different from mine in many ways. However, it is believed that lyme disease is a possible trigger for FM, so who knows what she has at this point.

Vision Changes, including rapidly worsening vision

My eyes are still pretty good. I read tiny type without glasses. I do get a very odd and selective form of double vision, though, that works in two directions. I may see two birds vertically sitting and two wires horizontally. The two birds are sitting on the same wire, while there is a duplicate wire running horizontally below that without any birds on it. This is in my backyard, so I know there is only one wire there, and I know that two identical birds do not move together in such synchronicity. It looks very real, though. Other things in my line of sight are not duplicated. I notice this most with vertical or horizontal lines, such as in an antennae which will appear to have more bars in it than I know are actually there. This double vision thing has only hit me a few times, but it is profoundly strange because as much as I know what I am seeing is not real, it looks very real.

Sweats

I frequently get hot, almost feverish, which leads to sweats. It feels like my internal furnace gets ramped up.

Unexplained Weight Loss or Gain

I can actually explain the weight gain part. I do not exercise as much as I use to but I still enjoy eating just as much. I would not mind the unexplained weight loss part though. That just seems to take actual effort as an explanation.

Cravings for Carbohydrates and Chocolate

That may be another explanation for the weight gain thing which I really have to battle. I do have these cravings, I think more than I used to. That may be unscientific, though, as I have always loved chocolate.

Headaches and Migraines

Check. I definitely have more frequent severe headaches than I used to.

Fibrocystic Breasts

This is associated with actual lumps as well as with heightened sensitivity. I do breast self-exam, as my father survived breast cancer by catching it early. I have not found any lumpy or tender parts. However, my nipples get painfully hypersensitive to the point where even wearing a shirt is uncomfortable. They are so sensitive even moving air can be painful.

Muscle Twitches

I live in earthquake country, and have been through a lot of earthquakes. There have been many occasions where I felt as if I was experiencing a mild earthquake, but I looked around and saw no movement of anything, heard none of the sound that typically accompanies an earthquake, and it went on for several minutes, which earthquakes do not do. I knew it was not an earthquake, but I had no idea what it was other than something really strange my body was doing. This always happened while I was lying down in bed. It happened while I was wide awake. This seems to be what is referred to as internal tremors. It effects some premenopausal women, and some 40% of Parkinsons patients. It has pretty much gone away as a symptom after I started Savella.

Diffuse Swelling

I do get frequent swelling in my hands.

Shortness of Breath

Much of the time.

Earaches and Itchy Ears and Ringing Ears

Not so much. Then again, I do get the super hearing (See My Super Power)

Allergies

This one makes sense, since so much of fibromyalgia has to do with hyper reaction. I am now extremely allergic to air borne stuff, with watering eyes, sneezing, and congestion. Sometimes it feels like I am allergic to air. In allergy season it can get quite bad, and I can't take any of the medications because they don't play well with the other meds I am on.

Miscellaneous 

Here are a bunch of symptoms I do not, thankfully have to deal with: Hemorrhoids, nose bleeds, hair loss (a big deal for me since I am the only male in my family not suffering from male pattern baldness), mottled skin, nails that curve under, easy bruising and scaring, non-cancerous tumors, adhesions, ingrown hairs, heavy and splitting cuticles.

Part 1 of 2