Common and Rare Fibromyalgia Symptoms

If you have fibromyalgia, you'll probably have muscle or soft tissue pain throughout your body for at least three months. You could feel it more intensely in a few specific spots, like your neck or back. This pain feels different for everyone. You could have a sharp or dull pain, stiffness, or an intense burning sensation. Exercise, cold or rainy weather, or stress could all make it worse.

The exhaustion you feel from fibromyalgia is different from being tired. You could sleep for many hours and still not feel rested. Fibro fatigue can make your body feel trapped in quicksand. You could also feel mentally taxed and not have the energy to do things you love or make simple decisions. These symptoms can overlap with another condition called chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

About 70% of people with fibromyalgia have insomnia. Experts are still trying to figure out why sleep issues are so common. Your ramped-up central nervous system could make it hard for you to get to sleep or stay asleep. Not getting enough sleep can then make your pain and other symptoms, like fatigue, worsen. That keeps this frustrating cycle going.

You might hear this called "brain fog" or "fibro fog." You could find it hard to pay attention, learn a new skill, or recall something. You could also speak more slowly than you used to or have a hard time choosing the words that you want to say. The reason for fibro fog is still unclear, but it may be related to pain.

About  50% of people with fibromyalgia have anxiety or depression. If you have anxiety, you could feel that something bad is going to happen and feel "stuck" in your worries. You could also have physical symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, or trembling. If you're depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and avoid things you usually enjoy. You may have low energy, find it hard to focus, and have changes in how you eat or sleep.

Headaches can also be a fibromyalgia symptom. A tension-type headache causes pressure across your forehead, the sides of your head, or down the back of your neck. Cluster headaches come on suddenly. You may feel intense, stabbing pain behind one eye. A migraine can last for 72 hours. You could have throbbing head pain that causes you to feel sick to your stomach and very sensitive to lights, sounds, smells, or touch.

Bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and belly pain are all common fibromyalgia symptoms. You could also have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).  If so, you might have mucus in your poop or worry that you won't make it to the bathroom in time. You could also have a lot of gas.  These symptoms may have to do with the natural germs that live in your gut. Fibromyalgia may upset their balance.

Sometimes, fibromyalgia can cause symptoms that may seem unrelated. For instance, you could have painful periods. Or you could have an urgent need to pee or pee more than usual. If you have fibromyalgia, you're also more likely to have a condition like:

• Interstitial cystitis, which causes bladder and pelvic pain
• Endometriosis, in which the lining of your uterus grows outside of it 
• Prostatitis, an issue with your prostate gland

You might notice tingling, numbness, or a "pins and needles" feeling in your hands or feet. You could also find it hard to regulate your temperature and get too hot or too cold. One study found that you're more likely to have fibromyalgia if you have a skin issue like psoriasis, chronic urticaria (hives), allergy rashes, or vitiligo. Fibromyalgia can also worsen a skin condition that you already have.