The chief symptoms of fibromyalgia are pain and stiffness in the muscles and joints, fatigue, and tender spots on the body where even slight pressure causes pain. These tender points tend to occur at the back of your head, your upper back and neck, your upper chest, elbows, hips, and knees. The pain and tenderness tends to last for months at a time though the severity may wax and wane over time.

Some other symptoms tend to affect most people with fibromyalgia. Sleep disturbances are another common symptom of fibromyalgia. Many people with fibromyalgia have an abnormality in their deep sleep patterns that can prevent them from feeling rested in the morning when they seem to get plenty of sleep.  Headaches and facial pain are also very common among people with fibromyalgia. The headaches may be related to the neck and shoulder tenderness but problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is also common in people with fibromyalgia. Cognitive problems including difficulty concentrating and memory impairment are common in people with fibromyalgia and are sometimes referred to as “fibro fog.” Other symptoms that may occur in people with fibromyalgia include:

• irritable bowel syndrome
• interstitial cystitis (irritable bladder)
• pelvic pain
• restless leg syndrome
• sensitivity to noise, light, and temperature,
• numbness or tingling in the hands and feet (paresthesia)
• mood changes
• painful menstrual periods
• dizziness
• dry eyes, skin and mouth
• anxiety and depression

All of these symptoms tend to wax and wane with time along with the pain and tenderness. However, unlike similar diseases, the symptoms do not tend to get progressively worse through the years.