10 Signs of Fibromyalgia Not Talked About Enough

My body crashed with fibromyalgia when I was 23 years old. My life, my world as it knew it, died that year. I don’t like saying that, but it’s the uncomfortable truth. 

No one could tell me what was wrong with me. My symptoms were apparently too varied, severe and complex. I didn’t fit neatly into any medical condition box. Doctors shrugged their shoulders and looked at me in disbelief before committing to the well-trodden road of medical gaslighting. 

If I knew what I know now, that the symptoms of fibromyalgia can be so heinous, so wildly painful and frightening, I could have avoided a lot of grief and misunderstandings. So, here are my 10 signs of fibromyalgia that need increased awareness. 

Allodynia, AKA Burning Skin 

Developing this symptom alone pushed me to the brink of insanity. The only way I describe it is like having extremely severe sunburn combined with crushed glass under the skin. 

Something lightly brushing your hand is agony. Tight clothing is out, as are jeans and itchy or rough fabrics. It’s as though the top layer of your skin has suddenly disappeared, and it’s beyond excruciating. 

Feelings of Being Poisoned 

Does your body feel like it’s full of hot acid? This symptom was another of my first. I genuinely used to say to others that I thought something had poisoned my blood supply somehow. I’d go for multiple tests, only for the results to return negative. Desperation set in big time. 

Along with feeling poisoned, my body subtly trembled with indescribable pain. I also found myself intolerant to alcohol for the first time; my beloved wine increased inflammation and worsened the pain to a new level. 

Cognitive Impairment 

Do you feel as though your intellect has tanked? One of fibromyalgia’s most frustrating and lesser-known symptoms is cognitive impairment, often called “fibro fog.” It can present as memory lapses, difficulty concentrating, and mental confusion. It’s as though you’re suddenly mentally slow, and to your horror, everyone treats you as such. 

Simple tasks seem impossible, as your brain can’t figure out how to do things anymore. It’s an embarrassing nightmare which hugely affects daily functioning. 

Swallowing Problems

You’ve swallowed without second thought your entire life, but suddenly, it’s a laboured effort? It’s like your throat muscles lack the power and strength to perform the act of swallowing. You go to swallow, but the food only goes halfway down. It’s legitimately terrifying. 

I lost 2 stone overnight to fibromyalgia-related swallowing difficulties. Others around you may presume you’ve developed an eating disorder, adding to your mental anguish. 

Sensitivity to Sensory Stimuli

Next in 10 signs of fibromyalgia is heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli. We deal not only with increased pain sensitivity but also extra sensitivity to light, noise and even odours. To this day, I massively struggle with perfumes and car air fresheners. 

Everyday sensations that others might barely recognise are overwhelming for those with fibromyalgia. It’s like the metaphorical dial has been turned up far too high. 

Temperature Sensitivity

Ever since I crashed with fibromyalgia, I’ve been permanently cold. I have a hot water bottle forever attached and an extensive collection of soft, cashmere jumpers. I can’t wear sandals in summer because my feet will freeze. 

People with fibromyalgia have difficulty regulating their body temperature, leading to discomfort in both hot and cold weather. I’ve never minded the heat, but I know many with fibromyalgia who struggle with hot weather.

Skin Problems

My skin has always been dry. If I slather on multiple skin care products to moisterise, I suffer dermatitis. In other words, I can’t win. Other times, my skin is itchy or an explained rash crops up. I’ve always felt insufficient oxygen or blood supply is reaching my skin. It’s pretty miserable. 

Vision Disturbances and Migraine Auras 

I’ve battled migraines with visual aura from 9 years old. In hindsight, this was my first fibromyalgia symptom. A visual aura comes on suddenly, often with no trigger, and is like having a firework display layered over the top of your normal vision. 

Accompanying this is the headache from hell, nausea and vomiting. Basically, you can’t do anything with a migraine attack. I’m convinced that the cause of migraine with visual aura is fibromyalgia muscle lumps pressing on arteries in the neck, but that’s another story. 

Panic Attacks 

I could write a lengthy novel on my battle from hell with panic attacks and heightened anxiety. My onset of fibromyalgia went hand in hand with waking up in the middle of the night with wild feelings of panic and impending doom. I felt like I’d fallen into a dark abyss. 

Were the physical symptoms causing the panic attacks, or vice versa? I went around and around, arguing with medics who didn’t have much of a clue either. All I knew was that trying to function with multiple daily panic attacks was impossible. 

Derealisation

Next in 10 signs of fibromyalgia, and leading on from panic attacks, comes derealisation. What this term essentially means is that nothing feels real. You’re there in person, but you’re not really there. It’s like you’re existing in a parallel universe where everything is not quite right; the colours of life have long faded. 

People may say you look spaced out and don’t appear like yourself. You try so hard to hide it, but keeping up the act is a hard job. Derealisation is real-life zombie living. 

The Impact of Ignored Symptoms

As these 10 signs of fibromyalgia are commonly overlooked or misunderstood, individuals with this hellish condition often face additional isolation, frustration, and a lack of proper care. I fought so long and so hard to get an accurate diagnosis. Even then, I had to turn to the Isabel Symptom Checker for help and take a possible conditions printout to my doctor. It’s about time that all fibromyalgia symptoms are recognised so that medics put the jigsaw pieces together much faster in future. 

Treating Fibromyalgia

I tried many mainstream medicine treatment options for these 10 signs of fibromyalgia, but they only worsened my symptoms and did nothing to tackle the root cause. After much personal online research, I came to my own conclusions about the condition, and only then was I was able to seek real help. I highly recommend Dr St Amand’s book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia. I’ve been following his treatment plan for over a decade, and without exaggeration, I wouldn’t be here without it. I’ve written an extensive post about my experience, if you want to read more.

10 Signs of Fibromyalgia Round-Up 

It’s hard to think of a condition as misunderstood and frequently misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia. People suffer in the dark for years and years, often conditioned to believe that all symptoms are in their heads. It’s a modern-day crime against humanity. 

Raising awareness of lesser-known symptoms is vital in overcoming the poor understanding and stigma surrounding fibromyalgia. Anyone who has fibromyalgia doesn’t need more battles; they deserve and need love, care and respect more than most.