What Medical Conditions Have the Same Symptoms as Fibromalgia?

Conditions That Commonly Occur in Fibromyalgia Patients

A number of conditions overlap or often co-exist with fibromyalgia that have similar symptoms. It is not clear if these conditions or others are risk factors for fibromyalgia, are direct causes, have common causes, or have no relationship at all with CFS.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There is a significant overlap between fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In a 2003 study, for example, 43% of CFS patients also were diagnosed with fibromyalgia. As with fibromyalgia, the cause of CFS is unknown and its course is chronic. Both disorders can be diagnosed by a physician only on the basis of symptoms reported by the patient and cannot be confirmed by laboratory tests or other objective measures. The two disorders share most of the same symptoms. They are even treated almost identically. The differences are primarily the following:

* Fatigue is the dominant symptom in CFS. It is severe and not relieved by rest or sleep and not the result of excessive work or exercise.
* Pain with tender points is the primary symptom in fibromyalgia. (Some patients with CFS exhibit similar tender pressure points. However, muscle pain is less prominent in patients with CFS.)

Some physicians believe that fibromyalgia is simply an extreme variant of chronic fatigue syndrome. There is some physical evidence, however, that the two disorders are distinct, with treatments that are specific to each.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome. Myofascial pain syndrome can be confused with fibromyalgia and may also accompany it. Unlike fibromyalgia, myofascial pain tends to occur in trigger points, as opposed to tender points, and typically there is no widespread, generalized pain. Trigger-point pain occurs in taut muscles, and when the doctor presses on these points, the patient may experience a muscle twitch. And unlike tender points, trigger points are often small lumps, about the size of a pencil eraser.

Major Depression. The link between psychological disorders and fibromyalgia is very strong and problematic. Certain studies report that between 50% and 70% of fibromyalgia patients have a lifetime history of depression. Only between 18% and 36% of fibromyalgia patients, however, have concurrent major depression, a severe form of depression. It should be noted that some researchers have observed that people who have both psychological disorders and fibromyalgia are more likely to seek medical help than patients who simply have symptoms of fibromyalgia. Such findings may bias study results and favor a higher-than-actual association between depression and fibromyalgia.