Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Fibromyalgia can cause pain and stiffness in the muscles and joints almost anywhere in the body, including the trunk, neck, shoulders, back and hips. People often have pain between the shoulder blades and at the bottom of the neck. Pain may be either a general soreness or a gnawing ache, and stiffness is often worst in the morning. Typically, people also complain of feeling abnormally tired, especially of waking up tired, although they have slept well. People with fibromyalgia also have tender points, which are specific spots on the body that are painful to touch. Some people report symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, depression, anxiety and headache. For research studies, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has established criteria for fibromyalgia. To meet these criteria, one must have at least 3 months of unexplained, body-wide pain and at least 11 of 18 tender points in specific locations.

After asking about your symptoms, your doctor will check for swelling, redness and impaired movement in parts of your body where you're having pain. Your doctor will check for tenderness and pain in the ACR-designated tender points.

Your doctor will ask detailed questions about your medical history and examine you to rule out other conditions or diseases that could explain your symptoms.

Because the ACR criteria were developed for research studies, physicians who are not participating in research often diagnose the illness without meeting these strict criteria, but only after they have been unable to find alternative causes of the pain and fatigue.

I have been on Cymbolta for 8 weeks, I suffer from medical anxiety. I have not felt this good in years. the first 2 weeks I did have a lot of side effects swetting, dizziness, insomnea, upset stomach, but after that I started feeling better. I have lost 20 lbs because I no longer feel hunger all the time. I feel like I did 20 years ago so much happier. I can't rave enough about it.
Cymbalta I felt more like myself (Unlike Welbutrin)and it made me FOCUS more at school/work. The cons to the drug,(had to wait 3 days to fill my prescription)thus if you quit cold-turkey, you could have severe brain zaps (it feels like an electrical current running through your brain and it occurs a few times per hour when the withdrawals begin). Also it didn't give me a burst of energy like Wellbutrin did, but Cymbalta made me feel more emotional towards others(rather than being numb to world)