How Do You Know It’s Fibromyalgia

How do you know it’s Fibromyalgia?

Patients do not want to acknowledge that they have fibromyalgia. Sure, this might be due in part to a somewhat unfortunate bit of denial. On the other hand, it may be a healthy bit of skepticism against medical science, and potential fibromyalgia patients want to make sure that doctors are not simply guessing, but that they are entirely certain of their diagnosis. So, how do you know it is fibromyalgia?

* If you have a question about the level of certainty your doctor has about the disease that might present with little more than your daily pain, fatigue, and also lack of good night sleep, it is time for a second opinion. Search for a physician who specializes in autoimmune diseases. Since these illnesses mimic disease with several of the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, it takes a specialist well versed with this kind of condition to make an authoritative determination.
* Even if fibromyalgia is considered a bona fide diagnosis, ask your doctor to run additional tests. In some cases there have been determinations of fibromyalgia in conjunction with secondary illnesses. Treatment of both diseases concurrently is the only way to actually make sure that you do not get overwhelmed with the pain associated with fibromyalgia but also other ailments.
* Provide your doctor with all the pertinent information about your medical history. If you are seeking out a second opinion or specialist, request that copies of your medical records be sent to him or her. Write down a very detailed family history with respect to illnesses and also disease that might be hereditary in your family. It would not hurt to ask close family members about some diseases or relatives you might have forgotten.
* Undergo all the tests your doctor suggests. While there is no actual fibromyalgia blood test, the aggregate of test results may point quite conclusively to the disease or, in the alternative, may be so vague that further examinations and tests are indicated. Diagnosing fibromyalgia is quite a bit like a trial and error process of elimination.
* Remember that pain is the determining factor when it comes to diagnosing fibromyalgia. Keep a pain journal in which you record the days and times that pain is present, what seems to have triggered it, what makes it worse, and also how to work with the pain to make it better. Physicians generally feel that consistent or chronic pain in the life of a patient for three months may point to a possible diagnosis of fibromyalgia. To this end there has been the creation of an 18 point pain chart on the human body; if pain is felt at 11 out of the 18 trigger points, a diagnosis of fibromyalgia is a high likelihood.

Keeping track of the illness, its manifestation, and also its severity is up to you, the patient. This is a crucial bit of information, even after you have been diagnosed and initiated pain and fatigue management. Doctors must rely on your assessment of the situation, and thus it is vital that you take control of your disease early on after the initial diagnosis of fibromyalgia has been made.