Morning Gang!!!,

[Littlestar82]

Can anyone tell me the difference between chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia please??

[neesey1005]

Pain clinic told me chronic fatigue you sleep and are unable to get up for days and fibromyalgia you can sleep or rest and "reboot" - neese x

[Hayesider]

Hay Littlestar82

Chronic Pain is what the Pain Clinic diagnoses to justify its existence, Fibromyalgia is what RheumyCon/GP uses when they have no clue. 😀

Trouble is, there are no blood tests that can be used to diagnose either, it has to be a clinical diagnosis, and even the NHS has slowly been changing its guidance on this. Below is current NHS guidance, plus a link to a very interesting Prof at the University of Michigan Chronic Pain and Fatigue Department, well worth watching.

Hayesider xx

Criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia

For fibromyalgia to be diagnosed, certain criteria usually have to be met. The most widely used criteria for diagnosis are:

* you either have severe pain in three to six different areas of your body, or you have milder pain in seven or more different areas

* your symptoms have stayed at a similar level for at least three months

* no other reason for your symptoms has been found

The extent of the pain used to be assessed by applying gentle pressure to certain "tender points", where any pain is likely to be at its worst. However, this is less common nowadays.

umich.edu/search/keywords/F...

[Hidden]

I have Fibromyalgia and my husband has Chronic fatigue or ME.

The main differences between us is that he has little pain and could sleep the clock round. He often says his battery has been misplaced as he has simply no energy all the time. At his worst he would sleep for 1-2 hours and think he had blinked

I can be extremely fatigued but I also have the pain element. I was told that the main difference was the tender spots on a fibromyalgia patient that a Chronic fatigue sufferer won't have.

Both conditions do have cross overs and neither can be diagnosed easily or with blood tests. There are a lot on the forum with both which in my mind only makes it worse.

I hope this is of some help

[Littlestar82]

I'm really confused now. Was sure it was fibromyalgia, but I seem to have symptoms from both!!! My pain isn't too bad. I feel the after effects of a busy morning (maximum of 2-3 hours) either that evening or the next day. For example: I came home from holiday, was fine, if a little tired for the rest of that day, but I couldn't get out of bed the next day. My main symptoms are fatigue, Muscle pain, weakness in my hands, I get joint pain (particularly bad in my hands and wrists), IBS (have always had this), foggy head, sensitivity to light/sound and unrefreshing sleep. I also notice that I've slowed down alot.

I am (so I am told) becoming very "stupid". I might say or do something unusual.

[TheAuthor in reply to Littlestar82]

Hi Littlestar82

I am so genuinely sorry to read this, and as BlueMermaid3 says it is possible to have both Fibro and CFS! I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck, and please take care of yourself my friend.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

[BlueMermaid3]

Hi Littlestar82

Welcome to the forum Have a look at our website. There is a list of common symptoms of Fibromyalgia on there fmauk.org

I have Fibromyalgia and CFS/ME.

To put it in a nutshell the Fibromyalgia gives me extreme constant pain.

The CFS/ME makes the simplest of tasks unbelievably tiring. Putting the washing on the line is incredibly hard because I can't hold my arms up to the line for long enough.

It is really hard to explain, but that is how those two conditions affect me.

I do have Hypermobility Syndrome too so that doesn't help matters.

I hope that is of some help?

Wishing you less pain and more peace

Lu x

Administator

[Littlestar82]

Yes, everything was normal