Confused

[Peaprincess]

Good morning,

I am a little confused, is it Fibromyalgia or ME or CFS? Newly diagnosed but been in pain etc...for a lifetime and trying to read up about the do's and don'ts.

Any clarity would be appreciated.

[Hidden]

Hope this helps

Hope this helps you.

[Peaprincess in reply to Hidden]

Hi sorry no it didn't help, I have read that Fibromyalgia is also known as ME and CFS just wanted to know what is the correct terminology. Thank you though 😊

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are two different conditions

[Trappedmoth in reply to Hazel_Angelstar]

I don't think that there really is agreement, even among specialists, about how CFS/ME and fibro relate (or not) to one another. That's how badly understood these conditions are.

[Peaprincess]

Thank you have managed to find an article stating that they are very similar but fibromyalgia is a syndrome and the other is classed as a disease. Some articles were stating they were the same. Thank you

😊

[Cat00]

There are a few people on this forum who have been diagnosed with both fibro and CFS/ME. The main difference seems to be fibro is dominated by pain and CFS/ME is dominated by exhaustion and tiredness. Both both conditions can contain elements of both and can seem to overlap.

[Kitten50 in reply to Cat00]

Hi allI have been diagnosed with both ME and Fibromyalgia. To be honest I've had it for so long now that the two just seem to mingle into one and I just accept that if I have a upcoming event I rest before to build up my strength and rest after to recover. Its not ideal and very frustrating. Combined with osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis I feel my life has been cut short at 51 but I do what I can and enjoy the good days xx

[Cat00 in reply to Kitten50]

It's funny I have fibro and my next door neighbour has ME and we both prefer to not have each other's conditions, I guess it's the devil you know...

[MaggieSylvie]

ME usually results from a virus. I don't think there's any proof of why people get FM, although many people can pinpoint some sort of trauma just before it started. CFS is a frequent partner to FM and this is when ME and FM can seem similar.

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee]

plenty of articles and info online about this and it can be confusing and some are not good sources. The charity talks about it in terms of fibro having pain as the more dominant feature and ME with fatigue. There are some other differentiators and confounders. PEM (post exertional malaise) would be an indicator of ME for example.

[Peaprincess]

Thank you all 😊😊