Fibromyalgia - Conditions with Similar Symptoms

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Polymyalgia Rheumatica. Polymyalgia rheumatica is a condition that causes pain and stiffness. It generally occurs in older women. Tender points are also present with this disorder, although they almost always occur in the hip and shoulder area. Morning stiffness is common, and patients may also experience fever, weight loss, and fatigue. A higher-than-normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) can help diagnose polymyalgia rheumatica. Elevated ESR, however, also occurs with other conditions. Polymyalgia rheumatica usually responds dramatically to low doses of a steroid medication such as prednisone. Because polymyalgia rheumatica is sometimes associated with a rare condition called temporal arteritis, which may cause blindness if not treated, an accurate diagnosis is important.

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Disorders Affected by the Sympathetic (also called Autonomic) Nervous System. Other conditions that commonly accompany fibromyalgia include:

• Chest pain and heart palpitations
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Sudden drop in blood pressure

Certain stress-related disorders commonly occur with fibromyalgia, and have overlapping symptoms. In fact, some experts believe these disorders so often interact that they may all be part of one general condition. Examples are:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) -- IBS and fibromyalgia often coexist. More than half of patients with fibromyalgia also have IBS, a gastrointestinal disorder that causes cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.
• Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ) -- TMJ affects the muscles of the face and jaw, leading to pain in those areas. Most fibromyalgia patients also experience face and jaw pain.
• Chemicals and environmental toxins -- exposure to various chemicals and environmental toxins such as solvents, pesticides, or heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, or lead) can cause fatigue, chronic pain, and other symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Review Date: 12/27/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).