You Look Fine To Me

Do Symptoms Change Over Time?

Occasionally with fibromyalgia symptoms will change over time. However for the majority of patients, symptoms don't change over the long term. This is according to a study done at Boston University Arthritis Center in 1996. So, if you have been wondering if your symptoms can change, they can. If you were if it's normal for symptoms not to change; it is.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosis Criteria

To meet the criteria, patients must have:
A. Fatigue

Severe, unexplained fatigue that is not relieved by rest, can cause disability, and has an identifiable onset (i.e., not lifelong fatigue). It must be persistent or relapsing fatigue that lasts for at least six or more consecutive months.

B. Four or more of the following symptoms:

•impaired memory or concentration problems
•tender cervical or auxillary lymph nodes in neck region (note: they do not have to be swollen, just tender; this can be a symptom for people with fibromyalgia who have tenderness in these areas as well)
•sore throat (may not show signs of infection)
•muscle pain
•multi-joint pain (not arthritis)
•new onset headaches (tension-type or migraine)
•unrefreshing sleep (wake up in the morning feeling unrested)
•post-exertional malaise (fatigue, pain and flu-like symptoms after exercise

FibroFog

Recently my fibrofog made me forget about turning in a homework assignment. I did it, but I wasn't able to remember to turn it in. Thankfully my teacher accepted it a day late. Here's what is so bad about it, it was school work. I never forget school work. To know that my fibromyalgia is affecting my ability to do work now is devastating. Yes it affected other aspects of my life and that wasn't nearly as bad because school is my thing. I have never in my fourteen years of life forgotten a school assignment.