How to recognize Fibromyalgia and CFS:



It's a lot more than just being tired!

Some of the symptoms experienced by myself and others I've talked to include:

• Excruciating pain in muscles and sometimes joints. Sometimes it moves around to different places. When it hits your hips and legs, you can sometimes not walk. When it hits your chest muscles, it can feel like a heart attack.
• Extreme fatigue, sometimes to the point of not being able to move at all. Sometimes it can hit you very quickly and no matter where you are, you have to lie down or fall down.
• Brain fog. Inability to concentrate, make decisions or organize thoughts or anything else.
• Irritable bowel syndrome. Bouncing between constipation and diarrhea. Sometimes losing control of bowels. (A particularly nasty one!)
• Headaches that last for days or weeks at a time.
• Depression.
• Restless leg syndrome.
• Allergic reactions to chemicals, smells, synthetic fabrics, foods, environmental factors.
• Breathing difficulties.
• Sleeping difficulties. Lying awake. Never getting to deep sleep.
• Speech problems. Forgetting simple words. Losing track of thoughts while speaking.
• Memory Loss. Can't keep track of appointments, paperwork, keys, etc. Can't remember what you were doing two minutes ago or which room you were trying to get to, or why you were going there.