Fibromyalgia - Risk Factors

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• A depressed mood every day
• Significant weight gain or loss (of 10% or more of an individual's typical body weight)
• Insomnia or excessive sleeping
• Restlessness or a sense of being slowed down
• Low energy every day
• Feeling worthless or inappropriately guilty
• An inability to concentrate or make decisions
• Suicidal thoughts

If several of the above symptoms are present, and none of the physical symptoms (particularly the tender points) of fibromyalgia exist, the condition is most likely major depression.

Chronic Headache. Chronic primary headaches such as migraines are common in fibromyalgia patients. Some experts believe that migraine headaches and fibromyalgia may even share common defects in the systems that regulate certain chemical messengers in the brain, including serotonin and epinephrine (adrenaline). Low levels of magnesium have also been noted in patients with both fibromyalgia and migraines. In fact, chronic migraine sufferers who fail to benefit from usual therapies may also have fibromyalgia.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a term that describes conditions in which certain chemicals can cause symptoms similar to CFS or fibromyalgia in some people. It also happens in people with fibromyalgia. Experts have come up with criteria to help recognize MCS.

• The symptoms always happen with repeated exposure to a chemical. (These are often common chemicals found in popular products, such as perfumes, fabric softeners, and air fresheners.)
• The condition is chronic.
• Symptoms can be produced by exposure to the chemical at levels lower than previously or usually tolerated.
• The symptoms improve when the chemical is removed.
• Symptoms can be triggered by multiple substances that are chemically unrelated.
• Symptoms involve multiple organ systems.

Still, as with CFS and fibromyalgia, some experts are uncertain whether MCS is a medical condition or if it is psychologically based. In one study, for example, CFS patients who believed their problem was chemically triggered were exposed to either an active chemical or a placebo (an inactive substance). Both groups reported symptoms, including those exposed only to the placebo. Because everyone is exposed to many chemicals on a daily basis, it is very difficult to determine if chemicals are responsible for specific symptoms.