From Mary Shomon,
Your Guide to Thyroid Disease.
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If you have a thyroid condition, you are at higher risk of having two additional conditions: fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. In some cases, it may be difficult to know if you do have these additional conditions, because there is an overlap of symptoms with thyroid conditions.

How do you know if you have Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

First, let's start the process of answering that question by defining the two conditions, and discuss how they're diagnosed.

With Fibromyalgia, the primary complaint is body pain, particularly in 18 "tender points" throughout the body. Sleep disturbances are also common, along with fatigue, exhaustion, and brain fog.

While the constellation of symptoms can be similar, the primary complaint in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an unrelenting fatigue. Even the smallest physical exertion can put someone with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in bed for days.

To find out if you have risks for or symptoms of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and to help with getting a diagnosis, start by filling out the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Risks and Symptoms Checklist now. Once you’ve filled out the Checklist, you’ll have a better idea if your symptoms are possibly pointing to an undiagnosed case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia.

There are no official clinical tests that firmly diagnose or rule out Fibromyalgia and CFS. Instead, your practitioner will typically rule out other a variety of underlying illnesses, and look for various clinical and laboratory markers, before making a diagnosis.

Diagnosis can be difficult, however, because patients often visit their practitioners complaining of a host of symptoms. Since symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia can be broad – such as fatigue, aches and pains, poor sleep -- there is a high risk of misdiagnosis. There are even some doctors who fail to even acknowledge the existence of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and believe they are conditions that are “in your head,” or label them “fad diagnoses” or “wastebasket diagnoses.”

In a thyroid patient, diagnosis can become especially difficult, because symptoms such as fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and poor sleep are also common symptoms of thyroid disease. So, both you and the physician treating your thyroid condition may assume these symptoms are part of your thyroid problem – when the truth is, they may be another condition.

The first step? Fill out the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Risks and Symptoms Checklist.

Your next step… learn as much as you can about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, including answering the following questions:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
• What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
• Facts & Figures on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• What are the Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
• How is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed?
• How is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treated?

Fibromyalgia

• What is Fibromyalgia?
• What Causes Fibromyalgia?
• Facts & Figures on Fibromyalgia
• What are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?
• How is Fibromyalgia Diagnosed?
• How is Fibromyalgia Treated?

Symptoms and Treatments

• What are the Risks for and Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia?
• What Herbs, Vitamins, Supplements, Enzymes, and Minerals are Recommended by Various Practitioners and Experts to Help Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia?

Resources

• Where Can You Find Online and In-Person Support Groups for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia?
• What are some of the Best Web Sites Offering Further Information on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia?