What are the exact symptons of fibromyalgia?

i have artheritis in my spine/neck, degenerative disc disease, but i ache in other joints and stiffness almost from head to toe. and EVERY single morning of my life i hurt when i get up in the morning. takes me forever to get to the point that i can get stirring in the morning. this is not occationally, this is everyday.

I feel for you! My mother in law has it and we think that my husband does too (he hasn't been diagnosed yet).
Signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary, depending on the weather, stress, physical activity or even the time of day. Common signs and symptoms include:
-Widespread pain. Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in specific areas of your body when pressure is applied, including the back of your head, upper back and neck, upper chest, elbows, hips and knees. The pain generally persists for months at a time and is often accompanied by stiffness.
-Fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired and unrefreshed even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. Some studies suggest that this sleep problem is the result of a sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. So people with fibromyalgia miss the deep restorative stage of sleep. Nighttime muscle spasms in your legs and restless legs syndrome also may be associated with fibromyalgia.
-Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating associated with IBS are common in people with fibromyalgia.
-Headaches and facial pain. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have headaches and facial pain that may be related to tenderness or stiffness in their neck and shoulders.
-Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, which affects the jaw joints and surrounding muscles, also is common in people with fibromyalgia.
-Heightened sensitivity. It's common for people with fibromyalgia to report being sensitive to odors, noises, bright lights and touch.

Other common signs and symptoms include:
Depression, Numbness or tingling sensations in the hands and feet (paresthesia), Difficulty concentrating, Mood changes, Chest pain. Dry eyes, skin and mouth, Painful menstrual periods, Anxiety, Dizziness.

Check out www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyagia for some extra insight. I think that my mother in law said that Fibro is linked with Lupus and Ms, so get a good doctor. Look to for a support group in your area for some extra insentive to get out and move. Try not to let the disease run your life if possible. You are not alone, but will always have some pain. Sorry.
Good Luck.

you might check out "the trigger point manual" which is a book.

its a disease that is poorly defined, and as a result tends to be a catch all for "feel like crap all the time syndrome". If you think you have it, go see a rhumatologist, that is who treats it, but they also treat a lot of disorders that closely resemble it, like rhumatoid arthritis.

Fibromyalgia is a common nonarticular disorder of unknown cause characterized by achy pain, tenderness, and stiffness of muscles, areas of tendon insertions, and adjacent soft tissues. Diagnosis is clinical. Treatment includes exercise, local heat, and drugs for pain and sleep.

See a rheumatologist. I suffered from this for about 2 years. I went through something very traumatic and it came on me.

Symptoms can be extreme fatigue, unrestful sleep, in other words you wake up after a long night's rest feeling unrefreshed.

You have many trigger points throughout your body that hurt or feel tender.

You could get headaches, fatigue, sleep problems, depression all with this.
I am not a medical professional.