Thyroid disorders and fibromyalgia share similar symptoms, leading to misdiagnosis. Blood tests can identify an underactive thyroid, while physical examination helps diagnose fibromyalgia. Treatment for thyroid disorders is available, but effective treatments for fibromyalgia remain elusive. Fibromyalgia is often dismissed as psychosomatic, exacerbating pain for patients.
The connection between thyroid and fibromyalgia is that thyroid disorders often manifest the same symptoms as fibromyalgia. As a result, the two conditions are often confused, leading to misdiagnoses. Both underactive thyroid and fibromyalgia cause body aches, extreme lethargy, and large mood fluctuations. Heavy weight and sensitivity to cold are also symptoms shared by thyroid disorders and fibromyalgia.
There is no test to definitively diagnose fibromyalgia. This compounds the risk of mistaking thyroid problems for fibromyalgia. Blood tests, however, are effective in identifying an underactive thyroid; these tests can help doctors determine, through the process of elimination, to what extent fibromyalgia is the root cause of the ambiguous symptoms. Physical examination of 18 points on the body that are typically tender in patients with fibromyalgia also helps with an accurate diagnosis.
Fibromyalgia is the medical condition that causes constant exhaustion and widespread burning pain throughout the muscular system of the body. Muscle pains generally reverberate in the afflicted person’s joints, mimicking the feeling of having arthritis. The upper body is typically affected first, especially the neck. The pains then spread downward, affecting all the limbs, palms and feet. The facial muscles can also become stiff and painful.
The condition is rarely permanently cured and generally returns regularly throughout a person’s lifetime, often triggered by climate change, stress, and other health or fitness issues. Women are more likely to have the disorder than men, although studies have not determined why. Delayed diagnosis is standard for many people with fibromyalgia, as doctors spend months or years testing for a dozen other similar causes like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, which could be causing the symptoms.
The ability to manage thyroid and fibromyalgia problems varies widely. While iodine treatments, hormone therapy, and radiation can usually help regulate thyroid function, effective treatments for fibromyalgia remain elusive, according to many studies. Relaxation techniques and physical therapy such as massage, yoga, posture training, and aerobics are among the common treatments for fibromyalgia. Cortisone is occasionally used to reduce swelling of inflamed muscles; however, many doctors dismiss cortisone’s effectiveness for fibromyalgia. Pain medications are often prescribed to ease some of a patient’s pain, but generally cannot end all pain; the level of pain varies from individual to individual, depending on activity levels and physical fitness conditions.
Despite the similarities between thyroid disorders and fibromyalgia, a key difference is that hypothyroidism is routinely accepted as a legitimate medical condition, whereas fibromyalgia is sometimes dismissed as a psychosomatic condition since no medical test can definitively diagnose fibromyalgia. This exacerbates the pain for many patients who become more depressed after years of tests that fail to provide a conclusive diagnosis. While fibromyalgia isn’t life threatening, it can affect your quality of life.
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