Fibromyalgia - Conditions with Similar Symptoms

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Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease of the joint cartilage and bone. It is often thought to result from "wear and tear" on a joint, although there are other causes, such as congenital defects, trauma, and metabolic disorders. Joints appear larger, are stiff and painful, and usually feel worse the more they are used throughout the day.

Chemicals and environmental toxins -- exposure to various chemicals and environmental toxins such as solvents, pesticides, or heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, or lead) can cause fatigue, chronic pain, and other symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Some tests may be positive for one or more of these diseases. However, if the results are uncertain or weak, or if these conditions have been treated successfully, fibromyalgia should not be ruled out if the patient still meets the criteria for it.

Conditions That Usually Rule Out Fibromyalgia

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Autoimmune Diseases. Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the person's immune system attacks the body's own tissues. Many autoimmune conditions resemble fibromyalgia. (Fibromyalgia itself may be an autoimmune disorder.) Autoimmune diseases, like fibromyalgia, also occur more often in women than in men, and early symptoms are often muscle and joint pain, and fatigue. The following are some autoimmune disorders that may be confused with fibromyalgia:

Rheumatoid arthritis is most likely to resemble fibromyalgia, and the similarities present diagnostic problems in both young people and adults. Symptoms include morning stiffness, fatigue, and tender points. Pressing such points, however, does not produce the intense pain that occurs with fibromyalgia. In addition, abnormal laboratory tests can usually tell this disorder apart from fibromyalgia. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may coexist with fibromyalgia.

Click the icon to see an image of rheumatoid arthritis.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a disorder marked by low levels of thyroid hormone, can cause widespread muscle aches, depression, and fatigue, if left untreated. This condition is usually easy to diagnose with thyroid hormone tests.