Technical Information: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Fibromyalgia.

Edited By: Gregory C. Gardner, M.D.
Last updated Friday, January 07, 2005

Important medical illnesses to consider

Conditions with similar symptoms

Certain medical illnesses may mimic symptoms of FMS. These include hypothyroidism, anemia, hypercalcemia, myopathies, and inflammatory joint diseases. Most of these are easy to rule in/rule out with examination and a few simple laboratory tests. Other illness might lead to FMS such as sleep apnea (in either the patient or sleep partner) or inflammatory arthritis (due to nighttime stiffness and pain that can disturb sleep).

Surgery for arthritis at the University of Washington

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