What are the symptoms of Fibromyalgia Syndrome? Chronic pain? Will the FDA's approval of the drug Lyrica help sufferers of this debilitating disease?

You hurt all over, and you frequently feel exhausted. Even after numerous tests, your doctor can't find anything specifically wrong with you. If this sounds familiar, you may have fibromyalgia( FMS)

When I was severely depressed, my entire body ached. The pain was chronic. However, the pain was a co-morbidty of my depression. As my depression gradually improved, thanks to vagus nerve stimulation therapy, the physical pain also improved. Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a comorbidity of depression.

According to the Mayo Clinic, fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points — places on your body where slight pressure causes pain. Fibromyalgia is more common in women than in men. Previously, fibromyalgia was known by other names such as fibrositis, chronic muscle pain syndrome, psychogenic rheumatism and tension myalgias. Although the intensity of your symptoms may vary, they'll probably never disappear completely. It may be reassuring to know, however, that fibromyalgia isn't progressive or life-threatening.

Even though the Mayo Clinic identifies fibromygalia as not "life-threatening", I know that it can certainly ruin the quality of your life. To make matters worse, no one understands or even respects the physical pain that you have to live with on a daily basis. They don't believe you. Yesterday's approval by the FDA of the drug Lyrica offers new hope to the six million Americans that suffer from Fibromyalgia( FMS).

What are the symptoms of Fibromyalgia?

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 Dizziness Anxiety Causes Doctors don't know what causes fibromyalgia. Current thinking centers around a theory called "central sensitization." This theory states that people with fibromyalgia have a lower threshold for pain because of increased sensitivity in the brain to pain signals.

Researchers believe repeated nerve stimulation causes the brains of people with fibromyalgia to change. This change involves an abnormal increase in levels of certain chemicals in the brain that signal pain (neurotransmitters). In addition, the brain's pain receptors (neurons) — which receive signals from the neurotransmitters — seem to develop a sort of memory of the pain and become more sensitive, meaning they can overreact to pain signals. In this way, pressure on a spot on the body that wouldn't hurt someone without fibromyalgia can be very painful to someone who has the condition. But what initiates this process of central sensitization isn't known.