Fibromyalgia symptoms

3–5 minutes

Fibromyalgia affects more than just the muscles and joints. It involves the nervous system, sleep, cognition, and energy levels — often all at once.

This page explains the main symptoms in plain language.

The main symptom: widespread pain

Widespread pain

Widespread pain is the defining feature of fibromyalgia. It is the symptom doctors look for first, and the one used to distinguish fibromyalgia from other chronic conditions.

Widespread pain means pain felt in multiple areas of the body — typically on both sides, and both above and below the waist — lasting three months or more.

The pain does not behave like injury pain. It is not caused by damage that can be seen on a scan, and it does not follow the usual rules of ‘rest it and it will heal’.

People describe fibromyalgia pain in many different ways:

  • A deep, constant ache in the muscles
  • A burning or stinging sensation across large areas of skin
  • Sharp, stabbing pains that come and go without warning
  • A feeling of bruising, even where there is no bruise
  • Pressure or tightness, as if the muscles are being squeezed

The pain often moves. A day of back and shoulder pain may be followed by a day where the legs and arms are worst. Some people have specific areas that stay painful most of the time, with other areas flaring and easing around them.

The other core symptoms

1. Fatigue

Fatigue in fibromyalgia is more than feeling tired. It is a persistent exhaustion that is not relieved by sleep, and often not proportional to what you have done.

Some days the fatigue can be the most limiting symptom — heavier even than the pain. It can make concentration difficult, shorten social energy, and reduce the ability to manage ordinary daily tasks.

2. Unrefreshing sleep

Most people with fibromyalgia have significant sleep problems. These are not just difficulty falling asleep — though that is common — but disrupted sleep architecture that leaves the body feeling unrecovered even after a full night.

Sleep studies often show people with fibromyalgia do not spend enough time in the deep, restorative stages of sleep. The body does not get the chance to repair properly, which appears to worsen both pain and fatigue.

3. Fibro fog

Cognitive difficulties in fibromyalgia are often grouped together under the term ‘fibro fog’. These include:

  • Losing words mid-sentence
  • Difficulty focusing or following a conversation
  • Short-term memory lapses
  • Slower thinking, particularly when tired or in pain
  • Trouble switching between tasks

Fibro fog is one of the more disabling symptoms for many people. It affects work, relationships, and day-to-day functioning in ways that are often underestimated.

4. Sensitivity to stimuli

Fibromyalgia often involves a heightened sensitivity to things that would not normally register as uncomfortable:

  • Light touch that feels painful
  • Bright or flickering lights
  • Loud or repetitive noise
  • Strong smells, particularly chemical ones
  • Temperature extremes, especially cold

This is not an imagined sensitivity. It reflects genuine changes in how the nervous system processes incoming signals.

Other common symptoms

Fibromyalgia affects many body systems. The symptom picture varies between people, and not everyone will experience all of these.

Body-system symptoms

  • Headaches. Tension headaches and migraines are significantly more common in people with fibromyalgia than in the general population.
  • Digestive symptoms. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) co-occurs with fibromyalgia at high rates. Nausea, bloating, and unpredictable digestion are common.
  • Dizziness. Particularly on standing. Some people also experience a racing heart when upright.
  • Temperature regulation. Difficulty tolerating heat or cold. Night sweats and cold extremities are both frequently reported.

Nerve, muscle, and urinary symptoms

  • Nerve symptoms. Numbness, tingling, or pins and needles, particularly in the hands and feet.
  • Muscle stiffness. Particularly first thing in the morning, or after sitting still for a while.
  • Jaw pain. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is common alongside fibromyalgia.
  • Urinary symptoms. Urgency, frequency, or pelvic pain, sometimes linked to interstitial cystitis.

How symptoms change

Fibromyalgia symptoms rarely stay at a constant level. Most people experience flares — periods where several symptoms worsen together — and calmer stretches between them.

Triggers vary, but sleep disruption, overexertion, weather changes, and stress are among the most commonly reported. Tracking your own patterns over several weeks is the most reliable way to identify what affects you personally.

See our causes and triggers guide for more on what can set off a flare.

What to do next

If several of the symptoms on this page sound familiar, the most useful next step is to raise them with your GP. Fibromyalgia is diagnosed clinically — there is no single test — which makes clear symptom records particularly important.

Our diagnosis guide covers what doctors look for, what tests may be used to rule out other conditions, and how to prepare for your appointment.