Although drug companies love to push the condition fibromyalgia, few of them will tell you it is a catch all condition doctors often suggest when no clear diagnosis can be given. This does not mean the ailment is psychosomatic but a word of caution must be taken before starting any treatment especially if it does not apply to you. Not only can the side effects of the medication be worse than the original problem but the possibility of a misdiagnosis could have far greater consequences.
Since many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia are common among different conditions, the potential for a misdiagnosis of a more serious condition like hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or a malignancy can have grave impact. Likewise, two or more unrelated ailments often get grouped together and incorrectly labeled as fibromyalgia. Before panicking though, there is one more possibility. In the first episode of House MD, a patient tells Dr. House he heard about a condition called fibromyalgia that matches his symptoms. To that House responds that it is kind of the definition of getting older too.
Note: Robert Haskell does not make any claim to be a medical expert. Information pertaining to health and medical conditions does not necessary reflect the opinions of Haskell New York Inc.
References
http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/guide/common-misdiagnoses-of-fibromyalgia
http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/hypothyroidism-too-little-thyroid-hormone
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/lupus/
http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_apnea.htm
http://www.health.com/health/chronic-pain
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