Medical Negligence Lawyer
Fibromyalgia is a chronic health condition of the central nervous system that causes widespread pain. Common symptoms of this condition include fatigue, sleep troubles, pain in the abdomen, muscles and neck and cognitive difficulties. Unfortunately, fibromyalgia shares symptoms with many other health conditions. That’s why it gets misdiagnosed so frequently. Here are some of the common health conditions fibromyalgia gets misdiagnosed for:
Lupus
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack its own tissues. The condition can damage many areas of the body and shares several symptoms with fibromyalgia, like fatigue, muscle pain and difficulty sleeping. However, other signs of lupus are much different than fibromyalgia. If you have lupus, you might experience a rash across your face, difficulty breathing and even heart issues. Doctors often conduct blood tests to measure a patient’s level of antinuclear bodies to determine if they have lupus or not.
Arthritis
Fibromyalgia also frequently gets diagnosed as arthritis because arthritis also causes widespread pain and fatigue. However, the two conditions are very different. Even though fibromyalgia causes pain, it doesn’t lead to tissue inflammation or harm the body’s joints like arthritis does.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Just like the name suggests, chronic fatigue syndrome causes excessive tiredness. It also leads to memory loss and muscle and joint pain, which are also symptoms of fibromyalgia. That’s why doctors sometimes misdiagnosed fibromyalgia for chronic fatigue syndrome.
Multiple Sclerosis
Fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis are two very different health conditions, but they often get misdiagnosed for the other. This is often because both conditions cause chronic pain all over the body. However, symptoms of multiple sclerosis that are different from fibromyalgia include blurred vision, slurred speech and difficulty walking.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism results from a very low amount of activity in the thyroid and can lead to low energy, slow heart rate, weight gain and depression. Many of these symptoms are similar to the symptoms of fibromyalgia, so it can be difficult to differentiate between the two. Doctors can conduct blood tests to check if thyroid levels are normal or not.
Depression
Fibromyalgia can often lead to depression because the condition is so difficult to live with. However, the symptoms of these two diseases can overlap. Depression can cause you to have memory problems, just like fibromyalgia can.
Consulting With a Medical Malpractice Attorney
If you have received a misdiagnosis because of a doctor’s carelessness, you may be entitled to compensation. It’s important to speak to an experienced medical malpractice attorney about your case as soon as possible.