Are fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome linked?

Fibromyalgia and bowel symptoms often come up in the same conversation, which leaves many readers wondering if they belong together. Keeping notes on both makes it easier to raise them together at a visit.

Where the two conditions meet in the research

NCCIH lists fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome among a group of conditions that also includes chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome), temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and vulvodynia (chronic vulvar pain). So the two share a list there.

Sharing a list is not the same as a cause

Sharing a list does not mean one condition causes the other. Whether either applies to you is a question for an exam and your history.

Steps to take before your appointment

1. Keep one note for pain: where it is, how strong, and when it flares.
2. Keep a second note for digestive symptoms, with dates, so a clinician can compare the two.
3. Write down any other items from the list above that you have been told about.
4. Read the NIAMS fibromyalgia page for background on that condition.
5. Look over the MedlinePlus pain page and the American Academy of Pain Medicine site for general pain resources.

Bringing both sets of notes

Two notes side by side let a clinician see overlap quickly. Mention both sets of symptoms even if they seem unrelated to you. If you are getting ready for a first visit around Bloomfield, bring both notes, and let the clinician decide what they mean.