Is fibromyalgia considered an autoimmune disorder?

Readers often ask this when they are trying to match their symptoms to a category. The category matters for the next step, so it helps to see what the official source says before you go any further.

Is it autoimmune?

NIAMS does not answer with a yes or no. NIAMS writes: "The cause of fibromyalgia is not known, but studies show that people with the disorder have an increased sensitivity to pain, so they feel pain when others do not."

That passage speaks about pain sensitivity and says the cause is not known. It does not call the condition autoimmune.

What this means for your planning

If the cause is not known, then a label like "autoimmune" is a question for your clinician and not something a web page can assign. Go through these items in order before you ask it.

• Write down the symptoms you have, with dates.
• List any diagnoses you already carry and the doctors who made them.
• Note which tests have been done and which results you have on hand.
• Write the question itself, so you ask it directly.

Taking the question to a clinician

Read the fibromyalgia overview at NIAMS for the full context of that passage. A general pain resource can help with terms.

Then bring your list to a clinician in Bloomfield or a nearby town. If you want to learn what the specialty covers first, see a professional society for pain physicians and an explainer on pain management.

Where this leaves you

An open question is a normal place to be at this stage. Ask the clinician directly what they think and why, and write down the answer.