Diagnosis

See a GP if you think you have fibromyalgia. Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be difficult as there's no specific test to diagnose the condition.

The symptoms of fibromyalgia can also vary from person to person and are similar to those of several other conditions. 

The GP will ask you how your symptoms are affecting your daily life.

They may also examine you to check for visible signs of other conditions – for example, swollen joints may suggest arthritis, rather than fibromyalgia.

Tests to check for some of these conditions include urine and blood tests, although you may also have X-rays and other scans.

If you're found to have another condition, you could still have fibromyalgia as well.

Diagnosing other conditions

It's also possible to have other conditions alongside your fibromyalgia, such as:

• depression
• anxiety
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

If your symptoms suggest that you have another condition as well as fibromyalgia, you may need further tests to diagnose these.

Identifying all possible conditions will help guide your treatment.