This is an interesting topic and I have been asking myself the same question for some time.

Starting with fatigue in 2007, followed closely by parasthaesias/dysathaesias (PN), nausea, fasciculations then muscle aches and joint pains and general unwellness, which are all pretty well ongoing - I don't know what camp I sit in! Fibromyalgia or another condition causing Peripheral Neuropathy - sensory/motor/autonomic???

A recent Rheumatologist (who I didn't feel got the complexity of all my symptoms) as a throw away line says I have Fibromylagia.

Another specialist says "no that's just an end of the road diagnosis as they don't yet know what it is". He believes that there will be found to be several causes for these symptom clusters. He thinks I have something that fits in the MCTD (Multiple Connective Tissue Disorder) category but not sure which of the hundred or so conditions, in the absence of quantifiable testing. He at least was honest by saying they don't know everything yet by any means, but he thinks that in ten years time either genetic markers will have been found for some of these conditions or other more targetted testing will have been developed to reveal abnormal pathology.

I have no family members who have Fibromyalgia...and I categorically believe that I do not have heightened pain susceptibility as other things (injuries etc) can happen that are potentially very painful which I just brush off. It's confusing! Equally I do not believe I have Lyme as it is not endemic in Australia!

Meanwhile if it is Fibromyalgia, all we can do is "focus on what we need to do to get better, not on what caused our illness" and "look for treatments, not cures". As quoted from a Fibromyalgia site: http://www.med.umich.edu/painresearc...nts/advice.htm