Laboratory tests
There is no special test for fibromyalgia, and laboratory tests are usually guided to test for other conditions depending on the patient’s symptoms or examination findings. Commonly done ones include:
- A complete blood count is essential to rule out anemia and infection, both of which can cause symptoms similar to fibromyalgia.
- Thyroid hormone levels: Thyroid stimulating hormone can help exclude thyroid problems.
- Vitamin D level: Vitamin D deficiency notoriously causes muscle and bone pain.
- Vitamin B12 level: Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy functioning of the nerves, and its deficiency can cause pain and numbness all over the body.
- Mineral levels: Some minerals including iron and magnesium can be deficient and cause muscle spasms or general fatigue. They are especially common in middle-aged females who are the greatest population suffering from fibromyalgia. Iron can be detected by serum iron level, iron binding capacity and transferrin levels.
- Autoimmune antibodies tests including ANA (antinuclear antibodies) and anti-dsDNA for lupus, rheumatoid factor and anti CCP for rheumatoid arthritis, and HLA-B27 for ankylosing spondylitis.
- Inflammatory markers: Inflammatory markers are chemical substances resulting from tissue damage. They can result from any inflammatory disorder whether autoimmune, infection or even trauma. If they are elevated, it means that another disorder than fibromyalgia is more likely to be the cause of pain. Commonly measured inflammatory markers include C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).