Multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia have one similarity: for both disorders there are no specific medical tests and they can be diagnosed only after certain other disorders with similar symptoms are excluded.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune neurological disorder and can have similar symptoms with other disorders that also affect the brain. Major diagnostic tests for confirming MS are: neurological examination, eye examination (if the vision is affected), MRI of the head and spine, evoked potentials tests and a spinal tap.
Fibromyalgia is defined as a disorder classified by the presence of chronic widespread pain and heightened painful response to gentle touch (allodynia).
There aren’t specific tests that will confirm fibromyalgia. Medical tests are important to rule out diseases that have similar manifestations: rheumatic disorders ; endocrine/metabolic disorders ; gynecological disorders, Digestive disorders ; psychiatric disorders and other disorders like Chronic fatigue syndrome, TMJ-syndrome, migraine, etc. Diagnostic tests to distinguish fibromyalgia from all these conditions are: blood tests (ESR, TSH, T4, RF, ANA, feritin, transferin,…), algometry, sleep studies, psychometric testing, etc.
Given your symptoms, it is more likely for you to have fibromyalgia than multiple sclerosis.
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