There is no etiology for fibromyalgia and even decades later still no etiology exists scientifically. What I mean in plain English is there is still no actual definitive cause for fibromyalgia something we can say with absolute certainty causes it. What we have are theories, until more research is conducted and an etiology is found we have to rely on theories and that means the doctors and nurses as well.

From the net.

For a long time, doctors considered fibromyalgia to be a form of autoimmune disease. It’s easy to imagine why they would think this. After all, fibromyalgia leads to many symptoms that are very similar to those of other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis which causes pain in the joints and chronic fatigue.

However, there are many contradictions to this theory, so there are similarities to other autoimmune conditions and in fact, during blood test research, finding a blood test for fibromyalgia in America, they would use a sample of people who had Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus as there are some similarities that can be found in the blood.

However, those with fibromyalgia do not usually have inflammation factors in their blood and their joints do not swell nor do they get deformities as you do with RA. Pain associated with fibromyalgia is typically in the muscles, though the joints may also be affected.

So your nurse may have just used that term or been trained to, or she may be linking RA directly to the set of complex arthritis illnesses related to fibromyalgia, but at my doctors, they wouldn't say that. As there are a few similarities but actually, there are also huge differences. And in fact, she cannot 100% state what causes fibromyalgia as that answer has not been found by anyone. At my doctor's, for instance, you get a different answer depending on what doctor is sitting there.

The most popular theory of fibromyalgia is that it is a nervous system disorder, Abnormalities of the nervous system affect regions of the brain responsible for pain sensitivity. However, there are many other complex theories out there too long to talk about in this box. So someone else might say it's a nervous system disorder.

Best

Rose

Some autoimmunes take years to diagnose. Even with a blood test. For example, You can test positive for an ANA and not have lupus. Other autoimmunes are never diagnosed. Raynaud's is not diagnosed by a blood test. It is diagnosed by your symptoms. Just like fibro.
My doctors said as soon as they finally classify it as an autoimmune, there will be so much more money poured into it for research and diagnoses.
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I agree I think there is an autoimmune reaction going on, just doctors don't know what or how. After I had my second child I developed a life threatening allergy to wheat, then was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (another allergy) and then all the pain started and got worse and worse. I'm not sure though if what we call fibromyalgia is one disease or many different ones and they just get labelled the same as they have pain in common. Hopefully one day it will be discovered.

I think fibromyalgia is a term used when doctors give up. I was diagnosed once by my pain management doctor about a year ago based on how my body feels like a broke down car. I have arthritis in my spine, had bulging disks (now they are gone), and lumbar scoliosis @ 10%. So yea I was hurting and tired. He threw some crazy drug my way and it made me feel drunk. I was useless!!! I took it for a week and threw it in the garbage. I refused his theory about my diagnosis even though it was all over my medical records. After fighting for a solid year to get fibromyalgia off my records I had my gallbladder removed, polyp removed from my colon and kidney stones which I somehow contracted cdiff from the hospital. It’s a relief to know there has to be scientific evidence for medical issues. Not something that has no lab work or pathology testing done on. But his is all my opinion

It is most DEFINITELY an autoimmune condition