Hi dude,

I have only one file on this; it's not really in my field excepting it's listed as one of the many things that “anxiety can trigger or  exacerbate”.

It's a British Medical Association 'doctors guide' report, and follows below:

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Fibromyalgia
Patient reports: pain, stiffness, and tiredness associated with muscle tenderness.
Age: occurs mainly in adults.
Gender: more common in females.
Lifestyle: chronic or acute anxiety is a risk factor.
Genetics: not a significant factor.

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes widespread muscle pain and tenderness. No visible abnormality can be detected in the muscle tissue. Fibromyalgia often develops during chronic stress.

Symptoms: Symptoms develop slowly over weeks and occur in a distinct pattern around the body. They may include the following:
muscle pain in the upper back, head, thighs, abdomen and hips
particularly tender areas of muscle, typically at the base of the skull and near the shoulder blades.

Fibromyalgia is commonly associated with headaches, tiredness, depression, anxiety disorders, and disturbed sleep patterns.

Some people have irregular bowel movements.

All of these symptoms become worse if anxiety increases.

Diagnosing: The diagnosis of fibromyalgia is often based on the symptoms and a physical examination, but you may want to arrange for blood tests to rule out other disorders, eg rheumatoid arthritis.

Prescribing: There is no specific drug for fibromyalgia; a low dose of amytriptyline may relieve pain. If severe, injection with a  local anesthetic may bring relief.

Referrals & Recommendations: A Physiotherapist can help by ensuring the patient does regular exercise. Ultrasound treatment is helpful, as is massage and locally applied moist heat. A psychiatrist may help with underlying anxiety disorders.

Prognosis: Many people make a full recovery and maintain a normal lifestyle, but ignoring the problem or non-compliance with treatment can lead to disability.

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I'd add it's worth looking into Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS). This is in the news not only as it's proving useful for autism etc, but it's also proving to be 'at the bottom' of so many varied problems at the moment it's worth attention. The press are paying attention to it due to the 'poo pill' stories, but I think we can bypass those  :  )

http://products.mercola.com/gaps-diet/
http://www.gutandpsychologysyndrome.com/
they're commercial sites, but useful for info (there's a list of problems it's involved in)
you don't actually need to buy anything to use the GAPS diet.

Personally I suspect that gut bacteria are indirectly responsible for serotonin levels, but this is just me suspecting things; there's no proof for that I know of as yet.

Finally, Golden Rule # 1  is almost always helpful in any problem; it applies to the body just as to the mind.
Best,
AR