HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Are there more young people w/Fibromyalgia in recent years?

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/20/2010 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
My son was only 16 when he started having symptoms he is now 18 and it just continues to get worse. (atleast it only took two years for a diagnosis)

He kept hoping they would find something...Anything! He was even hoping he had a brain tumor or something. Just to beable to prove the pain is real.

Posted 10/20/2010 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sonhasfibro,

I am sorry your DS is having such a hard time w/ this DD. I don't know if more young ppl are getting this lately, or if it finally being recognized while ppl are younger. I've had this all my life, it has gotten worse thru the yrs, but I've always had it.

When I finally had an idea that there was 'something specifically wrong' w/ me, I tried to get my pcp to hear me. She was not very receptive. She felt I was a malingerer. I put myself thru college, worked FT, got married, raised 3 children, again worked FT as a teacher, took my children for ALL their activities, taught a religious program at my church, took my DM to all of her dr appt, shopping, her church activities and did the baking for her meetings, then housework, cooking and baking for my own family. It got to the point where I was struggling to do what I had always done. The dr thought I was lazy. Lazy, no!, exhausted, YES!

I had to give up the career I trained for and LOVED! It is a blow to the ego, self-esteem, ect. I try to do the things I need to do, and I push myself to do these things. I can't do all the things I want to do, things I used to do, but I am busy doing what I can do.

I was happy - strange as that sounds - when I got the official dx of Fibro. I was afraid other things were wrong that would have taken my life. I have other conditions that add to my fun, but I will survive.

I wish your DS would join us here, it may help him to accept this and start to move on w/ his life. When you realize others understand just what you mean, it helps so much.

I know it hurts to see your child hurting, physically and emotionally. That is the hardest part of being a parent. I will keep both of you in my prayers. 

God bless.  Alice.

Posted 10/20/2010 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
I'm ~only~ 36. Almost everyone I know with fibro is older (50+/-). I'm not sure of the crowd he "hangs" with, but being a younger man he may be more sensitive to what others think (or the "kids" can be not so understanding!). Tell him that for me, people were much more accepting if I told them "i have a condition that causes over active nerves and I feel pain 1000x worse than it is" instead of the taboo word of "fibromyalgia".. Lol. If he's lucky, he's tougher than me emotionally and doesn't care what people think! He IS lucky to have gotten diagnosed so early. Usually the drs like to drag out the "its all in your head" a bit longer! I wish him the best!
Posted 10/20/2010 11:24 PM (GMT 0)
I think Alice is right, it doesnt have as much to do with more young people having it as it does with the fact that when I was young it was not diagnosed. I am 50 now but I have had what I am sure is fibro since before I was a teen. It has only been recently that it has started to be accepted as a disease so yes now more young people will be diagnosed with it. Im pretty sure my daughter has it, it just hasn't been diagnosed yet. Well thats my story and Im sticking to it lol.
Gentle Hugs
Shirley
Posted 10/21/2010 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
I don't know any large scale figure,but I will say, I'm 18 and the doctor believes I have it. It might have to do with the disease becoming better know more recently, so people with the symptoms know they can get help and doctors can have a better idea what to look for
Posted 10/23/2010 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed when I was 16 years old. After years of testing and specialists a rheumatologist finally figured it out. I felt the same way as your son. I just wanted them to find something to prove it wasnt all in my head. I am 19 years old now and my symptoms have continued to get worse as well. I have decided to educate myself more and look into alternative treatments. I hope your son can get the help he needs to get the fibromyalgia under control! The hardest part seems to be finding the right doctor.
Posted 10/23/2010 5:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sonhasfibro - I am very sorry for what you and your son are going through. I can honestly say I can relate. My 15 year old daughter has fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.) We live in Connecticut. I just got back from taking my daughter to a doctor in New York that has a study going on with POTS/CFS. Unfortuately, he doesn't deal with "pain." In order for us to get into his study she would have to get off her meds. She has had a little success with Lyrica. It brought her pain level down from 7 to 3, but has gone up some recently. I totally understand your frustration - seeing your son in pain, the lose of their lives as they knew it, lose of friends, bombarding them with meds when they hardly ever took anything before getting sick. My daughter used to be a high honors student, loved school, sports, friends, etc. She got sick the beginning of her freshmen year. Has been homebound since. We have battled the school and it still continues. IT is so hard to get them to educate her. She keeps falling further and further behind. My frustration level is very high right now. I know it will pass - I jsut need to regroup. Well, I need to run but would love to chat more if you want. Support is always so important.

Kim
Posted 10/24/2010 12:51 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Kim and all of you.
Kim, Sorry about your daughter. I know how hard this is as a mother...You expect your honor student to be the one you don't have to worry about.
I thought my son would have a great future..before he got ill...The school does suck in a way. My son never broke a rule picked a fight or anything during all of his years in school... the teachers always seemed to love him...he is a good smart kid.

The director of special services actully suggested sending him to a detention home !!!
I refused and explained that he is sick...He is not bad. The kids at that place are there for drugs or rape or being a rebel or something! COULD'NT believe IT!! Unreal!
Posted 10/24/2010 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
I am only 24 and I have a family history of fibromyalgia and am currently awaiting a diagnosis but was told that they are about 99 percent sure that it is fibro!
Posted 10/24/2010 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
Dear Sonhasfibro,

I was finally diagnosed in 2005 although - I had been dealing with "some" of the symptoms since 1995 - and saw diff Docs but could not find answers. I was told that Fibro does not get any worse. This has not be true for me....it certainly has gotten worse since 95 and even since 2005. I can remember tell tell signs during my childhood like having to reach my arm behind me and pound my back with my fist to calm down muscle spasms but the DAILY battle with pain didn't begin til 95 and it started in my wrists and slowly - very slowly became widespread - despite plenty of exercise, being active. I'm glad you did not send your son to a dentention home - what an unacceptable suggestion.
Posted 10/24/2010 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hi LIVNLEARN,
Yeah-I guess the school didn't want to have to seek approval from the state for his homebound instruction or something like that... ( I guess it has something to do with money ??)
He did graduate at home after his senior year with a homebound instructor,. Paid for by the school or state or I really don't know.

Who knows what he would have been exposed to at that detention home.
Posted 10/24/2010 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
My symptoms started when I was 17; for years docs just treated it as bursitis or pulled muscles. It calmed down when i was in my 20's then hit me very hard with almost every single symptom of fibro when I turned 34. I'm now 37and my symptoms are definitly worse, the flareups last longer and the fog is constant now. I think it's because no one was educated well on fibro back then so alot of suffering with younger people was based on ignorance of it. In the past year or two fibro is finally getting the recognition it deserves and more doctors are being trained on it. sad that its taken so long but the up side is awareness is much higher and that is a relief to all of us. Tell your son to stay strong and don't let this illness beat him, he can and should be able to live a fairly productive, happy life.
Oh, and tell him to join us here, there are soo many wonderful people that are just like him and I know that when I found healingwell and the strong support system it has helped me immensely talk to others who are on the same ship.
Posted 10/24/2010 4:20 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Saintsfan,
I really wish he would join this group but he isn't doing much of anything and he is not at all social anymore. He hasn't even been able to play video games (that he loves- he used to say they acted as a distraction from chronic pain )
He has definately gotten worse and the loss of all his friends and the fact that they went on with their lifes college etc. has left him feeling really bad.

I do talk to him about some of the things that you all are going through and he'll say well thats how it is...I am able to let him he is not the only one with these problems and many others are also dealing with the effects of this illness. Thanks
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply