Fibromyalgia

[CementPizza]

Well, my said I had all the symptoms of this and put me on meds for it.

I told a friend what my doc said and the friend said "Only women get that."


So, I'm a male.

How common is it for males to have this.

BTW.. I hypothyroid.

Any corolation?

[karoline8]

Originally Posted by CementPizza

Well, my said I had all the symptoms of this and put me on meds for it.

I told a friend what my doc said and the friend said "Only women get that."


So, I'm a male.

How common is it for males to have this.

BTW.. I hypothyroid.

Any corolation?

Well I don't know how common it is for males to have Fibromyalgia but I do have a very male friend who has it. I've never heard of it being gender specific. Hope this make you feel better.

[punxnotdead309]

From what I have read, very little is known about this condition in comparison to others out there. It is a VERY misunderstood condition that my mom also happens to have. She got it after having cancer. Was there any trauma for you that may have caused it?

[CementPizza]

Originally Posted by karoline8

Well I don't know how common it is for males to have Fibromyalgia but I do have a very male friend who has it. I've never heard of it being gender specific. Hope this make you feel better.

Originally Posted by punxnotdead309

From what I have read, very little is known about this condition in comparison to others out there. It is a VERY misunderstood condition that my mom also happens to have. She got it after having cancer. Was there any trauma for you that may have caused it?

Ok, thanks.

Well, the trauma could have been what happend to my thyroid. That was due to a drug accident.


I'm glad to hear it's not gender specific. Most likely my friend was being an ignorant jerk.

[smdiskin]

Hi...
Never heard of it being gender specific either, although I believe there is a slightly higher proportion of women with it...
Didn't know there were med you could take... when i was diagnosed some 15 years ago, I was specifically told there were no meds... and to try to change my lifestyle ... be active etc as much as possible...

[CementPizza]

Originally Posted by smdiskin

Hi...
Never heard of it being gender specific either, although I believe there is a slightly higher proportion of women with it...
Didn't know there were med you could take... when i was diagnosed some 15 years ago, I was specifically told there were no meds... and to try to change my lifestyle ... be active etc as much as possible...

They put me on Cymbalta for it.

It does help some.

[Zeake]

My mother has it. She is a hypochondriac though. I told her she needs a high quality personal trainer and some serious exercise. She is the only person I have ever heard of with it. I assumed she concocted it.

[CementPizza]

Originally Posted by Zeake

My mother has it. She is a hypochondriac though. I told her she needs a high quality personal trainer and some serious exercise. She is the only person I have ever heard of with it. I assumed she concocted it.

Well, this is the problem I am having...

It sounds like crap to me.

My thyroid is at a good level and I have energy now... but I still have constant joint pain and weakness all over.

So, the doc says it could be fibrowhatever...

I look it up and it's this nebulous iffy sounding syndrome.

I don't like how they can diagnose me with something they know nothing about.

They don't know the cause, they don't know the cure... but it's recognized as a disorder.

Also there is no way to prove I do have it or I don't have it to someone else.

All I know is I have constant joint pain and weakness and that isn't right.

[Thuirwyne]

How did your doctor diagnose the fibromyalgia? Not too long ago it was a disease of inclusion, meanning if they couldn't figure out what it was, then this must be it! Now there are plenty of tests and more is still being learned.

It's definitely not gender specific. Men are probably under diagnosed because most of them don't go to the doctor in the first place.

http://www.fmaware.org/site/PageServ...pics_menWithFM

[smdiskin]

Hopefully with your thyroid problem under control and some energy again... you will be able to get more active... this really helped me and I don't get the symptoms I used to...
Build it up slowly and don't overdo it as you may find yourself paying for a few days after... but if you aren't too active you will get some DOMS pain in the muscles anyway but by building it up gradually it shouldn't be too bad... and you will start feeling better within a comparatively short while... even if the fibro pain doesn't go completely...

[Glamorous]

Perhaps your joints are sore and uncomfortable because of your weight? If your profile is correct, it looks like you could easily be 100+ lbs overweight, which may be putting a lot of undue stress on your body?

I assume you have weight issues related to your thyroid condition? Is that all taken care of now?

If your doctor has given you the okay for working out, I would see what you can do with diet and exercise to bring your weight down and see if you don't notice improvement. If you are sore and tired, I understand that exercise may be difficult...so focus on diet and get it as perfect as you can and go from there.

As far as fibromyalgia...I have ONLY met women with this condition, and all were over the age of 40, overweight and seemed like they just wanted something to complain about. I am not saying that everyone with this condition is like this, however, I worked with a woman at Starbucks who never wanted to do any of the clean up chores and ironically always complained about her condition when it came to doing the dirty jobs nobody wanted to do... (garbage, etc). :P /rant

[CementPizza]

Originally Posted by Glamorous

Perhaps your joints are sore and uncomfortable because of your weight? If your profile is correct, it looks like you could easily be 100+ lbs overweight, which may be putting a lot of undue stress on your body?

I assume you have weight issues related to your thyroid condition? Is that all taken care of now?

If your doctor has given you the okay for working out, I would see what you can do with diet and exercise to bring your weight down and see if you don't notice improvement. If you are sore and tired, I understand that exercise may be difficult...so focus on diet and get it as perfect as you can and go from there.

As far as fibromyalgia...I have ONLY met women with this condition, and all were over the age of 40, overweight and seemed like they just wanted something to complain about. I am not saying that everyone with this condition is like this, however, I worked with a woman at Starbucks who never wanted to do any of the clean up chores and ironically always complained about her condition when it came to doing the dirty jobs nobody wanted to do... (garbage, etc). :P /rant

Well, for a long time I just assumed it was because I was over weight

Yes, my thyroid is a factor in my weight.

However, my doc has put me on Cymbalta and the joint pain is all but gone.
I feel really good.

I even jogged for about 25 minutes straight last night. I haven't done that in years.

I am being very careful about sleep, fluids and the meds and I feel much better.

[cleo8th]

My mom has gone misdiagnosed for years and was told 5 years ago that she had fibromyaligia. She has joint pain, loss of muscle activity in hands,feet & legs at times. Other times she is o.k. This condition is still being researched. People think this condition is all in their heads but it is a real condition brought on by trauma or stress. I have been told by my mom's doctor that the best solution to manage this condition is: not to smoke, do light excersize (yoga) and cut out caffeine and simple sugars.

Originally Posted by CementPizza

Well, for a long time I just assumed it was because I was over weight

Yes, my thyroid is a factor in my weight.

However, my doc has put me on Cymbalta and the joint pain is all but gone.
I feel really good.

I even jogged for about 25 minutes straight last night. I haven't done that in years.

I am being very careful about sleep, fluids and the meds and I feel much better.

[fitnessfortune]

I have been searching for answers to mysterious painful muscle spasms I'm experiencing and getting worse (in random body parts) and read some research on fibromyalgia which is not indicative of what my symptoms are but I do remember it saying women tend to get it diagnosed more but that men just don't go to the dr as much as women to check things out so that could be the descrepency for the data.

Now to figure out my problem!

Originally Posted by karoline8

Well I don't know how common it is for males to have Fibromyalgia but I do have a very male friend who has it. I've never heard of it being gender specific. Hope this make you feel better.

[Sunfower_Rose]

Hi CementPizza,

I've been dealing with fibromyositis which is the same as fibromyalgia with the exception of muscle inflammations along with the rest of the symptoms. At least that is how my Dr described the difference.
To answer your question men do get fibromyalgia. I know someone that is male that has it. It seems like the symptoms are about the same for both. The symptoms and severity varies from person to person, from mild to severe. Mine was diagnosed to have followed infection with Lyme Disease. I believe that they used to say that the women to men ratio was 10:1 now they say more like 3:1. Still more women but many more men than previously thought. I had gained quite a lot of weight after getting sick and have lost 90 pounds but would like to lose a little more.

If I can answer any questions for you about fibromyalgia and diet or exercise please ask.

[CementPizza]

Originally Posted by Sunfower_Rose

Hi CementPizza,

I've been dealing with fibromyositis which is the same as fibromyalgia with the exception of muscle inflammations along with the rest of the symptoms. At least that is how my Dr described the difference.
To answer your question men do get fibromyalgia. I know someone that is male that has it. It seems like the symptoms are about the same for both. The symptoms and severity varies from person to person, from mild to severe. Mine was diagnosed to have followed infection with Lyme Disease. I believe that they used to say that the women to men ratio was 10:1 now they say more like 3:1. Still more women but many more men than previously thought. I had gained quite a lot of weight after getting sick and have lost 90 pounds but would like to lose a little more.

If I can answer any questions for you about fibromyalgia and diet or exercise please ask.

I'd appreciate that.
I'm having some problems with the right amount of exercise.

[CementPizza]

Originally Posted by fitnessfortune

I have been searching for answers to mysterious painful muscle spasms I'm experiencing and getting worse (in random body parts) and read some research on fibromyalgia which is not indicative of what my symptoms are but I do remember it saying women tend to get it diagnosed more but that men just don't go to the dr as much as women to check things out so that could be the descrepency for the data.

Now to figure out my problem!

Hmmm, so you are saying random spasms?

Are these the sharp, tearing pains like a serious muscle cramp?

[marmadogg]

What are you taking for your thyroid?

[CementPizza]

Originally Posted by marmadogg

What are you taking for your thyroid?

I take Synthroid and Cytomel.

[marmadogg]

Originally Posted by CementPizza

I take Synthroid and Cytomel.

Has it helped...what are your thyroid levels now? Do you feel like you need a higher dose?

We need a causation as correlation is useless without causation.

Your thyroid is the main culprit.

[CementPizza]

Originally Posted by marmadogg

Has it helped...what are your thyroid levels now? Do you feel like you need a higher dose?

We need a causation as correlation is useless without causation.

Your thyroid is the main culprit.

I'll be getting checked again in a few weeks.

Last month my levels were in the normal range, but low normal.

I feel good.

I have energy... but was still having pain.

[fitnessfortune]

Originally Posted by CementPizza

Hmmm, so you are saying random spasms?

Are these the sharp, tearing pains like a serious muscle cramp?

Well, they actually feel like a sudden intense cramp that quickly turns into a ball (literally) of muscle that rises quickly to the point you can SEE it....Very painful to the point of being inable to move till it stops. Last night I got one in a new spot while just sitting watching a movie...in my oblique! It really is an intense pain ....on a scale of one to ten I'd give it a 10

[CementPizza]

Originally Posted by fitnessfortune

Well, they actually feel like a sudden intense cramp that quickly turns into a ball (literally) of muscle that rises quickly to the point you can SEE n it....Very painful to the point of being inable to move till it stops. Last night I got one in a new spot while just sitting watching a movie...in my oblique! It really is an intense pain ....on a scale of one to ten I'd give it a 10

Ok, obviously I'm no great expert in nutrition, but I experienced something similar for a couple of years.

Here are the main things you need to look at.
If these are all in line... and you still have this prob, you will need to see a doc.

1. Hydration. Make sure you are hydrated. This also means NO ALCOHOL.

2. Potassium and sodium. You need to be sure you have these electrolytes.n If you don't you will get cramps.

3. Calcium. This is very important in muscle contractions. Make sure you have enough.


My cramps were due to my depletion of all of these things due to my past life style and alcoholism.

So, anyway... good luck.

[fitnessfortune]

Originally Posted by CementPizza

Ok, obviously I'm no great expert in nutrition, but I experienced something similar for a couple of years.

Here are the main things you need to look at.
If these are all in line... and you still have this prob, you will need to see a doc.

1. Hydration. Make sure you are hydrated. This also means NO ALCOHOL.

2. Potassium and sodium. You need to be sure you have these electrolytes.n If you don't you will get cramps.

3. Calcium. This is very important in muscle contractions. Make sure you have enough.


My cramps were due to my depletion of all of these things due to my past life style and alcoholism.

So, anyway... good luck.

I did have a blood test and all these were normal! My blood work came out perfect. I eat great and drink plenty of water...the mystery continues....

[icetrauma]

A doctor told my wife she had it. I told her bull. She lost 20 lbs. and started to get better sleep and the symptoms went away. They flair up again every once in a while when she cannot get enough quality sleep. Hopefully you can get things under control and the pains will go away without meds.

[marmadogg]

Originally Posted by CementPizza

I'll be getting checked again in a few weeks.

Last month my levels were in the normal range, but low normal.

I feel good.

I have energy... but was still having pain.

Low normal is not normal. High normal would make all the difference for you but doctors rely too heavily on one standard deviation of the population for all blood test values.

Stay Strong!

[CementPizza]

Originally Posted by marmadogg

Low normal is not normal. High normal would make all the difference for you but doctors rely too heavily on one standard deviation of the population for all blood test values.

Stay Strong!

Thanks man.

I'll keep that in mind.

I'll push for that.

[jbonsall]

Originally Posted by icetrauma

A doctor told my wife she had it. I told her bull. She lost 20 lbs. and started to get better sleep and the symptoms went away. They flair up again every once in a while when she cannot get enough quality sleep. Hopefully you can get things under control and the pains will go away without meds.

You hit the nail on the head when you connected sleep and fibro sypmtoms:

Alpha EEG Anomaly
An alarming percentage of fibromyalgia sufferers have a sleep disorder called alpha EEG anomaly. This sleep disorder may actually be a cause of fibromyalgia because so many sufferers have it. Alpha EEG anomaly affects deep sleep, preventing sufferers from getting a good night?s rest.

Alpha EEG anomaly occurs when sudden bursts of brain activity occur during a time when the brain should be in deep sleep. These periods of intense activity are measured as alpha waves on an EEG monitor. People with alpha EEG anomaly do not have difficulty falling asleep, but once they reach deep sleep, their brains begin to act like they are awake. This leaves sufferers feeling tired and drained.

I've been diagnosed with Fibro and am trying to work on quality of sleep as well...

[marmadogg]

Originally Posted by CementPizza

I'll be getting checked again in a few weeks.

Last month my levels were in the normal range, but low normal.

I feel good.

I have energy... but was still having pain.

Low normal is not normal. High normal would make all the difference for you but doctors rely too heavily on one standard deviation of the population for all blood test values.

Stay Strong!

[wiiild]

fibromyalgia is a joke in the medical community (i am an assistant to the md at the local hospital). the original physician (frederick wolfe) who wrote the description for this "ailment" is eating his words right now, after the approval of lyrica by the fda.
direct quote from him (from an article in the ny times); ?Some of us in those days thought that we had actually identified a disease, which this clearly is not,? Dr. Wolfe said. ?To make people ill, to give them an illness, was the wrong thing.?
i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia as well when i was younger (around 14-15 years old). just found out it was untreated general anxiety and depression. i hardly exercised. exercise is better than any medicine you can get, and this has been proven time and time again, especially for fibromyalgia. through hundreds of case studies, exercise is AS effective as medication alone.
good luck.