familial connections in fibro

[Fayelle]

Recently I have been in touch with an aunt I have not spoken to in probably 16 years....

Upon talking about our lives I found out that 2 of my cousins, my aunt, and one of the cousins children all have fibro. We were raised completely away from one another. My aunt is my fathers sister. But it seems odd that 3 in her direct line and myself all have fibro....Also my aunt and cousin are completely hypothyroid. My cousin being younger than I am by a few years....

Does anyone else here have this many people in the family with these things?

I think I need to see my doctor again and see if I can get some missing answers......

Fay

[Linda25]

My great grandmother on my mom's side had long term - unexplained physical fatigue and spent several years in bed:eek:

her daughter (my great aunt) is the only other person in my family who had migraines

other than those two - no other connections that i've identified

interesting to explore though isn't it?

Linda25

[BrokenBladder]

Very interesting topic. My mother, who died at 57, had many health problems and one of them was alot of pain. I believe she had fibro, but was never diagnosed because she drank alot of alcohol to relieve the pain and therefore was never taken seriously.

[Tootsie]

My grandmother lived to age 85 but apparently from family stories, she was frequently "unwell" and spent time lying down. No one could ever find anything wrong with her and at times she could work anyone else into the ground. I can remember her on a tall ladder picking cherries when I was a child. I think she had fibro.

My symptoms began in my early twenties. My daughter has some of the same problems but has learned to live with the situation...has a job that for her, "is fun", avoids stress, gets to bed early, and took Elavil is a very low dose for a few months to deal with the sleep issue. Sleep hygiene took care of the other part of the sleep problem. We think her youngest son may have fibro also. Cheerio.

[SueC]

Interesting topic.
My mother's chest pain was diagnosed as angina when she was 35. She always believed she had heart problems. She had lots of other pain -- legs, shoulders etc., but her comment was simply that you just hurt as you get older. When I was about 35 my pain started and costal chronditis was one of the first diagnostic descriptions -- it took almost 10 years and much testing before I finally took myself to a rheumatologist. I think she found all 18 tender points were sore, including some which never gave me conscious pain. I asked Mother if when she had chest pain it hurt to touch her chest/sternum. She said it was very sore. I believe she had fibromyalgia from the beginning and never had heart problems, but fibro was never diagnosed. One of my daughters developed fibro in her early 20's. The other daughter is mentally handicapped and cannot tell us when she has pain, but from her behavior I believe that she does sometimes.
I have long suspected that this is a familial connection, not just coincidence.

[septemberrein]

Fibromyalgia has been designated as autoimmune by the AARDA as it is often dxed in patients with other ongoing autoimmune conditions. So that may explain why many ppl with fibro have relatives with it as well.

[Tootsie]

What is AARDA? Before my diagnosis, I was sure that I had lupus. When I get very upset, I get a typical blotchy type rash on my chest. However, the internest that made the diagnosis was sure that it was "fibrositis," which was the ancient term used for fibromyalgia. I have never developed any auto immune disease, am never "sick," and have the usual osteoarthritis associated with aging.

The fact that fibromyalgia frequently develops after some kind of physical trauma, and sometimes resolves when the underlying problem is treated, makes one wonder about the role of stress. Cheerio.

[Fayelle]

I have often wondered if there is an autoimmune connection and there was talk of a gene found for fibro with an autoimmune connection....

Diabetes runs through that family line, as does hypothyroidism....Both endocrine related....The hypothyroidism seems to really run through those of us diagnosed with fibro though in my paternal side of the family...

My grandmother killed herself when my dad was 8 which puts her in her mid 30's....I wonder if she had some of these endocrine issues as well as fibro which caused her to go through a deep depression (plus my grandfather was abusive which adds the stress portion)....Undiagnosed hypothyroidism can lead to myxedema madness which is a coma where you seem there but psychotic....In all actuality you are slowly slipping into a type of coma.....

It all just seems too coincidental to be familial and not genetic.....Having been raised away from my father and his family takes away the environment argument for the familial connection in my case......No one I am aware of in my maternal side has had a DX of fibro or thyroid issues.....Some questions of diabetes but not enough to look at it as a connection....Mainly prediabetes....

So it does bring some questions up for me which I will be addressing with my doctor.....

Fay

[vette]

Hi, I'm new, but read this & thought I'd add my twopenn'orth.
I have FMS and my sister has FMS as well. She also has R.A., O.A., Osteoporosis and Hypothyroidism - just to mention a few!
Be well,
'Vette

[aggscott]

This is a really great topic!

When the Fibro started for me no one believed me in my family. I had pain and I was to learn to live with it just like everyone else did-oh yeah and going to the doctor makes you more sick-(this is my family now)

I started to question my mom about who was sick in her family and my dad's too because she paid attention more than my dad did...

The list goes on and on with both sides. This one had RA and oh, this one drank a lot to cover the pain she had. A few of my moms brothers and sisters had diseases that took there lives eventually. I can not for the life of me right now remember what they are but, I know they were not good.

My dad himself drinks to cover pain that he has had from the time he was in his 20's. So for me to get a clear picture of what goes on right now with the living is hard but, more of the passed away family had autoimmune diseases.

Oh and my mom believes in Fibro now-she saw a special in TV about it and called me and said she was sorry for not believing me. Do you know what else I did too-I started asking her if she wanted to come to the doctor with me-from her talking to the doctor and seeing the shots and needles I used to get it changed her mind.(I have Mofaical Pain too with huge knots of muscle in my back)
She now always tells me to sit down-don't bend like that your going to hurt your self...Moms!!


Aggie

[septemberrein]

What is AARDA? Before my diagnosis, I was sure that I had lupus. When I get very upset, I get a typical blotchy type rash on my chest. However, the internest that made the diagnosis was sure that it was "fibrositis," which was the ancient term used for fibromyalgia. I have never developed any auto immune disease, am never "sick," and have the usual osteoarthritis associated with aging.

The fact that fibromyalgia frequently develops after some kind of physical trauma, and sometimes resolves when the underlying problem is treated, makes one wonder about the role of stress. Cheerio.


Tootsie,

AARDA stands for American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I personally believe there is a genetic as well as environmental connection in many autoimmune conditions. I'm adopted, so I can't say if any of my problems stem from genetics. But as for the environment... I can say that the rate of autoimmune diseases in my area is pretty high, particularly with diabetes, FMS, MS and hyper/hypothyroidism.

[Fayelle]

Interesting information on the autoimmune factor.....

There is a prevalance of thyroid dysfunction in my fathers side from his mothers line......It seems that there is an extraordinary amount of women who have endocrine dysfunction....Cancer is also a huge issue in the family too.....My father died recently from complications from his non hodgkins lymphoma.....I am pondering a connection to the fibro and this type of cancer risk...going to have to do some more research and ask my doc more questions :) ....

Oh she is going to love my new found info LOL....

Fay

[BrokenBladder]

I guess I should've mentioned that my bladder condition (interstitial cystitis) is

also an autoimmune disease. Go figure!! So I was diagnosed with that first

and then along come the fibro. I guess I have to wonder what's next......as

we all do!! Great topic, btw, maybe we can all figure something out.

[Fayelle]

What an odd thing that so many here have family histories with so much autoimmune dysfunction, then a fibro connection....Although the site AARDA says that autoimmunity is actually really common....

The thought is that fibro is a secondary condition perhaps something autoimmune is the first? But not many of us have been dx'd with an autoimmune disorder....So what does that mean? Is something being missed or is fibro a first run condition in children with parents with a strong autoimmune factor? is fibro autoimmune itself and perhaps only comes through a second generation autoimmune history? However I think I am dealing with autoimmune disorders, between my thyroid, early onset diabetes, and asthma connections there has to be something else in my opinion....I just have not seen the right doc yet to pinpoint the connections....

I need to go to medical school I guess and become a researcher to figure this out.....I thought about nursing school already, and hubby brings in the majority of our income....Perhaps.....hmmm

My only hope being I am alive, and capable long enough to do so.....

With my health, being 33, and the decline of how I am feeling I am beginning to wonder how much longer I have.....I think my fathers death really messed with me....

Especially looking into his cancer type when I found out what it was on the death certificate.....I guess it freaked me out a little bit.....Maybe thats why I am feeling like I am about my own mortality....

Non hodgkins lymphoma....I guess it freaked me out some too because fibro is such an up in the air DX....Because there is no real answer out there for it....

Blah too much thinking...I need to go to the store....

:D

[Bluey]

It may or may not be familial
Who can tell at this stage.
NO ONE in my family has it except me, and only after several traumas did I get it. Multiple neck injuries.
I've no auto immune disease.
I was tested for Hashimoto and didn't have it either.
My thyroid levels are normal.

My BP, blood tests all say I should be winning Olympic Gold Medals!

No infections, No herpes, No nile virus, No epstein barr, No tic disease.
I was athletic, happy, danced, sang, travelled, earned a Uni degree in Commerce, owned and ran three businesses, and now disabled. Just like that.

But I am curious about the Vit D.....Hmmm....pretty inexpensive too.

I'll try that!

[Tootsie]

There seems to be a great deal of secondary fibromyaligia when back or spinal injury or conditions occur. My own is associated with that, I'm sure. Cheerio.

[Bluey]

Interesting to know what percentage are trauma related.
:confused:

[aggscott]

Bluey that is an interesting thought too. I started to have some pain before my accident but, nothing like what happened afterwards. But-now that I've been reading about Fibro I had a couple of signals from childhood.
One was the growing pains-My mom was forever telling me that's what the pains were and she would also throw on there-but I never told the others as much as I tell you that..Meaning my other siblings had them but, not as much as I did.
So I don't know...Good point!

Mine started with Fibro-Mofacial pain-bulging disc's then after a few years-then the Lupus problem started to show..

Aggie

[ODAT]

This is my first visit and I'm interested in this discussion of the family relationship in FM. I have had CFS and FM since 1987. My daughter has FM. We both are bipolar (manic depressive) and have generalized anxiety disorder. My sister has FM, depression and autoimmune hypothyrodism (hashimoto's thyroditis), one of her daughters has CFS, FM, and depression. That daughter's son is probably bipolar. My maternal grandmother always said that her "reumatism" was acting up but she never went to the doctor about it. My mother, who is 83, claims that she has no such problems. But she is tender all over her body. She and her sister also have alzheimer's disease. Her brothers died of heart disease. There is a lot of research data that shows a familial link in FM. There is a rare form of FM that is autosomal dominant. That means that 50% of siblings have a chance of having FM. That seems to be the case in my family.

I'm so glad I found this forum. Thanks for allowing me to share,

:) Pam

[champgoof]

I have to say I have wondered the same thing many many times. Even though my mother was never diagnosed with fibro she had all of the symptons for years. I love my family to death but we arent the healthiest. there is lots of cancer ( especially on my mom's side) my dads side has a sister ( my aunt) who has fibro and migraines.the cancer struck most of the family members in the later years... I also wondered about those that have these family traits do they live in the city or country? Does the family come from the country or city?

[CODDLING REQUIRED]

Hi.I just had to reply since it is rare to find someone who shares a number of my conditions all in one person.I first was diagnosed as having G.A.D.,then fibromyalgia arose following a major illness, and since I have been diagnosed as Bipolar. At the same time I too have had 3 nodes swollen in my thyroid that are small but being tested regularly as my mother and my great grandma had the goiter/surgery etc...
My female family members have all passed away and now as I have reached my 40's and all these issues have come along, I am unable to discuss with them many things.In my observation of my mothers generation, they seemed to keep all these matters hush-hush as an embarrassment thing or something.I so wish that more of them had told me more.I agree that there must be a genetic link.Nice to meet someone that understands what it's like to be me.

[2silverwings]

I keep looking for familial connections but there don't seem to be any. Heart disease and depression seem to run in my family but that's it as far as medical problems.