Anyone know why Fibromyalgia is more common in women?

My husband made a snide remark about this to me tonight. He was insinuating that more women have it than men do because women report it more often than men because we are bigger complainers.Just thought maybe there might be a related reason as to why more women have this than men? I think it could be because of hormone fluctuation. If anyone knows anything more, please assist. Thanks!

Im not exactly sure why this affects more women, could be a hormonal thing, chromosomal, like breast cancer is mostly in women, I don’t think research has figured that out, but I will look it up and get back to you on that . Women report symptoms to there dr. Because we are smarter than men lol, men are just to afraid and to proud and to stubborn to admitt there symptoms, and for the ones that do. I’m proud of you!
I just know my brothers, father, x- husband ect … Are all afraid to go to the dr. Im thinking more men have it

Hugs & blessings

I remember reading that women truly do feel pain more than men because men have hormones that stave off pain, so that they feel it less. In a way that makes sense, since for millions of years men have gone to war while women stayed home. If men felt pain strongly even on minor issues, it could be catastrophic to them as fighters. Same would hold true for them as they hunted large prey that could injure them with horns, etc. I'm not placing any kind of value on who is "better" because of how they experience pain, just relating what the research stated. If I can find the article, I'll include a link for it.

I couldn't find the research link but I found an article with some interesting reasons as to why we feel pain more than men:

http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/6-reasons-why-women-feel-more-pain-men

Thanks to both of you! I completely agree. Although women are the ones to go through the pain of labor, women haven’t really had to endure much so this does make sense. I would be glad to read any of the articles you may find!

I would say that whatever triggers fibro (childhood abuse etc) is more common amongst females and therefore they are more commonly developing fibro. It could also be the case that if there is a gene on which the pre-emptive conditions of fibro are carried on that this gene is more commonly passed to females.

In terms of whether women report symptoms more there is medical evidence to suggest that they do... mainly because men are less willing to confess to symptoms for fear of being considered weak or similar. That being said there is nothing wrong with anyone who reports symptoms and your husband should not use it as a way of wearing you down. Mikex

Thank you Mike. I appreciate the feedback. I do agree with you. I think he just gets tired of hearing about it all the time as my reason for being cranky or not wanting to do certain tasks. But at the Same time, it is the reason and he should be more understanding.

Fibro effects us all differently. If you are like me there will be days when you do what you consider a lot but others consider rather trivial and days when you can do next to nothing. I cannot say how to get your husband to understand that you can be effected in different ways on different days. If it were me though I would write down exactly how it makes you feel when he says things and force him to read it. At the least he will be aware of how it makes you feel, at best it will change his outlook on things and he will be more accepting of your limitations xx

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425165218.htm

Another person who I am really glad is on here and who works really hard to make this site a better place, Thank you SK xx

I have showed him articles but since I haven’t yet been officially diagnosed, he probably thinks its pointless to look at till after the diagnoses. My last appointment to the neurologist was early this month and she is concluding I have Fibromyalgia, but since a rheumatologist must diagnose it, I have an appointment with one the 27th. Hope I get some real help finally.

Huh, well one idea is get him to experience something similar first-hand by telling him to go to the gym and work out for eight hours straight and then jump out of bed the following day and do a full day of bending and stooping and anything else that kills us fibro folks. I'll bet he'd feel differently about it if he could relate more directly to it.

Great idea! I might just have to try that :slight_smile:

I would love to see the articles you have come across. I am just seeing basic symptoms ones when I search but there is so much more to it than that!

My son and I had a similar conversation a few weeks back and his take on it was very interesting, he said that men would be more reluctant then women to talk about the pain because of the macho mentality among men and as a man to show any type of weakness can open them up to ridicule and harassment amount there peers. I grew up in a house full of girls (I have 3 sisters no brothers) my husband grew up in a house of boys (he has 4 brothers), let me say I have learnt a lot about what it is to be a house full of boys, they were not allowed to cry because they would get picked on or beat up, could not go running to mom for any unfairness or to tattle on the others for the fear of retaliation and if you get hurt just suck it up and take it like a man. It is a wonder any of these guys survived their childhood. I have seen the same type of thing among my son and all his friends. makes you wonder what really goes on inside their heads...