Hi everyone - Having had Fibro for over 30 years - and being on this website, I have learned to much! However, I need to ask - Is Fibro an autoimmune disease or is it something separate? I feel silly asking this - but the more I know - the better off I will be in understanding what goes on. Also, can Fibro be inherited?
In looking back at my parents and so on - Dad had just a little Arthritis in his thumbs. My beautiful Mother (she was a stunner!) had a stroke when she was only 32 - but I never heard of her having any Arthritis anywhere. My Mother's Mother died of Parkinsons Disease - Grandfather was what we know as now - Bipolar. Suffered terribly and eventually passed away from all the stress of it. I never knew him, sadly. Anyway - I can't find anything relevant to what I am going through.
My daughter, Kim had knee surgery when she was only 20 - she was having a lot of pain. Now that she is 34, her hips have been bothering her and she is on a softball team in California. Always has been athletic. My son, Jason has just been diagnosed with Scoliosis of the spine. He has had back pain since he got out of the Navy several years ago. He's 32 now. I have Ankylosing Spondylitis of the spine
Would like to know what you all think of this - as I am especially concerned about Kim and Jason. I was in my 30s also when Fibro started - with my hips bothering me first - like Kim. Love and Hugs to all! Laurie
For a while, doctors once thought that FMS had to due with arthritis conditions and they considered it to be in the autoimmune class. Now, though, they really do not consider it to be autoimmune and it seems the more they know about it the less they know why it occurs. Some people say it is hereditary, some have not found evidence to support that. They simply think they understand what may be going on to cause Fibro symptoms but they are far from understanding why.
Thank mmom, for responding. I understand what you are saying! It's just so confusing as to what Fibro really is - and I have a feeling it will be a long, long time before the medical professionals can truly give us an explanation as to what in the world we are going through! Yes, I heard it was hereditary too - this is why I am concerned about my kids. Laurie
Hi Laurie, I can understand your concern for both your kids, as my daughter approaches 30, she has had issues with anxiety, irritable bowel and migraines. She also just had her gallbladder out, and has had thyroid issues… Oh ya and sever sensitivity on her skin, she gets rashes that itch, these problems seem to come on & go away with out notice… So ya I’m concerned, I have not told her of my concern, because she worries so much about everything… Like me
This alone tells me it’s hereditary, I think the research will some day show there is some type of genetic link that is passed on. I think it’s hard to look back and determine if our parents/ grandparents suffered as we do, because they just didn’t seek treatment for a lot of things, not to mention not much was known about a lot of things.
So i think your concerns are so very understandable… As far a autoimmune ??? One researcher says yes, another says no…?? Hard to say.
Hi dee - good to hear from you! I am awfully sorry about your daughter though. It's so unfortunate when parents and relatives pass down things that can truly be a concern for the ongoing families in the future. I didn't know my Dad's Father or his grandparents. My grandmother (dad's Mom) died at the age of 80 in her sleep. She was extremely healthy, having had no problems whatsoever. I adored her. I do know that my grandmother's mother died in her late 90s. From what I have heard, she was very attractive and a real pistol!! LOL I do have a photo of her at the age of 89, playing baseball with friends and relatives!! So obviously nothing unhealthy going on with her. She died peacefully in her sleep too. So dee, who knows??? We all just have to keep pushing and pushing to get out illnesses under control. Love and Hugs - Laurie
I would tend to lean toward genetics, even before I had joint damage, or a diagnosis, I look back through out my life and see signs of autoimmune/rheumatic problems. My Rheumatologist says my PsA is genetic, especially after I found out a cousin on my Mother's side sees him for the same genetic disease. In hearing this he jumped up and went for her file, adding this info.
As a matter of fact Psoriatic Arthritis is his most prevalent autoimmune disease for this area. So I have to wonder WHY?
My heart goes out to you about the AS! What are they doing for you with that? A biologic? Here is info for those unfamiliar with Ankylosing Spondylitis.
There are members here who talk about entire families being affected by fibromyalgia, so it seems to be a predisposition to this as well as autoimmune/rheumatic.
Hey Laurie. I'm back! What a day. Don't worry because I'm about to post a discussion about it. As to your question, FM is a CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDER. That's it. Not autoimmune - not hereditary (statistics - compare the number of relatives to the more than 6 million Americans that have FM).
my mom has fibro and i see signs of it in my son. we also have a family history of mental chemical imbalances, such as bipolar, and i have major depressive disorder. we also have a family history of arthritis. IN MY PERSONAL BARELY EDUCATED OPINION... lol i think it definately can be inherited. Again in my barely educated opinion, i believe fibro to be related to the nervous system. I feel that somehow there has to be a genetic link. if not then it is related or even caused by an inherited condition. science takes so long to investigate these questions. i hope we know. i think i will log into the college library and check for updates. lol
Absolutely no disrespect when I posted that it is not inherited. It's the one area that would seem to make sense but to my knowledge, there has been nothing scientific (papers, studies, etc.,) that show a causal link in families beyond statistics. Did you ever hear the story of getting 25 random people together? There is almost a statistical certainty that at least two of them will share the same birthday. With FM being a catch-all diagnosis for over-burdoned HMO doctors, it is no surprise that two or more family members have the same catch-all disease. I have a nephew with the same birthday and my daughter has a former (married-by) cousin with the same birthday. Again, that is just statistics.
If you know of any papers out there showing FM being hereditary, please let me know. I'd be most curious. It would be the first time since 1991 when I first got FM that heredity is thought to be scientifically plausible with a condition/syndrome with as many components to it. Plus, I COULD FINALLY BE ABLE TO POINT AT MY MOTHER AND SAY "YOU DID THIS TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I found some papers, but i haven't had time to read them. i will start a new post about research when i get the time! two seemed to be in French so that will be interesting. lol
In one of my pain management classes last year, they even talked about FM perhaps being caused by some type of body trauma earlier in your life. Having had a lot of serious body trauma as a teen and early adulthood followed by a decade of post traumatic stress, I can not discount that possibility.
