Fibromyalgia Community

Hi Angelwings,

I'm sure others will have some thoughts for you. I'm responding to bump this up as I think your post was just missed by everyone.

Good topic.

Hello and welcome....MiMi in NC....I can not answer your questions....but I would try to find another doctor for her to see....you want to make sure that there is nothing else going on....I would think it would indeed be possible for her to have FM...since you also have it...but I have 3 grown children...2 boys and 1 girl...I have 3 grandchildren as well...so far...no one has been *blessed with the wrath of the dragon, aka FM*....and I continue to hope and pray that none of them will be...ever.....

12 is a iffie age anyway...a lot going on with this age...so I would be cautious about this...don't you just love it when a doctor tries to blame everything on our weight? For many years...I was just depressed...(which was not the case at all)...

Check out the info under "tips" and "resources"....I am sure you will find some good tools for her to try...a heating pad...Stopain Spray (found at walmart)...perhaps using lavender bath salts at bedtime....drinking plenty of water...(WATER)...I know teens like soda pop....WATER IS BETTER...

Is she having problems sleeping? Perhaps get her a memory foam mattress...so she can rest better...

Vitamin D level....ask the doctor to check hers...

OK...I do hope you will post often and update us on how things are going...

Take care and good luck....



MiMi

I hope your daughter doesn't have fm. I think it would be possible for a 12 year old to have it, just from my own experience, I had symptoms of it before I was 12. It didn't get 'bad' until I was in my early 30's though (pregnancy brought mine on with a vengence). Are you able to take her to different doc for a 2nd opinion? Good luck to you both!
Jen

There is a doctor here (Savannah, Ga) who is conducting a study on FM in children. His name is Victor Rosenfeld, and he is a neurologist. I am told he has a website, so you might check it out with google or bing. Dr. Rosenfeld made my diagnosis, but after a few visits I felt we weren't a good fit. I have a friend who sees him and is very pleased. Don't know where you are but if a doc in Savannah is studying kids w/fm, maybe there are others.
Pam in Savannah

Keep looking for the right doc. My niece has been showing symptoms lately too and is only in her early 20's. But has had symptoms much longer. She just started a new job and her one supv asked if she had a relative with Lupus or FMS. She told her yes my Aunt (me) sent to her doc. Once she told him about me said he completely changed and started tests. She first went for extreme IBS and fatigue. I feel so bad for her.

Also had hard time telling her parents and docs problems with her monthly. I talked to them sent to good doc and has been DX with Endometrious(splg?) now, which I also have. I feel like she is following in my steps. She is very glad has someone to talk to about it all as no one was listening to her.

angelwings1998,

Sorry to hear that your daughter is having problems. Twelve can be a difficult age with many mind/body changes and it can be difficult to sort out what is going on as many parents can attest. It is important to have her symptoms evaluated to make sure that there are no reversible problems like low thyroid or Vitamin D. If no reversible problems are detected then the most important thing to do will be to get her exercising, normalize her weight, encourage her studies, normal socialization and help her to cope with her painful problem.

Fibromyalgia symptoms can develop in children but it need not run the same course as other family members and may go into remission. WebMD has a section on Fibro in children which may help. Having your daughter make a list of her symptoms and keep a diary of their pattern over a week may help the physician to understand her experience and the limitations her symptoms impose.

Counseling may be necessary if she is having a difficult time coping. You can be a role model for effective coping which may be the one of most important things you can do.

Best to you both,
Dr. Margaret

Yes!! It is possible. I'm 14 years old, and have arthritis and fibro. Worst thing in the world!! Take her to see a rumatologist. That is who diagnosed me when Fibro 2 months ago. I'm not sure where you live, But I go to all children's hospital and love it there.

I think it's possible. I have had strange symptons since as long as I can remember and doctors kept telling me maybe my thyroid was messed up and that i was overweight. Tests always come back negative. In my twenties I was finally diagnosed with fibro but only after my roommate told me about it. Doctors never listen to me and keep telling me its depression but I don't think depression is the cause of all of it. I found out recently that 2 other people in my family have it too. I don't think doctors know enough about it and they think that everything is in our heads. I am having big problems right now with fibrofog and having the wrong words come out when I am speaking so am going for neurological testing. I am 38 yrs old and still struggling with doctors listening to me so keep looking for a doctor until you find one that listens. I moved to a new town because the docs in my old one were jerks. I hope you get some answers and good luck.

Hello and I hope anyone and everyone who happens to read this will be sure and ask your doctor to check your Vitamin D level....I am still quite concerned and surprised with all of the info on Vitamin D and just how many people have too low of a level.....it has been reported to be 70 - 85% (as I have read several different articles)...and this is also true with very young children....

Low Vitamin D can cause additional pain...(it did for me anyway)...and according to the medical researchers it can also affect other illnesses as well...

I still do not understand how the low Vitamin D can about with so many people....perhaps using sunscreen or just not getting enough sunshine...a lot of us use to work and I guess we just did not take enough time to be out and about in the sun...(although I thought I use to be out and about a lot)...or perhaps our bodies just do not absorb enough...

When my children were young....I had one child who could burn quite easily in the summertime...and the other 2 always had beautiful tans...my daughter was one of the 2....and her Vitamin D level when checked was only 2....she had a lot of chonic pain issues...(not FM related)...

It pays to keep tabs on the Vitamins that our bodies needs...at least once a year.

Take care.


MiMi

Hi Angel wings,
My daughter and I both have fibro as a result of an illness or tick bite. She is 15 I am 46 and we were both diagnosed 2 years ago. We became very ill and have never got better. The doctors don't know what it is so they have put us both in the fibro category. We were diagnosed by different doctors the same week. I went to a rheumatologist because my was mostly pain related. She went to the nuerologist as her problems at the time seemed nuerological. We have seen an allergist, rheumatologist, nuerologist and have spoken to an infectious disease specialist had numerous blood tests but no one can tell us what's wrong. Yes losing weight has come up and it's all in your head has also come up. It's not in our heads it's in our bodies. It so hard to watch someone so young have all of these problems. We will say a prayer for you and your daughter!

my daughter is 12 and was dia by a Dr at Charleston University. I was dia in 1989 and my wife has Lupus and FMS. The Dr said that they try to get the kids into exercise program since they respond much better then adults. It started just walking on a treadmill and working up. The pcp all said the same thing that it was her weight but with both parents having FMS he wanted a specialist to dia her. There is still nothing that can be done. We try not too make a big deal about it and try to incur age her to be more active.

Lyme disease can cause neurological and arthritis and other symptoms. The usual diagnostic tests are often not specific enough for detecting it, especially at later stages. Search out labs other than those used by conventional doctors (they use Lab Corp. & Quest). It may entail sending blood tests by mail, and even not being covered by your insurance, but it's worth the diagnosis. Also check your tests which were already done for a #41 being reactive; this is a spirochete which can be associated with Lyme. Check alternative practitioners if you can't get the tests through regular means. Do a search on the Internet for labs and doctors.

Thank you! I will look in to it

Yes children can have Fibromyalgia. My 15 year old son was sent to a rheumatologist because of his c-reactive protien being high, which measures the swelling in the body. After several visits and many blood tests, his doctor has given us a diagnosis of Spondyloarthritis and possible Fibromyalgia. He doesn't yet have enough tender points for an official fibro diagnosis, but since I have it, he felt very comfortable giving that diagnosis. Since then my 22 year old daughter was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and possible Psoriatic arthritis. On top of this my younger sister also has Fibromyalgia. We were diagnosed about the same time. My daughter has dealt with pain issues for the past 7 years. They thought in the beginning it was due to her being able to dislocate her joints easy. Her muscles around the joints were not able to hold the joints in place at times. After much physical therapy, she was still having lower back pains. They told her she was drinking too much milk (she lived on it) and the calcium overload was adding to the muscle issues. Since her last pregnancy (her 3rd) she has been having extreme fatigue. Her fiancee got up most nights with the baby because she couldn't and still was exhausted. This sent her to the doctor (which she went to my pcp and now my rheumatologist) and she got her diagnosis. At this time my 20 year old son has been fighting neuro issues for at least 6-7 years. I had thought that things had gotten better, but actually he said the pain was doable and now it seems to be flairing up again. He is coming home this weekend for the summer, so I will make sure he sees his neurologist.
Sorry post was long, but I do hope this helps. If you can (don't need a referral) then take her to a pediatric rheumatologist. If not find a pcp who will do something. Most of the pediatricians I have used over the years say that kids don't usually make up these kinds of pain, this should be looked into, not overlooked. Keep changing doctors until you find the one that is willing to run tests. Good Luck!