can fibro be in the family

[diane63]

i have 2 sons 25 and 20 and a daughter of 19 and both my youngest kids get symptoms of fibro.. also.. my sister has started to get all the symptoms of fibro but wont accept it as she has to work as she is the main earner as her husband is very sick.... i am feeling low today and have started to worry over this... can anyone help me... xxx

[gdxahd]

I think that Fibro, in line with many other illnesses is a physical reaction to overload. Just as a fuse blows in your house when that circuit is overloaded. It does seem that people who drive themselves hard are more prone to get Fibro. I feel you needn't worry that it is inherited, it is more likely that it is the way people are in coping with things for far too long that triggers it, usually at a low point such as severe stress, trauma or virus. It is peoples strength and determination to plough on through any adversity that may be at the root of draining resources to such a low that makes the fuse blow! These are also the very qualities that are needed to live with Fibro!

[phlebo123]

Hi Diane -- I do believe that it can be hereditary -- my Dad had many of the symptoms that I have but in "his day and age" nothing was known of FM and he would just "grin and bear it" and never spoke about it. It was only after he died that my mum told me that he had "restless legs" and had been taking Amitryptiline to help him sleep. My sister has costochondritis (a symptom of FM) and I have a cousin (on my dad's side) who has it badly and is wheelchair bound. Like you I have noticed symptoms in my youngest daughter (she is only 14) that have become more obvious since puberty (her periods are very painful). I try and help her avoid stressful situations and encourage her to do things that she enjoys. I am worried how she will cope with exam-stress next summer (when she sits her standard grades) because the first time I experienced IBS was when I sat my O-levels. I don't think it is all "in the genes" but environmental factors play a part as well so let's hope that our children have healthy lives and the FM gene lies dormant within them. All we can do is support them and I know it is difficult but try not to worry about them too much coz that will only make you feel worse yourself. Take care xx

[hjones]

I have fibro and my mum has ME, both illness are closely linked (ibelieve but i may be wrong) me and my mum are both going through bad flare ups at the moment although my mum doesnt have the pain i have and although we both have extreme fatigue she spends more time sleeping than i do but i think this could be due to the fact that she is lucky(if thats the right wors!) That she is able to sleep when she needs but as i work and have a 6 year old i am unable to sleep when i need.

[soma1]

i have fibro, and know of a lady who has it and her daughter was diagnosed a few yrs later. my own sister is showing a lot of symtoms like i started with approx10 yrs ago, i have been diagnosed 8yrs. tc love soma xx

[JSue]

My mum had fibro although she never gave it a name. we found all this literature in her filing cabinet about it after she died and she most definitely had all the symptoms. i just thought she was "sensitive". i wish we knew more back then and could have talked about it, but i have a feeling she was only just beginning to understand it herself and then Breast Cancer got her anyway. she also had Sjogren's which i have as well.

[diane63]

thank u all so so much for the reply....... i was thinking..... could my kids feel the fatigue and pain because as they have grown up, they have witnessed my way of coping with my pain, or, saw how i needed to lie down and sleep for days... but the more i think, i think they spent most of there lives seeing me as a out going, happy person.. where over the last 6 years even though they could have still learnt my behavour, they were not born into it.. and as for my sister, she is very understanding of my illness and has been very helpful to me, but now she struggles daily with aches pains fatigue, she does not believe she has it.. but i see and reconise her symptoms.. does any of this make sense lol... anyway.. thanks again.. xxxx

[Hidden]

I am not sure if there is anything definite to prove that Fibro is indeed hereditary per se, however there are cases where more than one member of a family gets Fibromyalgia.

It is hard to determine whether family circumstances or personal circumstances play a part in this or whether it's a medical cause etc. No-one can be really sure at present.

[LindseyMid]

"Research has shown that there may be genetic factors involved in Fibro that could lead to a genetic susceptibility to the condition. If you have a close family member with the condition, you are more likely to develop Fibro, but you will not definitely do so"

fibroaction.org/Pages/What-...

It is not clear whether this may be because some factors that put you at higher risk for developing Fibro - such as Hypermobility - do have a genetic component.

[Akasha72]

I have a cousin (on my Mum's side of the family) who also has Fibro/ME. When I found out last year that she had it I asked the same question and I still can't help wondering if there is a genetic link

[Hidden]

As Linz says above your message Akasha some factors could put you at a higher risk for developing Fibro because they may have a genetic component.

[Larke]

I believe that genetics could leave a person more prone to get FIbro. Is it hereditary? Perhaps.

An aunt has Fibro, perhaps 2. I also suspect my poor grandmother, who overdosed on pain meds when I was a young teenager, was also suffering with Fibro. All of these ladies are relatives on my mother's side.