Male Fibromyalgia and Associated Health Issues

Male fibromyalgia is a term that for far too long has received little attention, and the reasons for this are both many and complex.

1) Men suffering daily with fibromyalgia are often labeled as lazy, weak, mentally ill, or worse.

2) The medical establishment to this day often refuse acceptance of the fact up to 15% of fibromyalgia cases involve men.

3) Men refuse to share their fibromyalgia stories with anyone for fear of being labeled as weak, or in many cases sadly fearing the loss of their job.

4) Fear of family, and their reactions if the man truly opens up and explains all fibromyalgia symptoms he must face each and every day.

5) Co-morbid, (Similar) factors/conditions often found in men and women suffering from fibromyalgia and additional varied conditions.

Male fibromyalgia and associated health issues are highly individual in nature for those suffering from this vicious disease. I have personally met a patient who had lost the ability to speak certain words, or one adolescent who was forced to wear a weight on their arm to stop involuntary movements. Symptoms vary depending on nerves involved according to many in the medical community. I would concur.

I have suffered with this disease for over 35 years as I write this article. Until recently I continued working even though towards the end of this period I often thought a nervous breakdown was near. After very difficult discussions with my wife and family the decision was made to apply for Social Security Disability Income.

In addition to the many years of suffering with fibromyalgia I also received radiation treatments for benign tumors at T-7 and T-9 which were called hemangiomas. This is the same type of tumor sometimes seen on infants at birth, or growths often found on the face or head area. In addition to the tumors I also had a cervical fusion surgery to repair a ruptured disc at C-5 and C-6.

Co-morbid physical/mental symptoms are often found in those suffering with fibromyalgia. The reasons for this are many, but in particular since all with fibromyalgia have a weakened immune system and are prone to stress this alone makes us much more susceptible to physical and or mental conditions. Male fibromyalgia, and those of us with severe symptoms are I believe more likely to develop secondary conditions due to added stress alone. Research has proven that those suffering with fibromyalgia often get worse after even minor intervention for additional medical problems.

One example of this would include this authors kidney stone issues for many years. Every time I went in to get stones blasted I would need two weeks to recover when someone without fibromyalgia would easily be back to themselves within a couple of days. In addition the radiation treatments received for the benign tumors would normally have taken all thoracic pain away after the vertebrae had re-generated to bone. Since I also suffered from severe fibromyalgia, and still do, the fibromyalgia continues to cause pain in the mid-thoracic region of my back. For these reasons along with getting older, I eventually filed for disability.

After finally receiving approval for disability payments I felt enormous relief, but at the same time had a very hard time adjusting to life without a job. I freely admit to a period of time where I had feelings and thoughts that were not healthy. I grieved for my lost job, and was forced to face the guilt I was now feeling due to leaving my wife as the new bread-winner for our family. I can now admit without the unconditional love from my wife and her support I may not have made it through this period.

These issues are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to male fibromyalgia, and the millions of men suffering in silence around the world today. Men and their enormous egos continue even when we're very sick, and for these reasons many men actually die each and every year due to diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and so many others. A diagnosis of fibromyalgia for many men is something that must be ignored and just tough it out for lack of a better term. This is exactly the opposite reaction men should have, and we would be much better off taking some lessons from women when it comes to caring for ourselves.

Fibromyalgia does indeed attack and effect men somewhat differently, but the primary differences involve how each individual handles the dramatic changes that come with a fibromyalgia diagnosis. Physical differences while few can include symptoms such as temporal mandibular joint disorder, or (TMJ). Research has shown that male fibromyalgia and temporal mandibular joint disorder are co-morbid maladies that can and do co-exist for some. Fibromyalgia symptoms vary widely for each individual regardless of gender, and according to many doctors this has to do with the pressures put on the lower brain stem or high cervical areas and the nerves involved in this area.

For instance, it is not uncommon to have one individual with fibromyalgia with one-sided symptoms, while the next person has equal symptoms on both sides of the body. Another individual may have facial pain and perhaps severe neck pain but no pain in the lower extremities. Personally, symptoms include severe pain in both feet, both legs, thoracic to cervical spine pain, short term memory loss, and severe anxiety issues. Later after a chiropractic adjustment I had new chronic pain enter both arms, hands, and fingers.

Fibromyalgia and the myriad of symptoms are highly individual in nature, and the differences for male fibromyalgia are few when looking at the big picture.