Fibromyalgia and Teens

Fibromyalgia comes from a combination of Latin and Greek. Fibro comes from Latin, meaning fibrous tissue, myo comes from Greek, meaning muscle, and algos comes from Greek, meaning pain. Fibromyalgia is a debilitating disease that affects millions, including adults, children and teens. Symptoms include severe fatigue, sleeping problems, and joint stiffness. It can also affect other parts of the body and functions including bladder problems, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, bowel problems, numbness and tingling. It can also cause some severe mental dysfunctions including depression, anxiety, anger and frustration.

Unfortunately, children and teens seem to be misdiagnosed at first. Several times, they have been diagnosed as having Mononucleosis instead of Fibromyalgia. Now that doctors know more about this disease, these misdiagnoses are rare. They are now recognizing that some of the “growing” pains that children complain about, and the sleepiness that causes them to fall asleep in class could be early signs of this disease.

Symptoms that have appeared in teen fibromyalgia patients include skin tenderness, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, but an absence of joint swelling and no neurological findings. Teens have often been diagnosed as having “growing” pains, hysteria, and juvenile chronic arthritis. Doctors still have problems in separating those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome from those with Primary Juvenile Fibromyalgia Syndrome because so many of the symptoms are alike.

If your teen is showing any of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, get them to a doctor and have them specifically check for this disease. Don't let them send you home without a complete battery of tests and specific diagnosis. So many parents have been on roller coaster rides with their children's health because the doctors were not thorough enough.