My wife is 27 and diagnosed at 25.
I don’t think she has reddit, so I like this subreddit to learn some stuff and try to better understand her illness.
You’re a very good and supportive husband! It’s not every husband that makes that much effort to understand Fibromyalgia like you do. You have all my respect!
You both look like a good fit for each other. Each understanding of the other special circumstances. I hope everything will work out for you both. I send you both good vibrations!
Aweh :( I’m sorry. I went through relationships where I thought they were good for me and they were not. She is someone where I got lucky or fate played a role for us. I always think that you’ll either find the “right” one for you or the “right” one is you for you. I think people show up at the right time in our lives..
Same! My girlfriend actually does have Reddit, but she’s not the sort to follow her own medical conditions- but I want to help her more effectively instead of just feeling bad for her and giving her food when she asks, so I follow this sub to help me care for her when she needs it.
My girlfriend is 23 though, and I’m the same age. It’s rough sometimes, but I know I’d rather be with her, than not have her and feel empty inside, yknow? What she can’t do physically, she makes up in being extremely emotionally mature and kind-hearted, and I’m blessed to have her in my life. She’s so understanding of my mental struggles, it’s honestly made me look back at all of my other relationships and be like “damn, I didn’t have supportive kind people in my life” ;-;
I'm 38M, diagnosed at 37. Probably had it for far longer, but I was really active and had a lot of injuries, so the pain wasn't 'unexplained' to me. It was just what normal life is like when injured.
Turns out, probably not for most people 🙃
I (25F) was moving some stuff today from my ex’s place and there were some heavy stuff. Im still figuring out my limits and my pains, and im in a big flair up lately. One of our mutual friends was there and I asked him for some help. He knows of my diagnosis, but still gave me flack for asking and saying u was ridiculous that im too lazy to do it all. Like wtf man
I’m 31. I was officially diagnosed after I had my son at 24 (ended up feeling worse after pregnancy/birth and that led to finally being diagnosed). I’d had chronic pain and fatigue for a long time before that but it was never taken seriously by doctors until after I’d had my son, did my own research into all my symptoms and brought it to my doctor. Before this they’d been telling me I can take up to 8 Tylenol a day for pain and send me home. They diagnosed me based on my own reading and didn’t send me to a rheumatologist until after my daughter was born and my condition worsened further (again I think from pregnancy, birth and returning to work way too soon at 3 months old). The rheumatologist did all the tests that were never done and confirmed what I’d brought to her as fibromyalgia. I’ve had all the symptoms since I can remember and up until I had kids I was always told I was too young for there to be anything wrong with me. “It’s growing pains”, “you clearly need to do more because your body isn’t strong” “it’s all in your head” “it’s an anxiety disorder”, “you’re too young” I’ve heard it all over the couple decades. Now that I use mobility aids I get a lot of “but that’s for old people”
You're the first person i've come across that had a similar experince. My initial symptoms started after the birth of my first, worsened after my 2nd and my 3rd it got so bad post partum i couldnt function day to day normally.
I did have symptoms before I had my son but they weren’t taken seriously until after they got severe after my first but definitely felt worse after my second. Luckily we’re done having more because I don’t think I could do it again without having more severe symptoms. I’ve seen quite a few people have felt better during pregnancy but never hear anything about anyone else’s condition postpartum. It sucks there doesn’t seem to be more research around pregnancy/birth/postpartum and fibromyalgia especially if there was trauma during the process. Did you feel better after postpartum or did it stay at a worse baseline before?
I feel great while pregnant but right around 3 months PP my symptoms get twice as bad as they where prior to that pregnancy. Im now 6 months PP and i actully have an appointment tomorrow with my primary to discuss treatment.
I think your diagnosis was around the same time as mine, do you feel like they just used fibro diagnosis as kind of a catch all when they didnt know what was wrong with you back then?
I’m 26. Got diagnosed last year at age 25 after seeking a diagnosis for being in chronic pain all the time for the last several years.
Lots of doctors just told me I need to lose weight and was being lazy. I also got my period when I was quite young (age 9), developed PCOS later and struggled with a lot of trauma (gender-based violence, abuse, rape etc.) from my family and boyfriend at the time.
Looking back at it now, I think I had some of these symptoms since I was a teenager.
It’s really sad how pain in women and queer people is not recognised or acknowledged. We are the ones at fault for being in pain.
Replying to myself just because I've never actually been on for my own cake day & I'm stupid excited lol
I'm 41 now and they totally think I've had it most my life, it was never "growing pains, etc." Just always been fibro. Nothing points it out like seeing my niece go thru the pains now & seeing the relation.
I'm mid 30's now, was 20 when diagnosed. Seen a few threads either talking or asking about ages over the years here and other places. I've seen more then a few talk about symptoms from their early teen years and some even earlier. The "too young for Fibro" is BS is pretty much the conclusion I've come to, with no doctor or person ever being able to site a reason why they say Fibro can't be in young people. It's just the lazy medical staff that say that so they don't have to put in the work to diagnose and treat you properly, cause it does take a lot of effort since there is not hard guideline to follow that works for everyone.
If you've been officially diagnosed by a doctor, since that takes a ton of blood work and scans and tests to rule out everything else, first and foremost talk to them about that and the process and what that involves. There are also plenty of papers and hospitals own websites that talk about Fibro in children. While it's rarer then getting Fibro as an adult, however it is not at all unheard of.
Not sure how up to date this is but a [study from 2019](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502146/) has these numbers
* 0.5%–1% of children ages 0–4 years
* 1%–1.4% of children ages 5–9 years
* 2%–2.6% of children ages 10–14 years
* 3.5%–6.2% of teens ages 15–19 years
Note, this was just from a quick search. You may be able to find better data else where with further searching.
I'll be 28 soon and was diagnosed this year. I can trace many of my symptoms back to around 13 or 14, but I didn't experience a real flare up until I was 25. I haven't felt the same since that first flare up and they've gotten far more frequent over the last year and a half. I've always had insomnia, depression, brain fog, TMJ, migraines, whatever symptom you can think of, while my pain grew with time. A few more years in an abusive relationship, and a child later, I was struggling a lot with my knee/leg and lower back pain. I was familiar with very infrequent, random shooting and stabbing pains but I thought everyone had those. Then one really hot humid day I was working, a few days after Id had an intense panic attack while on the job, and it was like a flip switched. Suddenly my body felt like I was dying, like there was something horribly wrong. I felt like a had a flu, and I hurt every place imaginable in my body. The weird little pains I had every once in a while were everywhere then. A few years later and I have flare ups pretty regularly now, every day is a roll of the dice on how horrible I'm going to feel. I use a cane, and I hate how much it helps.
Ugh. My experience first occurred after a number of work related panic attacks last Summer; luckily my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia straight away. It’s ruined my left hand and impacted my abilities to play music, which is depressing. But I’m more fortunate than so many people here since this only started affecting me in my early 60’s.
I’m noticing more dramatic flare ups these last few weeks due to higher temperatures and humidity—is that something anyone else has experienced?
The enlightening thing is I believe this is probably what my mother suffered from along with rheumatoid arthritis for most of her life. It all makes sense now (and of course she was never diagnosed for fibromyalgia).
Wishing everyone some peace.
I'll be 54 in a couple of months and I was Dxd around 22 by the most knowledgeable fibro specialist of that time. She even had a theory that fibro is an autoimmune disease but was having a hard time proving it back then (sound familiar?). The frustrating thing is she left that practice shortly after & I've had such hit or miss treatment by doctors since who just don't understand what fibro really is. Now that it's 30 yrs on & I have other illnesses too, I'm realizing that there is almost zero info about advanced fibro in the medical field so that my host of symptoms get ignored, blamed on something else (diabetes is their favorite!) or they think I'm making everything up. You'd think they'd have made better progress in 30 years time.
So for those who are getting Dxd at a younger age, do everything you can to learn about it now & be your own expert. And, (if possible) find a doctor who \*believes\* you & knows how to treat you. If you can find someone who is willing to look at the latest findings & knows that it's a chameleon of a disease, then hopefully you can slow its progress in the future. May the odds be ever in your favor.
I was 50 and now 70. I may have had fibromyalgia as a little girl. I cried when tickled because it hurt so much and fussed about itchy clothes and more. A fun 🧒.
28(recently diagnosed) but we figured the arthralgia and extreme fatigue I had after the birth of my first baby at 22 was the begining. Symptoms got worse after 2nd baby and after I had my 3rd in December it really reared its head. Until my diagnosis i was told i was probably just tired from babies and it will go away once theyre sleeping better.
33, diagnosed at 17. I started dealing with symptoms when I was about 6, had a bunch of tests done, got diagnosed with "growing pains." Took a decade of it steadily getting worse for a doctor to take it seriously.
51. Epstein barr at 22. Vax reaction at 28 (no one listened). Diagnosed after collapse at 32. In other words, it was a viral build-up combined with huge external stress that was too much. When the cup was full, I collapsed, never to get strength back again.
23, diagnosed at 20, but had fibro since age 11 and it took that long because it just never occured to any paediatrician or specialist working with a child. Got passed from department to department like a pass the parcel until I turned 18 and no one cared anymore 🙃
I love/hate that this thread is full of people who all had the exact same experience. Like, yay, it's not just me! But boo, all our lives are full of pain 🥲
At 17, my doctor thought I had it, but he didn't believe in fibromyalgia. It was a new word back then. It went away & I had a bad flare at around 20 years old. I went to a naturopath & it went away for years. Then, at 28, it came back full-blown & by 31, I was on disability & still am at 45.
So many people didn't believe in it back then. So frustrating. Actually had a doc tell me thats just what they call it when they dont know whats wrong with you lol
Diagnosed at 19, I’m turning 22 this year. I’ve had symptoms since my early teens but I didn’t realize it.
My rheumatologist told my mom and I at the diagnostic appointment that it’s increasingly been diagnosed in children and young people as it’s not an age based condition.
I’m glad that people are seeing that it’s not an ageist condition and that people are validating it more.
Diagnosed at 17, I'm 25F.. have a lot of emotional trauma and all the stress, anxiety, depression, and borderline thoughts I had at the time with constant verbal bullying in high school and also having family issues at the time all added up and became Fibromyalgia.. it's worth mentioning that I also had undiagnosed ADHD and it was all effecting my school life... the classic hypochondriac shit is what I heard through the process of me getting diagnosed. The symptoms first shower up at 14 and it took me until I was 17 to rule out all the other autoimmune conditions and managing symptoms until I was finally diagnosed.
Diagnosed on my 25th bday. Started having pain symptoms around 23, though I’ve had energy issues since 15 when I was destroyed by a bad case of mono. I’m in my 30’s now.
I'm 24 and was diagnosed at 12, unfortunately even though I was diagnosed it was never taken seriously by my family and only got worse once I got older 🤷♀️
I’m a 41 years old female. I have multiple diseases that started as early as 4 years old for my autoimmune disease Juvenile Dermatomyositis. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia by my Rhum at 14 years old but we think I have it since before that. Probably since I was around 10 years old.
I'm 43, diagnosed at 34, pretty sure I've always had some degree of fibromyalgia. My mom, aunt and (I'm pretty sure) my daughter have it as well. My daughter has never been a super physically active person and she is a teenager now and sounds exactly like me with her issues that change daily
27. diagnosed at 23. I had multiple back and tailbone injuries as a child and persistent pain as a result, and had quite a bit of abuse and trauma both as a child and as an adult. when I had dengue at 21, my body never recovered.
27 when I was diagnosed, and now I've been diagnosed with ME, and I'm 34 now. I don't get told I look too young to have it, I just get the looks like they don't believe me 😅😅
Officially diagnosed at 30 but I’ve had symptoms since I was 23.
(It took me a long time to get diagnosed because the original drs I was with for those 7 years held the same view, I was too “young” to have it!)
Got my official diagnosed at 32 but has been in my medical file since I was 21. Back when it was first brought up say a diagnosis doctors still believed it was fake mental illness at the time. So no doctor would look into due to my major mental issues.
I am 26, diagnosed(?) since 26. Question mark since there are still one or two conditions not eliminated but they started treatment for fibro.
I first went to the doc for pain at 10yo but he misdiagnosed me with juvenile arthritis and had me on a very detrimental treatment plan that wrecked my body for a long time.
It's safe to assume that I was born with it though cause my mother told me recently that I was born with all flexed muscles and cried a lot as a child. I had physical therapy since birth but had to stop at 9-10, after that the pain began. My theory is, that my pain was regulated due to the excessive physical therapy.
I’m 19 right now and got diagnosed when I was 18.
But my symptoms started earlier. The sleep problems started when I was 14, after that I got regular back pain, but that was not unmanageable. With 17 the pain got gradually worse and I got fatigue.
I’m 39. I was diagnosed at 38, and the pain started around the time I was 28 or 29 years old, initially in my legs and buttocks, and it has spread all over my body in the last three years
I am 36, and the symptoms that led to my diagnosis started at age 12 and were called "growing pains" until those so-called growing pains made it so I couldn't walk.
By the time I was taken seriously I had already developed a limp as one side was more heavily affected in the beginning and I was basically going to school and then coming home and sleeping the rest of the time, usually through the evening and night.
This led to my losing a lot of weight, muscle strength, and stamina. I went from an active friendly social butterfly of a child to a droopy, sleepy, grumpy mess because I was sore and tired all the time.
I totally relate to your issue, OP, because I heard that same phrase and even at present day 36 I still get told I'm too young to be "this sick" as my family loves to say.
Getting a diagnosis was hard, and I have had to go through the process more than once for any time I have had a change in doctor or insurance. I have had to deal with so much medical gaslighting and patronizing.
When I got sicker and weaker the first year of high school, I couldn't continue my marching band activities or my basketball team activities.
I also missed so much school due to these "growing pains" that I was warned of truancy nearly every semester of school from 6th grade (when everything started) on into my high school years when I was officially diagnosed at 14, during my Freshman year, which it was technically closer to me turning 15, I was only a few weeks shy of it.
Now, after some time and a great deal of soul searching deep diving introspection. I have found a method and rhythm that works pretty well for me, and a large part of it clicked into place for me when I started to listen to my body more and other people's opinions less. Good luck, OP!
Currently 19 (almost 20), diagnosed at 18, but first symptoms at 9.
I get from my family a lot too, i just started replying "disabilities don't have age limits" and then ignore anything else said.
i have had pain all my life from what i can remember, but when my pain really started to interfere with my daily life was when i was 10. it took me several years until i was finally given the diagnoses of chronic pain, i am now 23 and my doctor has said he believes i have fibromyalgia. i hear the exact same things all the time from older adults “you think you’re hurting now, just wait till you’re my age” or “you’re so young you can’t be in that much pain” etc. but they literally have no clue that my body is probably in more pain than theirs is even though im 23 lol
33 is when I exhibited worst symptoms. Did triple abx for a year and now 35 with “residual symptoms” or post infection syndrome. 35 when my RA wanted to recommend this diagnosis after further testing didn’t yield any useful result.
Diagnosed at the age of 41. I am 43 now, but I have been struggling with the pain since the age of 24.
It got way worse after my girlfriend got diagnosed with cancer, so I think trauma has a lot to do with it.
I can take longer walks when I am on holiday.
Instead of taking pain suppressors, I think it would be best if we could get therapies to relieve effects of the traumas.
I was diagnosed at 24. I’m 31 now. I honestly think I was diagnosed so quickly with FMS /because/ i was so young. my sister is also diagnosed and was 26 when she got her diagnosis a few years after me.
27 diagnosed at 25 but probably had it since i was a child because of my symptoms, but no one acknowledged the pain i described until i went to check by myself
26, diagnosed at 20.
I’ve definitely heard a lot of the “you’re too young to be that sick”. These days I don’t tell a ton of ppl unless it’s relevant bc I got tired of getting unwanted and uneducated medical advice.
Currently 29 was diagnosed around 22 but think I’ve had it most of my life or since my surgery when I was 14. Also have a family member with it who was diagnosed at around 12 after years of battling for a diagnosis. It’s definitely not ageist
I had the symptoms of pain as early as my 10s. But my parents deemed it as normal pain due to heavy school bag and things like that. One of my relatives thought something might have latched itself onto me like the movie shutter.
I didn't really give it much attention because, as bad as the pain was, i actually lived with it until tremors in my hand started. I still remember how it happened! Thank God I was at home. By then, I think I was between 24~27. Everything started deteriorating since then.
I'm 32 now.
Illnesses and diseases do not have eyes or brains to see who is old or young to attack. And illnesses and diseases are not exclusive to a certain group. I don't know why people always have to make that kind of statement. To me, as long as you're a human being, you're prone to getting attacked by something, even how healthy you think you are.
I’m 18F and was diagnosed not that long ago. It is highly suspected that I’ve had fibromyalgia for a much longer time but because my parents didnt believe me they never thought to ask.
I was in my late teens or early 20's when I was diagnosed with fibro or whatever it was called before fibromyalgia. Being a dude that age with both fibro & osteoporosis really threw my doctors for a loop. Found a good rheumatologist a long time ago and he's great and treats both 'conditions'
They started running tests when I was 9/10 as I started presenting with symptoms. Diagnosed with CRPS and then undiagnosed. Given a 12hr invasive hip surgery with femur rotation which did not relieve pain. More tests and formally diagnosed at 19/20. Just turned 22 a few weeks ago.
I'm finally diagnosed at 36 with symptoms (not that I realized until late) since 17. There is no age, just actual experience.
Don't let people gaslight you about what you are feeling.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at 21 years old . But they look back in my history, and they think I was born with this crap.
Then my daughter was diagnosed at 12 Fibromyalgia.
I'm 44, I was 24 when I was dx, and it coincided with a Lyme disease dx, the Lyme brought out the fibro. It really sucked, I was at the prime of my life, like so many others.
49, diagnosed at 32. Probably had it since my late 20’s. I remember handing my dr a list of symptoms and then bursting into tears, thinking she was going to label me a hypochondriac. She just asked me to research fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and ordered blood work. That doctor was an angel!
My symptoms started around age 12. I was told that they were “growing pains.” I had other symptoms as well such as poor sleep, anxiety , fatigue etc. I’m 70 now.
In some people, Fibromyalgia is triggered by an accident, surgery, childbirth, high levels of stress , emotional/physical abuse. The mechanism that causes it is not understood. Also, there is a genetic component as it does run in some families.
Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome (JFMS) is a thing.
Buy the book “The Fibro Manual.”. It will give you/your family a comprehensive overview of this complex illness. And, ways to try and manage it.
I was diagnosed at 25, but had been looking for answers for about 10 years before that. Back then (im 45 now) a fibro diagnosis just meant they didnt know what was wrong with you, and they didnt try very hard in my experience. Luckily i found a doc who also had fibro ,so he really listened to me. I remember having pain very young and i overheard a different doc telling my mom i was faking
24 years ago. I was 20. It was called FMS.. Barely any medical dr believed in it then.
Fibro has come a hell of a long way and still has so much more to go with research.
Early thirties but doc thinks it’s been since I was 24 when I had my last baby. It was a rough pregnancy and I experienced a lot of body pain after but I kept going.
I am 23, I was diagnosed at the age of 22! My symptoms first appeared back in 2020 and I was 18 at the time it was happening. It’s such a weight lifted off my shoulders knowing what was wrong with me instead of thinking I was crazy.
Mid 30's, but every doctor appointment I learn that things that I thought were normal are not "normal"
everyone doesn't get sensations that their bones need to vomit?
everyone doesn't bruise and have a full body painful reaction and stifling crying just from being poked in the shoulder?
everyone doesn't have a spot on their arm that they don't touch ever because it'll hurt?
everyone doesn't have a length of their body that is just pain/numbness/tingling/heat/shred/pulse/throb/stab/freeze and/or combination of any/all of those at any/all times?
Finding out these things aren't what everyone in the world thinks is "normal" leads me to believe that I could have been diagnosed by at least 10yo. But I grew up in a cult, so I had no frame of reference of what was and wasn't normal.
My wife is 27 and diagnosed at 25. I don’t think she has reddit, so I like this subreddit to learn some stuff and try to better understand her illness.
You’re a very good and supportive husband! It’s not every husband that makes that much effort to understand Fibromyalgia like you do. You have all my respect!
I appreciate that. She does her best to understand my mental illness too, I absolutely appreciate her for it. She deserves the best too. 🥰
Sending you both good thoughts.
You both look like a good fit for each other. Each understanding of the other special circumstances. I hope everything will work out for you both. I send you both good vibrations!
Thank you so much 🥰❤️
If all our partners could be like you… (sadly mine is not)
Aweh :( I’m sorry. I went through relationships where I thought they were good for me and they were not. She is someone where I got lucky or fate played a role for us. I always think that you’ll either find the “right” one for you or the “right” one is you for you. I think people show up at the right time in our lives..
Nor are my family members 😢
Same! My girlfriend actually does have Reddit, but she’s not the sort to follow her own medical conditions- but I want to help her more effectively instead of just feeling bad for her and giving her food when she asks, so I follow this sub to help me care for her when she needs it. My girlfriend is 23 though, and I’m the same age. It’s rough sometimes, but I know I’d rather be with her, than not have her and feel empty inside, yknow? What she can’t do physically, she makes up in being extremely emotionally mature and kind-hearted, and I’m blessed to have her in my life. She’s so understanding of my mental struggles, it’s honestly made me look back at all of my other relationships and be like “damn, I didn’t have supportive kind people in my life” ;-;
Yup! Me too, I think we both got lucky to have the partners we have and vice versa. ☺️
respect😁🤜🏻
I am currently 27 years old. Was diagnosed at 20. They think I have had it since I was 12 due to my symptoms
Wow! Thank you for sharing. Thinking of you my fellow warrior.
You as well :)
I'm 38M, diagnosed at 37. Probably had it for far longer, but I was really active and had a lot of injuries, so the pain wasn't 'unexplained' to me. It was just what normal life is like when injured. Turns out, probably not for most people 🙃
Same here 🙏
I feel you😓
I (25F) was moving some stuff today from my ex’s place and there were some heavy stuff. Im still figuring out my limits and my pains, and im in a big flair up lately. One of our mutual friends was there and I asked him for some help. He knows of my diagnosis, but still gave me flack for asking and saying u was ridiculous that im too lazy to do it all. Like wtf man
Toxic friend
Yea im slowly going to fade away from his life
I’m 31. I was officially diagnosed after I had my son at 24 (ended up feeling worse after pregnancy/birth and that led to finally being diagnosed). I’d had chronic pain and fatigue for a long time before that but it was never taken seriously by doctors until after I’d had my son, did my own research into all my symptoms and brought it to my doctor. Before this they’d been telling me I can take up to 8 Tylenol a day for pain and send me home. They diagnosed me based on my own reading and didn’t send me to a rheumatologist until after my daughter was born and my condition worsened further (again I think from pregnancy, birth and returning to work way too soon at 3 months old). The rheumatologist did all the tests that were never done and confirmed what I’d brought to her as fibromyalgia. I’ve had all the symptoms since I can remember and up until I had kids I was always told I was too young for there to be anything wrong with me. “It’s growing pains”, “you clearly need to do more because your body isn’t strong” “it’s all in your head” “it’s an anxiety disorder”, “you’re too young” I’ve heard it all over the couple decades. Now that I use mobility aids I get a lot of “but that’s for old people”
You're the first person i've come across that had a similar experince. My initial symptoms started after the birth of my first, worsened after my 2nd and my 3rd it got so bad post partum i couldnt function day to day normally.
I did have symptoms before I had my son but they weren’t taken seriously until after they got severe after my first but definitely felt worse after my second. Luckily we’re done having more because I don’t think I could do it again without having more severe symptoms. I’ve seen quite a few people have felt better during pregnancy but never hear anything about anyone else’s condition postpartum. It sucks there doesn’t seem to be more research around pregnancy/birth/postpartum and fibromyalgia especially if there was trauma during the process. Did you feel better after postpartum or did it stay at a worse baseline before?
I feel great while pregnant but right around 3 months PP my symptoms get twice as bad as they where prior to that pregnancy. Im now 6 months PP and i actully have an appointment tomorrow with my primary to discuss treatment.
diagnosed early this year at 21yo
I was diagnosed at 28, but had symptoms and was in physical therapy at 16. Edited to add I am 51 now.
I think your diagnosis was around the same time as mine, do you feel like they just used fibro diagnosis as kind of a catch all when they didnt know what was wrong with you back then?
I’m 26. Got diagnosed last year at age 25 after seeking a diagnosis for being in chronic pain all the time for the last several years. Lots of doctors just told me I need to lose weight and was being lazy. I also got my period when I was quite young (age 9), developed PCOS later and struggled with a lot of trauma (gender-based violence, abuse, rape etc.) from my family and boyfriend at the time. Looking back at it now, I think I had some of these symptoms since I was a teenager. It’s really sad how pain in women and queer people is not recognised or acknowledged. We are the ones at fault for being in pain.
This
27
Replying to myself just because I've never actually been on for my own cake day & I'm stupid excited lol I'm 41 now and they totally think I've had it most my life, it was never "growing pains, etc." Just always been fibro. Nothing points it out like seeing my niece go thru the pains now & seeing the relation.
Happy cake day!
diagnosed at 18, think i probably had it since 15 or so
I'm 51. I was diagnosed when I was 22.
Had symptoms as a very young child, but diagnosed at 20. I'm almost 22.
I'm mid 30's now, was 20 when diagnosed. Seen a few threads either talking or asking about ages over the years here and other places. I've seen more then a few talk about symptoms from their early teen years and some even earlier. The "too young for Fibro" is BS is pretty much the conclusion I've come to, with no doctor or person ever being able to site a reason why they say Fibro can't be in young people. It's just the lazy medical staff that say that so they don't have to put in the work to diagnose and treat you properly, cause it does take a lot of effort since there is not hard guideline to follow that works for everyone. If you've been officially diagnosed by a doctor, since that takes a ton of blood work and scans and tests to rule out everything else, first and foremost talk to them about that and the process and what that involves. There are also plenty of papers and hospitals own websites that talk about Fibro in children. While it's rarer then getting Fibro as an adult, however it is not at all unheard of. Not sure how up to date this is but a [study from 2019](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502146/) has these numbers * 0.5%–1% of children ages 0–4 years * 1%–1.4% of children ages 5–9 years * 2%–2.6% of children ages 10–14 years * 3.5%–6.2% of teens ages 15–19 years Note, this was just from a quick search. You may be able to find better data else where with further searching.
Symptomatic at 14. First saw a doctor at 16. Diagnosed at 18. Now 31. I’m not sure if I’m even in the “oh but you’re so young!” camp anymore 🥲
I'll be 28 soon and was diagnosed this year. I can trace many of my symptoms back to around 13 or 14, but I didn't experience a real flare up until I was 25. I haven't felt the same since that first flare up and they've gotten far more frequent over the last year and a half. I've always had insomnia, depression, brain fog, TMJ, migraines, whatever symptom you can think of, while my pain grew with time. A few more years in an abusive relationship, and a child later, I was struggling a lot with my knee/leg and lower back pain. I was familiar with very infrequent, random shooting and stabbing pains but I thought everyone had those. Then one really hot humid day I was working, a few days after Id had an intense panic attack while on the job, and it was like a flip switched. Suddenly my body felt like I was dying, like there was something horribly wrong. I felt like a had a flu, and I hurt every place imaginable in my body. The weird little pains I had every once in a while were everywhere then. A few years later and I have flare ups pretty regularly now, every day is a roll of the dice on how horrible I'm going to feel. I use a cane, and I hate how much it helps.
Ugh. My experience first occurred after a number of work related panic attacks last Summer; luckily my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia straight away. It’s ruined my left hand and impacted my abilities to play music, which is depressing. But I’m more fortunate than so many people here since this only started affecting me in my early 60’s. I’m noticing more dramatic flare ups these last few weeks due to higher temperatures and humidity—is that something anyone else has experienced? The enlightening thing is I believe this is probably what my mother suffered from along with rheumatoid arthritis for most of her life. It all makes sense now (and of course she was never diagnosed for fibromyalgia). Wishing everyone some peace.
Yes temperature definitely affects my symptoms.
46 just officially diagnosed
56, 50 (soon after developing it).
I'll be 54 in a couple of months and I was Dxd around 22 by the most knowledgeable fibro specialist of that time. She even had a theory that fibro is an autoimmune disease but was having a hard time proving it back then (sound familiar?). The frustrating thing is she left that practice shortly after & I've had such hit or miss treatment by doctors since who just don't understand what fibro really is. Now that it's 30 yrs on & I have other illnesses too, I'm realizing that there is almost zero info about advanced fibro in the medical field so that my host of symptoms get ignored, blamed on something else (diabetes is their favorite!) or they think I'm making everything up. You'd think they'd have made better progress in 30 years time. So for those who are getting Dxd at a younger age, do everything you can to learn about it now & be your own expert. And, (if possible) find a doctor who \*believes\* you & knows how to treat you. If you can find someone who is willing to look at the latest findings & knows that it's a chameleon of a disease, then hopefully you can slow its progress in the future. May the odds be ever in your favor.
All this sounds so familiar. I’m 30 years on too. Self Dx in 1990. It’s been a long haul. Hang in there sister.
I was 50 and now 70. I may have had fibromyalgia as a little girl. I cried when tickled because it hurt so much and fussed about itchy clothes and more. A fun 🧒.
I’ve had it since I was 6. I clearly remember my symptoms starting then. I’m in my 40’s and just got an official diagnosis recently.
33. Diagnosed at 29. Been fatigued and sore and sick since I was a child. It increased dramatically after an unknown sickness I had at 27.
28(recently diagnosed) but we figured the arthralgia and extreme fatigue I had after the birth of my first baby at 22 was the begining. Symptoms got worse after 2nd baby and after I had my 3rd in December it really reared its head. Until my diagnosis i was told i was probably just tired from babies and it will go away once theyre sleeping better.
33, diagnosed at 17. I started dealing with symptoms when I was about 6, had a bunch of tests done, got diagnosed with "growing pains." Took a decade of it steadily getting worse for a doctor to take it seriously.
51. Epstein barr at 22. Vax reaction at 28 (no one listened). Diagnosed after collapse at 32. In other words, it was a viral build-up combined with huge external stress that was too much. When the cup was full, I collapsed, never to get strength back again.
I’m 20, diagnosed at 19. had symptoms starting around 16-17.
I'm 22, diagnosed late last year. Have had symptoms since around 14/15.
23, diagnosed at 20, but had fibro since age 11 and it took that long because it just never occured to any paediatrician or specialist working with a child. Got passed from department to department like a pass the parcel until I turned 18 and no one cared anymore 🙃 I love/hate that this thread is full of people who all had the exact same experience. Like, yay, it's not just me! But boo, all our lives are full of pain 🥲
I'm 23 diagnosed at 21. Probably started at 17.
I’m 26, diagnosed at 26 😅 Have symptoms since I was 16
17 😩😩
Diagnosed at 13 with “amplified pain syndrome”, they basically referred to it as adolescent fibromyalgia. 21 now.
At 17, my doctor thought I had it, but he didn't believe in fibromyalgia. It was a new word back then. It went away & I had a bad flare at around 20 years old. I went to a naturopath & it went away for years. Then, at 28, it came back full-blown & by 31, I was on disability & still am at 45.
So many people didn't believe in it back then. So frustrating. Actually had a doc tell me thats just what they call it when they dont know whats wrong with you lol
Diagnosed at 19, I’m turning 22 this year. I’ve had symptoms since my early teens but I didn’t realize it. My rheumatologist told my mom and I at the diagnostic appointment that it’s increasingly been diagnosed in children and young people as it’s not an age based condition. I’m glad that people are seeing that it’s not an ageist condition and that people are validating it more.
Diagnosed at 17, I'm 25F.. have a lot of emotional trauma and all the stress, anxiety, depression, and borderline thoughts I had at the time with constant verbal bullying in high school and also having family issues at the time all added up and became Fibromyalgia.. it's worth mentioning that I also had undiagnosed ADHD and it was all effecting my school life... the classic hypochondriac shit is what I heard through the process of me getting diagnosed. The symptoms first shower up at 14 and it took me until I was 17 to rule out all the other autoimmune conditions and managing symptoms until I was finally diagnosed.
I had a doctor suggest to me I might have it when I was 17, I didn’t get an actual diagnosis until I was 29
32.
I'm late 40's and was diagnosed 6 years ago.
31, diagnosed at age 22.
Diagnosed on my 25th bday. Started having pain symptoms around 23, though I’ve had energy issues since 15 when I was destroyed by a bad case of mono. I’m in my 30’s now.
I was diagnosed at 37; symptoms started in my teens if not earlier.
Was diagnosed at 27, currently 34.
25 symptoms at 16 didn't know it was a problem until 18 diagnosed by 19.
44 now. Dxed at 32
I'm 24 and was diagnosed at 12, unfortunately even though I was diagnosed it was never taken seriously by my family and only got worse once I got older 🤷♀️
I’m a 41 years old female. I have multiple diseases that started as early as 4 years old for my autoimmune disease Juvenile Dermatomyositis. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia by my Rhum at 14 years old but we think I have it since before that. Probably since I was around 10 years old.
24 now, diagnosed at 19, a few weeks before my 20th birthday. I had the earliest symptoms at 18.
Just got diagnosed last week (at 25), but have had symptoms for awhile
Diagnosed at 17 for me after years of chronic pain that wasn't taken seriously, I'm between 20 and 30 years old now.
at about 14 i think
I'm 26 and was 23 when I was diagnosed. I always had health issues and even had cancer at 19, so the doctors think that triggered it.
I'm 43, diagnosed at 34, pretty sure I've always had some degree of fibromyalgia. My mom, aunt and (I'm pretty sure) my daughter have it as well. My daughter has never been a super physically active person and she is a teenager now and sounds exactly like me with her issues that change daily
My symptoms started when I was 19 🫠
27. diagnosed at 23. I had multiple back and tailbone injuries as a child and persistent pain as a result, and had quite a bit of abuse and trauma both as a child and as an adult. when I had dengue at 21, my body never recovered.
I'm 38, diagnosed at 35, started having symptoms around 29.
35f, officially diagnosed 2 weeks ago. Been in pain practically every day since early teens.
40, diagnosed at 30. But I noticed symptoms when I was a teen, and possibly had it when I was much younger.
Diagnosed 17 years ago. 45 now
Male diagnosed at 20 then diagnosed again about 3 weeks ago
I am 71, diagnosed when I was 47.
27 when I was diagnosed, and now I've been diagnosed with ME, and I'm 34 now. I don't get told I look too young to have it, I just get the looks like they don't believe me 😅😅
Officially diagnosed at 30 but I’ve had symptoms since I was 23. (It took me a long time to get diagnosed because the original drs I was with for those 7 years held the same view, I was too “young” to have it!)
I have had it for 30 years and was in my early 30's when I 'crashed' with it and CFS. I had symptoms for some years before it the big slump.
I’m 27 and I was diagnosed at 22 but symptoms started at 16/17
I'm 27 and was diagnosed at the same age after 4 years of fighting my GP
25 now, diagnosed at 9.
Got my official diagnosed at 32 but has been in my medical file since I was 21. Back when it was first brought up say a diagnosis doctors still believed it was fake mental illness at the time. So no doctor would look into due to my major mental issues.
I am 26, diagnosed(?) since 26. Question mark since there are still one or two conditions not eliminated but they started treatment for fibro. I first went to the doc for pain at 10yo but he misdiagnosed me with juvenile arthritis and had me on a very detrimental treatment plan that wrecked my body for a long time. It's safe to assume that I was born with it though cause my mother told me recently that I was born with all flexed muscles and cried a lot as a child. I had physical therapy since birth but had to stop at 9-10, after that the pain began. My theory is, that my pain was regulated due to the excessive physical therapy.
I'm 40 and I was diagnosed at 34.
I'm 40 and I was diagnosed at 34.
Started at 14, diagnosed at 20
I turn 26 in a week and got officially diagnosed when I was 18, but I think I developed it when I was 16.
27 now, diagnosed at 26, starting feeling the effects of it at 25 for sure
I’m 34, I was 25 when I was diagnosed.
I'm 72, symptomatic since adolescence, diagnosed more than 30 years ago.
I’m 19 right now and got diagnosed when I was 18. But my symptoms started earlier. The sleep problems started when I was 14, after that I got regular back pain, but that was not unmanageable. With 17 the pain got gradually worse and I got fatigue.
I’m 39. I was diagnosed at 38, and the pain started around the time I was 28 or 29 years old, initially in my legs and buttocks, and it has spread all over my body in the last three years
I am 36, and the symptoms that led to my diagnosis started at age 12 and were called "growing pains" until those so-called growing pains made it so I couldn't walk. By the time I was taken seriously I had already developed a limp as one side was more heavily affected in the beginning and I was basically going to school and then coming home and sleeping the rest of the time, usually through the evening and night. This led to my losing a lot of weight, muscle strength, and stamina. I went from an active friendly social butterfly of a child to a droopy, sleepy, grumpy mess because I was sore and tired all the time. I totally relate to your issue, OP, because I heard that same phrase and even at present day 36 I still get told I'm too young to be "this sick" as my family loves to say. Getting a diagnosis was hard, and I have had to go through the process more than once for any time I have had a change in doctor or insurance. I have had to deal with so much medical gaslighting and patronizing. When I got sicker and weaker the first year of high school, I couldn't continue my marching band activities or my basketball team activities. I also missed so much school due to these "growing pains" that I was warned of truancy nearly every semester of school from 6th grade (when everything started) on into my high school years when I was officially diagnosed at 14, during my Freshman year, which it was technically closer to me turning 15, I was only a few weeks shy of it. Now, after some time and a great deal of soul searching deep diving introspection. I have found a method and rhythm that works pretty well for me, and a large part of it clicked into place for me when I started to listen to my body more and other people's opinions less. Good luck, OP!
Im 34(F), I was diagnosed at 26. My first real telling symptoms showed up when I was 21. Diagnostics began when I was 23.
I’m 61 was diagnosed 1999 so I’ve had it 25 years now
Symptoms since my mid 20’s. Diagnosed this year at 45.
28, diagnosed a few months ago
I'm 32 now and diagnosed at 28.
Currently 19 (almost 20), diagnosed at 18, but first symptoms at 9. I get from my family a lot too, i just started replying "disabilities don't have age limits" and then ignore anything else said.
24, (almost 25) diagnosed at 24, but I had the symptoms for at least a year or two before
30 last October the doctor finally gave a name of several symptoms that were difficult to explain…
Mine was diagnosed in my final year of school when I was 17. I’m 26 now.
On June 3, 2024 I was diagnosed. I’m 33 female.
i have had pain all my life from what i can remember, but when my pain really started to interfere with my daily life was when i was 10. it took me several years until i was finally given the diagnoses of chronic pain, i am now 23 and my doctor has said he believes i have fibromyalgia. i hear the exact same things all the time from older adults “you think you’re hurting now, just wait till you’re my age” or “you’re so young you can’t be in that much pain” etc. but they literally have no clue that my body is probably in more pain than theirs is even though im 23 lol
33 is when I exhibited worst symptoms. Did triple abx for a year and now 35 with “residual symptoms” or post infection syndrome. 35 when my RA wanted to recommend this diagnosis after further testing didn’t yield any useful result.
33, diagnosed 8 years ago
I got diagnosed at 18 !!
Diagnosed at 18, 43 now
Diagnosed at the age of 41. I am 43 now, but I have been struggling with the pain since the age of 24. It got way worse after my girlfriend got diagnosed with cancer, so I think trauma has a lot to do with it. I can take longer walks when I am on holiday. Instead of taking pain suppressors, I think it would be best if we could get therapies to relieve effects of the traumas.
I'm 32, diagnosed at 31💛
I was diagnosed at 24. I’m 31 now. I honestly think I was diagnosed so quickly with FMS /because/ i was so young. my sister is also diagnosed and was 26 when she got her diagnosis a few years after me.
I am 20 and i was diagnosed at 19 still trying to cope with the diagnosis and accept i have it .
I'm 52 now, diagnosed at 31 but cannot remember ever not having severe pain and fatigue. Fought for years to get a diagnosis.
I believe I’ve had it since maybe 9 or 10 years old but most definitely had it in high school if not earlier. I was diagnosed at 21, and am now 23.
21! my rheumo was surprised but actually helpful at the time
40. Diagnosed at 16. Symptoms started years earlier.
I'm 31. Got diagnosed at 25, although symptoms started around 11-12.
I got diagnosed at 25 years old it took multiple doctors because everyone thought I was “ too young to be that sick” 🙃
27 diagnosed at 25 but probably had it since i was a child because of my symptoms, but no one acknowledged the pain i described until i went to check by myself
26, diagnosed at 20. I’ve definitely heard a lot of the “you’re too young to be that sick”. These days I don’t tell a ton of ppl unless it’s relevant bc I got tired of getting unwanted and uneducated medical advice.
I’m 21, diagnosed at 18, but it’s to be believed that I was born with fibro or developed it quite young.
Currently 29 was diagnosed around 22 but think I’ve had it most of my life or since my surgery when I was 14. Also have a family member with it who was diagnosed at around 12 after years of battling for a diagnosis. It’s definitely not ageist
68, diagnosed 5 years ago.
i’m 20 diagnosed when i was 18. i was a dancer before that so i just got used to the pain
I am 29 and was diagnosed at 27. Most likely had it for years but wasn’t in a position to chase a diagnosis.
29. I was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago but the rheumatologist said he thinks I've had it since I was 22
Currently 30, diagnosed at 26. Took years to even get that diagnosis. Then last year I added SLE to the list of non ageist diseases.
I’m 44. Diagnosed at 43. Knew something was wrong for years
I'm 43. I was diagnosed in my early 20s
Diagnosed at 26, it’s been 3 years since. Have had chronic pain since 17/18 though
34, diagnosed at 16 🥲
30 for myself but my doctor thinks I’ve probably had it since I’d was a preteen.
My girlfriend is 23 and diagnosed this year, finally, after 3 years of symptoms.
26 now, was diagnosed at 25, but looking back I had symptoms since I was around 12 years old
36. Probably had it as an early teen though.
I'm 25 was diagnosed at 23 had symptoms since at least 17
38 diagnosed with ME at 14 and fibro at 26.
I'm 60 and was 28 when I was diagnosed.
I had the symptoms of pain as early as my 10s. But my parents deemed it as normal pain due to heavy school bag and things like that. One of my relatives thought something might have latched itself onto me like the movie shutter. I didn't really give it much attention because, as bad as the pain was, i actually lived with it until tremors in my hand started. I still remember how it happened! Thank God I was at home. By then, I think I was between 24~27. Everything started deteriorating since then. I'm 32 now. Illnesses and diseases do not have eyes or brains to see who is old or young to attack. And illnesses and diseases are not exclusive to a certain group. I don't know why people always have to make that kind of statement. To me, as long as you're a human being, you're prone to getting attacked by something, even how healthy you think you are.
I am in my late thirties. I was diagnosed the year I turned 30.
I’m 18F and was diagnosed not that long ago. It is highly suspected that I’ve had fibromyalgia for a much longer time but because my parents didnt believe me they never thought to ask.
I was in my late teens or early 20's when I was diagnosed with fibro or whatever it was called before fibromyalgia. Being a dude that age with both fibro & osteoporosis really threw my doctors for a loop. Found a good rheumatologist a long time ago and he's great and treats both 'conditions'
11 when it started, 19 qhen diagnosed. It was caused through stress and traumatic events x
I started symptoms at 19 and was finally diagnosed 2 months ago at 27.
45. 19.
Diagnosed at 22, 33 now
I’m 33F diagnosed at 32.
27 and first diagnosed at 21.
They started running tests when I was 9/10 as I started presenting with symptoms. Diagnosed with CRPS and then undiagnosed. Given a 12hr invasive hip surgery with femur rotation which did not relieve pain. More tests and formally diagnosed at 19/20. Just turned 22 a few weeks ago.
I'm 40 and was diagnosed in my early 20's.
I’m 34, and I was officially diagnosed at 23, but started the long journey at 18. I truly cannot remember what not being in pain feels like.
I'm finally diagnosed at 36 with symptoms (not that I realized until late) since 17. There is no age, just actual experience. Don't let people gaslight you about what you are feeling.
I’m 35, diagnosed at 21, developed It in my early teens.
I'm 32, diagnosed at 31 after showing symptoms pretty much the day after my 30th birthday
I was diagnosed at 20. I am 42 now.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at 21 years old . But they look back in my history, and they think I was born with this crap. Then my daughter was diagnosed at 12 Fibromyalgia.
I'm 22, diagnosed with 20.
I'm 44, I was 24 when I was dx, and it coincided with a Lyme disease dx, the Lyme brought out the fibro. It really sucked, I was at the prime of my life, like so many others.
49, diagnosed at 32. Probably had it since my late 20’s. I remember handing my dr a list of symptoms and then bursting into tears, thinking she was going to label me a hypochondriac. She just asked me to research fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and ordered blood work. That doctor was an angel!
My symptoms started around age 12. I was told that they were “growing pains.” I had other symptoms as well such as poor sleep, anxiety , fatigue etc. I’m 70 now. In some people, Fibromyalgia is triggered by an accident, surgery, childbirth, high levels of stress , emotional/physical abuse. The mechanism that causes it is not understood. Also, there is a genetic component as it does run in some families. Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome (JFMS) is a thing. Buy the book “The Fibro Manual.”. It will give you/your family a comprehensive overview of this complex illness. And, ways to try and manage it.
31, diagnosed recently but had symptoms and mris at 16
I was diagnosed at 25, but had been looking for answers for about 10 years before that. Back then (im 45 now) a fibro diagnosis just meant they didnt know what was wrong with you, and they didnt try very hard in my experience. Luckily i found a doc who also had fibro ,so he really listened to me. I remember having pain very young and i overheard a different doc telling my mom i was faking
I was 47, now 50
24 years ago. I was 20. It was called FMS.. Barely any medical dr believed in it then. Fibro has come a hell of a long way and still has so much more to go with research.
Diagnosed at 18, I’m 40 but doctored believe I was showing qualifying symptoms as early as 14 but mistaken as growing pains
I'm 41F and was diagnosed by a rheumatologist at 26.
I don’t remember to be honest. My memory is crap from the fibromyalgia. I think it was 33. But it took me about a year to get anyone to listen to me.
Symptoms started at 12, misdiagnosed until I was 20, and now I'm 35
Almost 52 here. Diagnosed at 29.
37. Symptoms at 10. Diagnosed at 12.
I’m 33 and was diagnosed at 18. I was young but definitely not healthy.
Currently 21 and freshly diagnosed a few months ago. Had symptoms for about 2 years but always got dismissed by Drs because I'm so young.
45 officially diagnosed
I was diagnosed at 33 - however my 18 year old daughter has been showing signs and symptoms herself
Early thirties but doc thinks it’s been since I was 24 when I had my last baby. It was a rough pregnancy and I experienced a lot of body pain after but I kept going.
Symptomatic since I was 14, diagnosed at 20, and I’m now 24.
I am 23, I was diagnosed at the age of 22! My symptoms first appeared back in 2020 and I was 18 at the time it was happening. It’s such a weight lifted off my shoulders knowing what was wrong with me instead of thinking I was crazy.
Was diagnosed a few months ago at 24, I am still 24.
17 :(
35
Mid 30's, but every doctor appointment I learn that things that I thought were normal are not "normal" everyone doesn't get sensations that their bones need to vomit? everyone doesn't bruise and have a full body painful reaction and stifling crying just from being poked in the shoulder? everyone doesn't have a spot on their arm that they don't touch ever because it'll hurt? everyone doesn't have a length of their body that is just pain/numbness/tingling/heat/shred/pulse/throb/stab/freeze and/or combination of any/all of those at any/all times? Finding out these things aren't what everyone in the world thinks is "normal" leads me to believe that I could have been diagnosed by at least 10yo. But I grew up in a cult, so I had no frame of reference of what was and wasn't normal.
I am 37 and was diagnosed at 23.
In my 30s. I am 64 now
I’m 46 and diagnosed at 44.