Men With Fibromyalgia

If you are a man suffering from fibromyalgia, you may be having trouble dealing with your illness. This is because fibromyalgia syndrome is typically thought of as a woman's disease, and men with the illness are often overlooked. Men sometimes don't receive the same fibromyalgia treatment or emotional support that women do, and many men may even have trouble getting diagnosed properly. If you are a man dealing with the rigors of fibromyalgia,it is important know that you are not alone.

A Woman's Disorder?
Fibromyalgia is often thought of as a female affliction, by doctors and sufferers alike. This is because the large majority of fibromyalgia patients tend to be women between the ages of 20 and 40; in fact, it is believed that as many as 80% of fibromyalgia patients are actually women. While it is thus understandable that fibromyalgia is considered a "woman's" disorder, it does affect a large proportion of men too.

How Many Men Have Fibromyalgia?
Recent research suggests that 1 in 8 fibromyalgia patients is male. However, it is difficult to know if this number is truly an accurate reflection of the real number of male sufferers of the disorder. Because it is so often thought of as a woman's illness, many men suffering from fibromyalgia actually don't get diagnosed with the syndrome. As a result, a large number of male sufferers may go unreported. It is thought that the number of men suffering from fibromyalgia could in fact, be closer to 30%.

 

Differences in Male Fibromyalgia Sufferers

Though many men do suffer from fibromyalgia syndrome, the experience of men with the illness is very different from that of its female sufferers. There are actually a number of differences in male fibromyalgia symptoms, treatment, and testing.

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia in Men
Symptoms of fibromyalgia are widespread, and vary from person to person. Some sufferers are more affected by widespread pain, while others find that persistent fatigue is the worst symptom. Symptoms in men are very tend to be quite different when compare to the symptoms suffered by women. Most research illustrates that men actually experience milder symptoms than women, and also experience less:

 

 

Male symptoms also tend to last for shorter periods of time and occur less often than those appearing in female patients. However, a recent study shows that male symptoms may actually be more severe than those experienced by women. Under-reporting or misreporting of symptoms may affect the general understanding of fibromyalgia symptoms in men.

Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia in Men
Diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome also tends to be different in male sufferers. Male sufferers are often reluctant to admit to severe pain or discomfort, and as a result, may report milder symptoms then they acutally have. This can make it difficult for your health care provider to accurately diagnoseyour fibromyalgia. Some health care providers are also convinced that fibromyalgia affects only women, refusing to diagnose men who display symptoms of the disorder, with fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia Treatment For Men
Because of societal expectations and gender roles, many men don't receive helpful fibromyalgia treatments. Men are often forced by society to deal with their pain quietly, and as a result many men don't ask their health care providers for fibromyalgia medications. Men who experience pain are often seen as less "manly" and therefore many men don't seek active treatments for their fibromyalgia.

 

Staying Positive

If you are a man suffering from fibromyalgia, it can be difficult to stay positive and deal with your syndrome. Here are a few things that you can do to help deal with your fibromyalgia symptoms and get the treatment you deserve.

Keep Track of Your Symptoms:
Make a list of all the symptoms you are suffering from and how they are affecting your daily life. Bring this list to your health care provider to show him just how much your fibromyalgia is impacting you. This can help you to get a proper diagnosis and more effective treatments.

Join a Support Group:
Dealing with fibromyalgia on your own is very difficult. Everyone needs a little support now and again, especially if your are suffering from a chronic illness. Just because you are a man, it doesn't mean that you have to suffer alone. You deserve quality support like anyone else. There are many support groups designed just for men suffering from fibromyalgia. Or you can join a group of both female and male sufferers. Contact your health care provider or local fibromyalgia society for more information.

Set Realistic Goals:
Society often dictates that men set extremely challenging goals for themselves. Men are often expected to care single-handedly for their partner, children, parents, and friends. This doesn't leave much time for taking care of yourself. Try to set small, attainable goals that will leave you feeling satisfied but not burned out.