The Signs of Stress: Mt Friend Is Sick With a Muscle Disease. What Are Some Names of Muscle Diseases That She Could Have?
Question by EmmieandHim: Mt friend is sick with a muscle disease. What are some names of muscle diseases that she could have?
My most dear darling best friend has a horrible muscle disease that started in the second grade. Her shoulder muscle completely deteriorated. She is always in pain because her muscles are deteriorating slowly. Also her spine is permanently curved. She does not have scoliosis or muscular dystrophy. Can someone please give me some names of what she might have so I can look it up??
Best answer:
Answer by abelincolnbuff
Greetings. When I first answered your question, we were accidentally signed in under my husband’s profile- and I need to be under my own to work on an answer (he doesn’t like to sign in much). ” Abelincolnbuff ” may be a strange name for a lady (esp. with the pic of Abe), but I admire our 16th pres. very much!
I wanted to change some of the info a little bit, when I remembered the AGE of your friend(sorry) and some other information you gave. I will copy/paste most of the previous answer, but with pertinent changes:
There are many muscle diseases that can affect young people besides muscular dystrophy. Even if your friend’s condition is not inflammatory, the news-letter for the “inflammatory myopathies” may cover most of them, Including: JUVENILE dermatomyositis “D.M.”(I have D.M. + Lupus), JUVENILE polymyositis “P.M.”, inclusion body myositis, A.L.S. and several muscle diseases that I cannot remember the names of. There is a monthly news-letter that only costs about $ 35 per year or less, and I used to get it. Right now, we are dealing with my husband’s cancer, so I do not subscribe.
Your friend really needs support- and I pray she has it! Many of these muscle diseases can be deadly, but most people- even many DOCTORS- do not understand them at times because they can be rare. The several doctors I saw at first thought it was “stress,” and sent me home, but I knew I’d die if nothing was done! So I prayed and looked up the symptoms myself. When I found a “perfect match,” I asked my doc for the first blood-work. BINGO! The muscle biopsy showed D.M. damage, as did all the other tests!! The Rheumatologist said he once had a nurse who died of it within 6 years because she refused to take the medication. I found out later why she refused…
Treatment for the “inflammatory” type of muscle disorders often includes a huge amount of PREDNISONE(a type of steroid), causing”CUSHING’S SYNDROME”:unavoidable Weight gain (a few are lucky), a large “hump” on the back (distribution of weight from cushing’s), mood changes, bone-loss, bone deformity, possible diabetes, possible cataracts and more. Every case is different. Other treatments involve chemotherapy, plasmapheresis(when lupus is involved), IVIg, and antibiotic immune-modulating therapies- among other things,…Treatments are improving every day, I’ve heard.
One reason your friend needs support is that many people (+ doctors) can get life-threatening muscle disease confused with Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue (those conditions being vague and usually not taken seriously by doctors because they are very hard to prove). Conditions like mine(Dermatomyositis + Lupus) can be seen in biopsy, EMGs. and other blood-work. They can KILL people by destroying the muscles used to swallow, breathe, and even the heart- which is a muscle. Mostly, Juvenile D.M. attacks the upper arms/shoulders and upper legs, but as everyone is different- I also had much trouble swallowing (my first symptom), but it spared my ability to speak and even SING! I was a singer most of my life- so I thank God that He somehow protected my singing and speaking ability!
You can be a great friend to her by understanding- and believing- the condition and it’s side-effects without judgment. My tragedy was that my estranged father(because of his new wife) did not look into it seriously and I doubt that he even knew the proper name. He never understood that it was scientifically proven, life-threatening, and totally life-changing for my family. So he walked away from it all thinking I was “lying” or “making much out of nothing”- without ever knowing about the years of chemo, plasmapheresis, steroids, Cushing’s, and unspeakable suffering…We used to be close. If he had truly cared, looked it up or asked me myself- I would have shown him all the proof he needed.
I’d like to help someone else through what I went through. You are to be commended for trying to find the truth and help your friend!
Your friend or her family may be more than happy to tell you the name of the illness she has. Have you considered asking?
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