This is interesting i need some advice! My friend is copycatting my illness..

See now I have some people in my life like your friend how I deal with it I don't tell them if I am sick or feeling bad or anything because I know they are going to come back with something just like what I am feeling or something "bigger" than what I have. I have to be honest that I have made stuff up just to see if they are fakin it, and I have also acted like I was feeling great even though I was sick just to see ow they would act and low and behold they felt great too....interesting. Best wishes to you I have FMS too and today I am not feeling all that great the wet weather here in Oregon does me in but my heat packs sure feel good!....-Amberina

For me I would just accept it. Whether it is true or not just let it be. What would she gain if she copycats your illness? Will it make you better I guess not. I would say that the first poster is right about sympathy pregnancy. I used to have that feeling when my mother had her chemotherapy. Although I did not have chemotherapy I felt totally weak during the days when I saw my mom undergoing thru her sessions. And when she finally gets over the side effects I would also feel better. I think its all in the mind of a person who either is closer to you. So just let it be if she has it too then there's no question about it anymore you two has it.

Since there is nothing really concrete known about the causes of Fibromyalgia, I suppose it is possible that something in a shared environment is affecting you both. I notice more and more people are afflicted with it. About your birthday, she could not face it for some reason, so she made herself sick. There are certain people in my family that seem to "get" whatever is currently popular. I think it is for attention. For my mother, I think it went back to her childhood. Her very ill brother got lots of attention, therefore, being ill was an acceptable way of asking for or seeking out attention. You will not be able to change your friend, but just pretty much keep your symptoms to yourself unless you really like having them mirrored back at you.

Wow, that is really weird. I have not heard of that but I guess that means that you really can make yourself sick.

I don't know if she is coping you on purpose. Sometimes when you are around someone alot you just start feeling like they do. Example: When a wonem gets pregnant a man may sometimes have what they call sympathy pregnancy. That is the only way I know how to explain it. Now on the other hand she may be coping you simple because of the attention. If this is the case maybe she should not be around as much. So that she does not end up geting medical treatment for something she does not have.

I am sorry that your friend is doing this. And it is one of those situations where you want to say something, and if you do and something really is wrong with her, then you will feel like crap. I do understand your frustration though. And being that her husband helps you with certain things, maybe she is a little jealous of the attention. If it gets to be too bothersome, maybe you should try talking to her. Although, I don't know how it would affect your friendship. And yes, there is such a thing as Munchausen (I don't know how to spell it either). That is where they make themselves "sick" for attention. Munchausen by Proxy is where they make someone else "sick" for attention (like when a mother causes her child to be sick). A horrible thing and it is a mental condition. I remember learning about this in school and seeing a bunch of shows about it on TV.

Personally, I can't imagine anyone purposely suffering from this illness. Maybe she really has it. Millions do. Accept her as she is, whatever is going on. Apparently she wants your attention and there is nothing wrong with that. But encourage her to see a doctor, because it might be something else that is even more serious. Lupus, for instance.