Asperger's with Fragile X traits

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I have some of the physical characteristics of Fragile X, including low muscle tone, flat feet, and a double-jointed thumb. I also have problems with attention deficit, cluttered speech, social anxiety, and aggression. I was slow to develop when I was younger, but I mentally improved a lot during middle school and high school. Contrary to the diagnostic criteria for Fragile X, I'm great at math, I have an excellent memory, and I usually score over 130 on IQ tests. Is it possible that I could have some unknown, high-functioning form of Fragile X co-morbid with Asperger's?

Last edited by Mike1 on 27 Jan 2014, 9:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

We're not doctors here...for the most part.

Talk to someone who knows. You're diagnosed with Asperger's, so you have medical people in your life.

Tell them what you see, and ask them.

Best thing we can suggest to you.

My therapist says to me about my suspected autism "If a patient suspects they fall into a certain catagory, often the patient turns out to be right."

Talk to someone, today.

Fragile X depends on the number of repetitions of a certain gene on the X chromosome. If you do have Fragile X traits, and it's not just a coincidence, you're probably one of the people with too few repetitions to have the full syndrome.

But it could be a total coincidence.

oh wow, i just looked it up and i think my uncle has Fragile X syndrome, he looks exactly like it

Actually, premutation carriers don't have mild Fragile X traits - those who have symptoms have a completely different set of symptoms. (Tremors, early menopause, etc.) Once you get above a certain number of repetitions, the gene turns off, and that's what causes Fragile X Syndrome. So a full mutation is non-functional and a permutation is over-functioning - essentially they're molecular opposites.

However, it is possible to just be a high functioning person with Fragile X Syndrome. Although most have below-average IQ, it is still a bell curve. You could simply be at the top of the curve. Or maybe you have mosaic Fragile X, or Fragile X along with XXY (which gives a male the female Fragile X phenotype). Or it could simply be coincidence.

The only way to get a diagnosis of Fragile X is to get genetically tested. A karyotype can detect a full mutation (but not a premutation) or you could get the FMR1 gene sequenced to tell exactly how many repeats you have.

That would make sense. I have some of the symptoms of Klinefelter syndrome, such as lower energy levels, low sex drive, broad hips, and probably less body hair than the average male my age. Luckily, I don't have gynecomastia, but that's only present in a third of the people that have the condition.

I would not suggest that you start diagnosing yourself with these things. These are genetic conditions, and thus can be tested for by a doctor. It's very easy to read about stuff on Wikipedia and start diagnosing yourself with things. It's pretty common- there's even a name- it's called Medical Students' Disease after all the medical students who start noticing symptoms in themselves after learning about different conditions. If you think you may have a genetic disorder, I suggest testing.

I guess so. But if I'm right, it'd probably be better if I didn't get an official diagnosis. It wouldn't really provide me with any benefits, and it would probably make me look bad. My Asperger's diagnosis can provide me with all the benefits I need.

If you have Klinefelter's, you should get diagnosed. It can increase your risk of various health conditions that are more common in women, such as breast cancer. Your doctor may want to do preventative screening of some sort.

I try to avoid going to the doctor for anything. I've had angina for the last 6 years, but I never told him about that. It's only been getting better since about 4 years ago, so I there isn't much point in telling him now. I'm not too concerned about the possibility of any negative side-affects resulting from whatever genetic mutation I may have. A lot of people end up with debilitating conditions at some point in their lives, and it's mostly due to chance. Some people get lucky, others don't. I'm usually lucky, and I'm hoping that it stays that way. I'm probably not even going to get a colonoscopy at some point in my life, even though colon cancer runs in my family. There doesn't seem be much sense in making my life less worth living by worrying about things that'd make my life not worth living. I'm just going to live my life until I end up with one of these conditions, and then die. Hopefully it'll be later rather than sooner, but I'll try to live my life to the fullest until then. Things are going good for me right now, but life is full of highs and lows. My life is worth living today, but there's no guarantee that it'll be worth living tomorrow. I won't know when my demise is coming until it gets here.