Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
Does anyone else have the same issues I have had to face with the medical community? I would estimate that 9 out 10 times I go to the doctor anything that is wrong is contributed to my fibromyalgia. I was told chest Pais were caused y fibromyalgia. Flu like symptoms, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever just from fibromyalgia I am so sick and tired of them using that as a catch all. Now having hiv they have a 2nd dx to blame on. Does anyone else deal with this. If so how do you handle this.
I received my actual dr dx in 1985. Before that, "it was just in my head". I have had some drs tell me that this and that are a part of my fibro. I usually look it up to see if it is a co-symptom. I have had many drs over the years but they have always been within the Kaiser healthcare system.
Fortunately, the drs look at other possibilities for my complaints. I see several different specialists. So now I get the "maybe you should discuss this with so and so" runaround.
How do I deal with this? I take a deep breath and then ask them if something else could be causing this. I have tried to become as knowledgeable about my various conditions as I can.
I was admitted in the ER 4 times with the same symptom, extreme pain in my chest and back. I was monitored for a heart attack, told I didn't have one, that it was just my GERD. On my 5th visit, the dr noticed that I had been there several times with the same complaint. She asked me what my ultrasounds had shown. I told her that no one had ordered an ultrasound. After she looked at the one that she had ordered, she told me that I had gall stones and I was operated on that night. The drs failed to look any further because my chart said that I suffered from GERD.
I understand your frustration. I think it is laziness on the drs part.
Sorry for being so long winded.
gentle hugs
Like above, I do the drill and remind myself it's better safe than dead. I have had so much stuff blamed on my uterus (?!), my GERD (!!!) and so on....And in one memorable case, I had spinal cord damage. Yeah. THey were so busy blaming my uterus they skipped my whole spinal cord.
Persist. Persevere. Vent here. THat's all I've got. Wish I had more.
Oh, and ALWAYS keep copies of your medical records, and a journal of events, so you can show docs patterns. They're good at med school but not necessarily good at thinking sometimes.
(My FIL is an MD. I am in so much trouble if he knows I said that!)