Wishing U luck for a good doc. appt. tomorrow. Prayers that your doc. hears and will be helpful for whatever will help.

take care gentle hugs

Aw, good luck sweetie, I will say prayers for the visit to go well and for you to get the help you need. Let us know how it goes. Hugs :)

healing prayers & angels to watch & guide your doc appointment
let "US" know asap when you get back!
oxo paula

What I told my doctor was "I don't need narcotics...I need pain relief. If that's in the form of Motrin and that works, great. If not, I then need something else to get rid of the pain. What I'm taking doesn't work"

I also heard something else that I think I will make into a bumper sticker...lol..."There is no prize for being uncomfortable".

Be sure and tell your doctor that the pain originates in the brain with too much substance "P" ( the substance that makes us feel pain- fibro's have 3 times as much as normal people). Also that when pain is applied to normal people they have two enzymes that increase to block pain..but in Fibromyalgics, those two substances actually decrease!

I advise everyone to get on www.fmnetnews.com and subscribe to Fibromyalgia Network. Not only will they make you aware of all the studies and breakthroughs on fibromyalgia around the world, they will send you a list of fibro doctors in your area. You will receive a quarterly publication that cites all these studies, etc., and you can take copies of the magazine to your doctor's appointments.

Tylenol has no effect on Fibromyalgia since it is not an inflammatory disease. It's just another substance that is hard on your kidneys over time. Your doctor needs to be educated. It's up to you to educate her.

Of course, if you are lucky enough to find a fibro doctor, by all means, go to them for your fibro issues.

The Fibromyalgia Network Magazine is supported by fibromyalgics and their families only. It has nothing to do with Drug Companies or the AMA. So the information you receive is not skewed toward their way of thinking. It's just true information that will help you tremendously.

I recommend that you purchase about two year's worth of back copies to get you up to date. The more you know about your disease, the better you can control the outcome of your doctor's visits.

Good luck,

Mizroze

Update:

I got the "well, this is going to be chronic and you're just going to have to live with it" comment and I realized that she wasn't worth fighting with,

The suggestions she gave me were well enough, but would cost hundreds of dollars a months and I would not be able to work and do them. She also told me I should try not to take the tramadol if I could.

I have actual tissue damage in my knee, that is obviously another problem that she is ignoring as well. I told her walking does make most of my feel better but then my knee swells up and becomes very painful (MRI showed cysts, burstitism arthritic changes and a small tear).

I take Mobic which does make me feel better but it is an anti-inflammatory so it ought to be useless. I saw a different doc who thought the problem might be something else but this one (my primary care physician under the army system) is happy just telling me to live it.

I think she believes it exists, but I don't think she is interested in helping to treat it.

I didn't cry since I had to go teach for ten hours afterwards, but I sure was unhappy.

And of course this morning I feel like if I saw death coming, I wouldn't dodge.

Aw, I'm sorry that it didn't go better for you today. I think it's time to find another doctor. Sadly, there are a lot of doctors out there that just don't want to be involved in anything more than an ear infections, sinus infection, etc.
Perhaps you can ask around and see what kind of feedback you get on other doctors in your area? If not, maybe you want to try a pain management doctor. I wouldn't give up, nor would I settle for the doctor's advice given to you this morning. You need help and you are entitled to it. It's just so frustrating, but you're in a position where you will need to be your own advocate.

Thanks for the update...and I'm still saying prayers ~ Hugs :)

AW, what a lousy experience... If you're like me at all, you pinned a lot on that visit. And you were let down. WHY are you to avoid taking the tramadol? (btw, I found it wasn't helpful, however the one with the acetaminophen added ~ultracet but generic~ does help me.. just take with antihistamine for itching side effects)

I agree you need a new doc. I know that is daunting, but try to find someone new.

I am to try to avoid the tramadol because she "got an email about it saying something to that effect"

I kid you not.

Sometimes I wonder if they have any clue what they sound like.

Just so you are aware, Tramadol (Ultram) is highly addictive...even though some doctors say it isn't. It's a synthetic opiate.

My husband takes it for degenerative disc disease. At one time he couldn't get a refill for a while. When I mentioned that Tramadol was also a treatment for Fibro and that on several sites it said it was a non-addictive medication, he said "Take it for a week, then quit...you'll find out how non-addictive it is". He said it was worse than Vicodin withdrawals.

Just passing along info. If it works, then take it.

Tramadol is "red flagged" for interaction with certain anti-depressants (serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as citalopram) so that may be what she was talking about if you are also taking a SSRI. I take Tramadol but only when the pain is very bad so 30 pills will last me for 3-4 months.

Hugs and good luck. Finding the right doctor can be very tricky. I am on my 2nd rheumatologist and I hope she is a good one - only one visit so it is too soon to tell.