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.
Just came back from a very insulting appointment with my rheumy. He said based on my lab work, the plaquinel and tramadol should be all i need for my mixed connective tissue disease (an auto immune disease for those of you who never heard of it). I told him I'm seeing a neurologist this afternoon to see if its fibromyalgia or what it could be that is causing my constant, moving pain, my insomnia and general fatigue.
He told me that fibro is a mental condition that causes psychosomatic symptoms and that maybe I need therapy. OMG I just tried to act nonchalant b/c he is a good rheumy and I don't want to fire him but I know for sure that fibromyalgia is real and that it is not psychologically-based pain that I've been trying to cope with.
I have an appointment w/a neurologist who treats lots of fibromyalgia patients in one hour so I'll let you all know what he thinks after we discuss my symptoms.
I am so disgusted by the smug closed-mindedness of my rheumy but I learned from reading this forum that lots of you have been treated the same way by closed-minded arrogant doctors. Thank you for being here for me to vent to.
He told me that fibro is a mental condition that causes psychosomatic symptoms and that maybe I need therapy. OMG I just tried to act nonchalant b/c he is a good rheumy and I don't want to fire him but I know for sure that fibromyalgia is real and that it is not psychologically-based pain that I've been trying to cope with.
I have an appointment w/a neurologist who treats lots of fibromyalgia patients in one hour so I'll let you all know what he thinks after we discuss my symptoms.
I am so disgusted by the smug closed-mindedness of my rheumy but I learned from reading this forum that lots of you have been treated the same way by closed-minded arrogant doctors. Thank you for being here for me to vent to.
All was still well and good and I continued to go to her until she told me that the reason she didn't think I had fibro was because I didn't complain enough. According to her, all fibro patients do is complain. Then she said that when a fibro patient comes into the office, she (as well as the entire office staff) hold up their hands to each other with their fingers making a cross (like people do to keep vampires away...if you know what I mean). When she said that to me, I walked out and I have never gone back.
What your doctor said was cruel and in-compassionate just like what my doctor said to me. I have since found a very caring doctor who specializes in CFS. I'm glad you are firing her and moving on. You will be glad you did.
You deserve to find someone who will walk this journey with you.
Injury, stress, illness etc...all of these seem to be precursers to fibro.
However, the brain naturally protects itself. When it is bombarded for long periods of time the sensors overload.
I read several different recent articles that focus on neurology, pain or fibro. All seperate topics and studies all with the same conclusion about the brain and the protective mode it goes into and the long term effects each can have.
It is not psycho-sematic it is neurological. I know they are moving it from a rhuematoid issue to neurological. There is still debate on that. Perhaps there are different types of fibro and some are rhuematoid in nature and others neurological.
I guess our weaker immune systems, hormone imbalances, IBS and early onset of oesto is also in our heads!!!!!
Again the doctor is a bonehead.
God Bless Dear Heart, Val
A doctor can choose to be close minded all they want, it doesn't make the disease/disorder go away though.
Just remember, diabetes patients were treated the same way. They were put into the wards with the schizophrenics. Doctors thought they were crazy. Now look at it? It's considered a world wide epidemic!
We are like pioneers. We don't know how the medical communities will treat us until we reach their doorsteps. Good for you for trying to discuss it. Continue to seek a diagnoses. And always remember....
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. It's too bad this good doc is closing his mind to a potential new clientele.
I disagree with the post that all rheumy's are terrible though. I have a new (woman) rheumy that is wonderful, and has changed my life. She's kind, compassionate, understanding, practical; she listens to everything I have to say, respects what I feel about my own body, and is willing to try anything to help me. And she knows more about FM than I do - the first doctor I've met that did. :-)
My former GP (male) treated me for 16 years and was also wonderful. He tried to be up on the latest (although for a family doc that's hard because they have so much to keep up with), always treated me with respect, and never doubted anything I brought to him. If he hadn't retired I'd still be there. He once told me "I wish all my patients tried as hard as you do to have a quality of life". THAT's the doctor you want on your side.
I was petrified to go see him to R/O fibromyalgia. When he saw me, he assessed all the fibro points. I had told him that my pain had gotten worse over the last few months. He replied "you haven't had fibro for months, you've had it for years".
Over the last 10 yrs, he had done a 180 on fibro. I was so relieved that I finally had a explanation of all the symptoms I had been feeling. Now he's the leading expert on fibromyalgia in town.
any doctor specializing in connective tissues should realize that fibromyalgia is not just a symptom, it is also a syndrome of its own. if my rheumatologist that in 1995, and he was practicing in Podunk Pennsylvania, presumably in 2012 this is no longer even be a question.
I agree with all the other ladies is that you need to find a doc who is going to support you and care about you as a person and not a number or science project.
I hope all went well with the neurologist!
~ Lori