wait, the rheumy told you this? i would have been pissed. i know my doc said exercise as much as you can and of couse sleep and then pain pills to get you through the days you can't do either. DUH!!!!

my friend was telling me today that i needed to see the doc again. i'm like what for? my friends on the forum know more than the docs know. uggggggggg

Awww, blue....sorry about all that. We all know how wrong sub-doc is....if only it were that easy!

Sending you big HUGS and hoping you feel better quick!!! :)

I got that same kind of treatment from my doctor's receptionist! I've known my doc and have been his patient for 32 years. The receptionist knows me for that long too and when she saw me with a shaved head [cant lift my arms to wash my hair or style it], walking with a cane and in tears, she told me to lose weight and Id be fine and not so "depressed". I nearly smacked her! She had the nerve to tell the doctor this too. He asked her to leave the office. I was happy about that. He didnt blame my weight for any of my symptoms and didnt belittle me or my symptoms.

I find more and more that it's becoming increasingly difficult to find doctors like him.

Oh Momma Blue, I could write a list of how many times I have heard this also. Not from my doctor, thank goodness. But from family and friends. Each time it just makes me want to puke or smack someone.

I have no answer to your vent, but just wanted to let you know that I understand.

Vent away

yep, yep... bunch o' crap

always talking about what we, the patient, should do. what about what the drs. should do? like sufficient pain relief help and good drugs for sleep and more emphatheic interviews when we're in the office. and backing the president's health plan so that more money can go into research of women's illnesses.and educating themselves about fibro...the dopes!

WTF kind of substitute rheumy did you have?I was under the assumption they knew all about fibro.That doctor sounds like a flipping moron.Did you argue any of this with him?I would've.More exercise and sleep huh?If that were the case none of us would be here.

yeah basically i'm never seeing a sub doc ever again!! next time if they tell me i'm getting another sub, i'm turning right around and walking out. NO THANKS! ....morons.

i agree, it seems we know more about this shit than docs do these days. the rheumy i saw (MY doc) was pretty cool last 2 times! and she told me that if i didn't like cymbalta then i could chose from many other meds which one i would like to try. she was very sympathetic and understanding that not every med works the same for people. i want HER back! f*ck that sub-doc! he's just an ignorant asshole. i feel like i wasted i huge chunk of my time when i could have been doing other things.

btw.... i DID have another MRI taken since i haven't had one in 2 years. got the results yesterday over the phone and it basically said that there isn't much change from the last one. i still have bulging discs and a herniated disc but it may be just a tid bit more herniated. i'll have to look at the results my self later. my PCM said it isn't anything that should be causing more pain, though.

thanks for being there for me, everyone! you all rock! sorry you guys all have had this experience too.... i guess it comes with the territory (of fibro).... pretty sad. i can't wait for them to find the ultimate evidence about this shit to prove all those dumb docs wrong. then i could take it and slap em in the face with it!

Blue hun, I'm sorry this happened.

I just don't get these docs. What...they can't fix it so they come up with some answer they just pulled out of their @$$!

Common docs! Give us a little credit! Geez! Get educated on it or just refer us out. And the sheer fact that we PAID them for this sort of service is just beyond stupid!

I wish I could get paid for being dumb!!

needinghope, i always thought rheumys were the best knowledgeable at this crap too. i guess you still gotta search well for the right one no matter what "specialist" you see.

i'm gonna stop by there tomorrow since i gotta be in the same building (for neurology) and ask to see my original rheumy.

sometimes its good to get another opinion but in this case not! I had my friend tell that I like being sick and that's why I don't get better! if its not the docs it your friends who turn on you for a minute!

hang in there and see your own doc!!! hugzzz

I'm so sorry you had to see a doc like this ... It is so sad when doctors act like this. Such nonsense. If they truely knew what the pain of FM was like then they would realize that excercise although is important is not as easy as they think for people who have FM nor is getting good rest. Or anyone who deals with chronic pain for that matter just that others who have chronic pain issues that are more visible they show more compassion and understanding too. So if they would concentrate more on their jobs as doctors which is to help their patients get the best pain relief they can so they can get back to doing these things more effectively then maybe we could all have a better life. It is real easy to just say do excercise and get good sleep when your not the one suffering in pain every day ... instead they should be saying lets figure out how to get your pain down so you can excercise and get better rest and feel better.

Do you think maybe the Valerian might be interacting with the cymbalta or a problem ? Like all medications natural ones too have side affects. below is a website that talks about it. A short insert from that website:
Some of the possible side effects of valerian include headaches, morning drowsiness, and vivid dreams. The herbal supplement has also been reported to cause insomnia, excitability, and uneasiness when it was used for several months. You should seek immediate medical attention if you develop more serious side effects, such as signs of liver damage or allergic reactions.
http://insomnia.emedtv.com/valerian/valerian-side-effects.html

I do believe that IBS and migraines are seperate conditions from Fibro. Not everyone who has fibro has IBS or migraines but it is common to have both fibro and these conditions along with a host of others such as TMJ , thyroid, sleep apnea etc.

Both my rheumy doctors specialized in FM but figured the name rheumatologist meant they were all informed with the same info but beginning to wonder.

I do think excercise is important but feel it is equally important that they are not over done and start slow and build up listening to your body. My own fear is if I do not use my muscles eventually they will get weaker and weaker and someday not be able to move at all. I think what most of us have learned is pacing is really important. I do my own cleaning but just takes me allot longer, because have to do a little at a time and take frequent breaks... and have some days where no matter how bad I want to get something done can not.

I sure do not understand a doc who tells someone they are going to stay on a medication that they are telling them is causing them problems ... that is crazy. Hope you get into see your own doctor very soon. Again so sorry you had to go through this appt. that was a total waste of your time and was of no value.

Take care gentle hugs

It pisses me off to no end when the medical community assumes that we are ok !!!!! " JUST EXERCISE and SLEEP IS ALL YOU NEED " !!!!!!

yes, a neurologist should be taking on fibromyalgia. It is a central nervous system, rheumatoid type of disorder. It is a "syndrome" and the many different illnesses that go with it are astounding. Conjunctivitis, IBS, itchy skin/rashes, chronic fatigue, sore throats, chest pain/breathing disorders, sleep apnea, insomnia, muscle pain/spasms, headaches, earaches, dizziness, balance issues, depression, brain fog, nausea, shooting, burning or numbing nerve pain, visual disturbances, vaginal pain with sex, earaches, short-term memory difficulties, feeling one leg is shorter than the other when walking, etc. I have all these symptoms. No one told me they were all part of this fibro. I had to piece this all together with what was happening and lots of research to educate myself about this illness. I am now learning how to live with fibro and things to do to help alleviate these things in as natural a way as possible because drugs only seem to harm me.

Oh, I forgot to mention, yes exercise (gentle), aquacize is good, learning not to push yourself to your limits, keeping stress at bay as much as possible, supportive people, accepting that you have fibro and findig ways to live with it and help reduce the negative aspects of it will help. Some people have it very mildly, mediocre, severe. Find natural ways to deal with it if possible. Each of the symptoms have natural ways to deal with them. For example: if you have the conjunctivitis use a fairly hot, wet facecloth over your eyes 2 or 3 times a day. If you have the oxygen (breathing) deficit you can relax, sit straight, breath slowly and deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth for 5 min. a few times a day. Oxygen therapy is also an option. I hope I have been helpful.