Fibromyalgia Support Group

I had to go to a neurologist yesterday what a big mistake. He told me Im just deeply depressed and there is not such thing as Fibro. Of course i walked out of the office in tears thinking maybe Im just crazy. How do you brush off days like this?

MOME

I'm sorry your dr isn't educated on the fibro issue. The only ? I would have asked the dr is if there is no such thing as fibro then why are there so many people that struggle with this pain? It is evident to me that the dr needs to be educated...maybe the clothespin theory would help?

How to get past it? Tell yourself that you are NOT crazy, it is NOT in your head and the pain is REAL. Sounds like you need a new dr. Also, you come here to us. We are here for you, thru the good, bad & ugly. After all, if your fibro isn't real, then ours must not be either?!? Lean on us for support...we all need validation and this is the best place to get it!

With much love and soft hugs...

Maybe send that office documentation on fibromyalgia or have that doctor come see us here at this group! We will educate him (or her)

What a stupid doctor.

When I first went to my doctor she told me that I was probably depressed and that the depression was causing my pain. Then later at a different appointment said that it's probably fibromyalgia and that her mom has it. Appearantly her mom doesnt have it that bad though because she doesn't take my pain to seriously even though every time I go there I cry. I cant talk about my pain with out breaking down in tears. If her mom had terrible pain with the fibro my doctor would be more understanding. My doc is the kind that likes to compare patients so if something works for one it should work for all. I'm hoping that the pain clinic is more understanding.

I HATE my doctor with a passion!

I hate all my doctors! I have found every single one to be an arrogant a..hole.

I have had bad reactions to almost all the meds I've been on. Lyrica even landed me in the ER and I argued with my rhummy to take me off it. She just wanted to lower my dose. Now she refuses to prescribe my anything besides Celebrex. Due to my CRAPPY insurance, I'm stuck with her for now. She is the only female within my area and I was sexually abused by a male dr. many years ago. I will never trust a male Dr again. They tried to send me to a holistic pain clinic that would have cost thousands out of pocket(in lieu of an actual pain md). When I told her I couldnt afford the suppliments and treatments, she told me I was putting a price tag on my health. I suspect My PC doc gets paid NOT to refer patients to a specialist. My psych doc is ok but due to CRAPPY insurance, I'm losing her. There is only 1 MH clinic that takes my new ins, but I've been there and they tried to hospitalize and detox me from tranquilizers and sleeping pills. I'm not an adict, nor have I ever had trouble stopping any med on my own. I am stable and want to stay that way.

I have been in quite a lot of pain since starting work again and I hate knowing that the people who are paid to help me are letting me suffer so much.

Thanks for reading my rant

psk

You just can't reason with some people. Doctors, are just people...with a little more power. They can throw it around and know that people like you and me HAVE to keep going to them for help. SO, yes, it does lead to hatred. I have a doc or 2 (they don't deal with the fibro) that are nice, but some of the others I have come in contact with have done and said the most amazing things. And none of them good.

But what I do know, is most of the time you can't change their minds. Bringing in information, articles, magazine clippings to someone who already looks at you like your nuts, won't do a damn thing. It will take a close family member of theirs to "get" Fibro to change their minds. And even then, you know how some family members can be.

I don't know why doctors act so angry, disbelieving and downright rude. It's the only disease where we don't get sympathy or respect. Where we have to explain ourselves for HURTING.

That's B.S. I hurt because I hurt and it's you're job to find out why, not me. And for someone who has a stye in their eye, a sprained ankle or sore throat to get more attention and sympathy, it's pathetic. We've all seen it. You can get pain meds for that.

Ok, I didn't realize all that was coming out.

I understand your frustration. And, I believe that you are experiencing frustration and not hatred.

Doctors generally do not do sympathy, but instead they empathize. But, who cares. I do not go do a doctor for sympathy. I go to a doctor for treatment. He either will or will not treat me. If he treats me and helps me then cool beans. If he does not treat me or provides service that I am not satisfied with, then I get a second opinion.

You doctor works for you, and if that is not true, then fire him and hire another.

I hope only goodness for you and pray that you be peace filled. Please don't hate. Hatred is bad for you.

R.

I hear what you are saying Hate is such a bad place to be. Although I still feel strongly Doctors should be required to pass a test on how to treat their patients with some dignity and respect.

MOME

it took me six months to get diagnosed. and in the mean time i was tested for everything. four times for hiv and tb as well as anything else you can think of. oh and six tests for lyme disease and beaver feaver. needless to say every single test came out negative. i have to admit though all but one doctor was great. unfortunatly that is the one that has to sign for my scripts for pain. my primary makes him do it so i get my meds any way. i really wish every one could see my primary. she cares and is good at her job. i just hope the pain manegment are as good.

thanks all for being here.

teri

Teri, I'm glad that you have a good primary doc, at least, who will go to bat for you! I do have to ask though, what the heck is "beaver fever?" Please tell me it's not like what it sounds! lol, I have a sick mind and I have to laugh or I would cry myself to death over all that we have to go through with the medical system! I am finally building up a wonderful relationship with my primary with regards to the fibro. After almost a year with her, she really listens to me and actually is willing to try some of the things that I mention I would like to try, including some that I read about here on our forum,as well as stuff I've read about online. I even told her about my fibro friends and how knowledgeable and helpful they are. I was lucky in that I just chose her at random off of a provider's list not knowing anything except that I wanted a female primary and I wanted someone reasonably close (so I don't fall asleep driving to appointments!) She believed in fibro completely and is up on some of the latest treatment and also has several other fibro patients, thank goodness. She also has several patients who see Dr. Mark Pelligrino, the man who has fibro himself and has written many books about it, and is not bothered with her patients consulting other docs for fibro treatment. I am hoping to set up an appt. with Dr. Pelligrino soon myself.

It is terribly stressful when you have to switch docs due to insurance issues or because the old doc is leaving town or retiring. You never know what to expect and whether or not they are fibro friendly and have a good bedside manner.

I agree with RKSelter's comment up above on this thread. Doctors are working for US and not the other way around! We are paying for their sometimes lavish lifestyles and country club memberships, and they are providing a service to us, the "customers." If the "customer service" is lousy as provided by the doc themselves or his/her office staff, then we have the right to move on to someone we can work with. The days of doctors being "Gods" are over. Managed care has seen to that! Lots of bad things have come from managed care, but there are some good things as well, and that is one of them, the idea of the doctor providing a service FOR US. We have the right to be treated with respect and dignity and not have our concerns, ideas, and suggestions poo-poohed or arrogantly dismissed. Rude behavior from docs is not something I am willing to put up with beyond the first visit. I simply will not be back, and I will find someone else....ditto if their office staff is nasty or neglectful and not doing their jobs.

I am lucky in that I live in a major metropolitan area between two large cities, and even though I am on Medicaid I still have plenty of choices of primary providers.

It's funny that so many docs still don't believe in fibro or think that it is a "trash" catchall diagnosis which is a mere inconvenience to the patient but nothing more, and certainly nothing painful enough to require strong narcotics and pain relievers.

My theory on this is that it's considered primarily a "women's disease" and as we know, docs, esp male docs from the "old school" tend to regard any "women's issue" as being mainly psychological in origin or resulting from hormones or depression and nothing to be taken seriously.

Adult ADD and childhood ADHD can't be "proven" with any lab tests or brain scans either, yet doctors and psychologists rarely question that it does exist. I believe this is because more adult MEN exhibit symptoms and ask for treatment. Men are automatically believed without having to "prove" themselves or "prove" that they are in real pain. The doc sees the man in his office and gives him Rx for MAJOR narcotics immediately, no questions asked! Hey, if a man says he has pain, then he must REALLY be in pain, because after all, only women are "drug seekers" because they are weak about pain or in denial about the "psychogenic" nature of their problems.

Whew, I get so ANGRY about this topic that once I'm started I can't stop ranting! I get so mad when I read about how so many of us have been abused and treated badly by doctors! Once in awhile I just have to get it off my chest. I have wonderful docs now, all of them, but it hasn't always been this way. It's taken me years of suffering and abuse to be assertive enough to stand up for my rights and not take any c**p from uncaring or inconsiderate doctors, and it's taken me till advanced middle age to realize that I don't need to put up with this this C**P and I can keep looking till I find a good doc.

It is well worth the search if you finally find some good ones!

But the process can be exhausting....

Post edited by: hipmama42, at: 04/05/2008 21:30

Post edited by: hipmama42, at: 04/05/2008 21:36