I can not believe my doctor!!!! What do you guys think?

[kimmie305]

I was diagnosed about a year and a half ago with Fibromyalgia; I also have DDD and scoliosis.  I am a 29 year old female and the winter is really really hard on me.  My arms hurt, my legs, my neck, back, and hands hurt; my skin burns and I get really bad migraines.  I was going to a pain managment doctor and he was extremely rude to me.  I would end up crying after every visit; he basically accused me of lying to him.  Every doctor I have spoke to in fact has told me that I am too young to have this many problems.  One of my really good friends works for the doctor I am currently seeing.  He was really great and understanding.... At first.  He told me that he could help me and that Eventually this would all "go away."  My son recently got a rash on his stomache and arms, so I called his doctor and scheduled an appointment.  I was scheduled to see my doctor on the 23rd of this month; however, he prescribed my meds on the 19th... well anyone that has medication of any kind knows that the next month my meds would be available on the 18th and then the next month on the 17th because 30 days is always one day shy of the first RX accept in months of 29 days.  My sons appointment was today so I asked if I could get into my doc today.  The nurse asked me what I was there for and I told her I had to get my refills because I didn't have anymore so that is what she wrote on my chart.  My doctor came in very aggrivated and told me that he could not "take part in this" and that I am ADDICTED to my medication.  He then told me that because I am not making an effort to go walking outside *BECAUSE THE COLD HURTS ME SEVERLY*  that I am not even making an effort to get better.  He then asked me how many pills I take a day.  I am prescribed to take 4 lortab a day and lately I have had to take  4 a day and I am not sleepin well at all.  The cold makes my whole body ache terribly.  He told me that I had to be taking more than that because I was out of pills.  I looked at him seriously confused and said NO SIR I am not out of pills I asked to see you today because My sons doctor is RIGHT UP THE STREET FROM YOU. AND I hate to drive my son in this type of weather.  It is horribly cold, snowing, and icy.  Needless to say he had me so upset I began to cry.  He then told me that He would switch me to a pain clinic and offered me THE PAIN DOCTOR I HAD JUST LEFT and another one.   ????????????????????????
I just do  not understand SERIOUSLY.  I am beginning to seriously believe that there are NO good doctors out there.  How can a doctor sit there and tell you that you don't hurt like you say you do and ACCUSE you of being addicted???!!!!???!!! WTF???  excuse my language but i am seriously soooo tired of this bulll crap.  Because they go to school for a lot of years they have the right to sit there and demean me and my feelings and my pain?????  I am seriously starting to become depressed... I am at the end of my rope.  I do not enjoy hurting, I do not enjoy taking these meds and I do not think this is funny or some game.... THIS IS MY LIFE.... If it wasn't for my son I would seriously give up and shoot myself... But I can't because he needs a mommy and he is my whole world... he is the reason I fight everyday to get up and keep going....
Do I sometimes take a extra pill a day? YEP I sure do if i am in serious pain I will take one... does this make me a addict?  am I a horrible person because I do not like to lay in agony?  I take hot baths, I use heating pads, I have a heated blanket for goodness sake... I have done everything and tried everything that they have EVER asked... and yet EVERY doctor ends up treating me the same way...
WHAT DO I DO???  What do you guys do?  Anyone who takes the time to read this THANK YOU... SINCERELY... I am just soo sick and tired of this... its not right... i shouldn't be sitting here crying right now wondering if I am losing my mind and crazy.... I do not imagine this pain it is real... and yet every doctor I go to seems to think I am a liar..... I just wanna give up

[Dove52]

Kimmie I understand oh so well what you are going through I am in the same boat. I am 62 and have had arthritis most of my life. It's so bad in my knees I had to have a total knee replacement and need one for the left one. Now I have been having back pain since last year. So I went to my Doctor and he said we can do one of 3 things or a combo we can do physical therapy, I can give you drugs or you can see an orthopedic surgeon. I said what about an X ray to see what it is. No, I'm not going to order that. So I chose physical therapy they did pool therapy it didn't make the pain stop it did help me to get a bit stronger. Then the pain was getting worse. I asked him what kind of arthritis I had as I was never told. Now I had x rays and reports from the ortho Doctor this idiot says it could be Osteoarthritis. So after a year of him giving me Vicodin the pain got so bad I had to go see the PA thank God for her. She did an X ray the Xray showed a possible tear in the vertebrae so she ordered an MRI which showed  Impression heterogeneous marrow signal with relatively T1 dark areas, possibly a normal
variant. However, metastasis or a myeloproliferative process may have this appearance as well. Multi-level bulges, worse at L4-5. Degenerative disc disease. I was freaked so the PA ordered some special blood tests and pathologies to see if there was leukemia. My next appointment I saw the dummy. He said to me your labs are fine. I was like fine how he says they are fine. Then he says I think you've worried enough about this that is why I don't order a lot of tests like that cause when or if it comes back with something people get all upset. I could not believe my ears. I could be walking around with cancer of the spine and not receiving any treatments. So to make a long story short I was referred to a Spine Specialist in the meantime the primary says do you need stronger pain meds I said yes I'd like to try something cause nothing is working. The PA had given me Percocet 5 mg with Acetaph so he increased it to 10 mg with the Acetaph. After a few weeks that stopped working so he gave me Oxycodone 15 mg.  During that time he changed my Anxiety drug from Zologt to Venlafaxine. I saw the Spine people they ordered more tests and were going to do a Spinal Biopsy but after looking at all the test results the wonderful Interventalist Radiologist who has been doing this forever met with the Spine guys and together they figured out it was not cancer. So I'm waiting to get an epidural later this month. In the meantime this Venlafaxine has me all messed up and I was talking all kinds of pills and stuff and not knowing what I was doing. So of course I ran out. Yes I ran out the month before because I kept calling them saying the medicine isn't working and yes I took extra's. Now he is gone from the practice I'm going to have the Spine Doc take over the pain meds which are not doing anything but making me dizzy. By the way I have Glaucoma I found out that you never prescribe Venlafaxine for a Glaucoma patient. I was having hallucinations, couldn't sleep and was constipated with that stuff. I'm back on the Zoloft the Oxocodone 15 doesn't work at all. I see my Spine Doc this Thursday I am in agony I'm crying and my back is burning and swollen they diagnosed me with Severe Sclerosis in T11, 12, L1, 2, 3 vertebral bodies. DDD with disc collape at multiple levels with increased intensity to the endplates of L3-4 T12-:1 and T11-12 with vacuum disks at these levels,  Osteoarthritis , increased uptakes at multiple level through the thoracic and lumbar spine. I also have sleep apnea, pulmonary hypertension, morbid obesity, severe anxiety distress syndrome and depression. I can access my chart on line and when I saw what he had put in it I started crying and screaming. He put that I was Opioid Dependence. Then he has several things in my chart I don't have but stated I think it might be but he never checked it out. They just don't understand the constant pain you are in. You can't exercise to loose weight because it hurts so bad. You can't clean your home or stand up and cook a meal. You can't do anything with these high levels of pain. At least the Spine doctor comments that he will do everything he can do help relieve the pain and that I have one of the worse cases of arthritis he has ever seen. But that idiot in the other office just says I'm abusing pain meds. The dumb *** he kept giving them to me he didn't refer me to a pain management person until I finally bugged him enough. They I couldn't get an appointment until September of this year. God help us all Kimmie my heart goes out to you.

[blondeone5123]

I know this thread was posted years ago, but I too have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 1 1/2 years ago. The deal with the Dr.s is yes, first of all they don't sincerely care about your pain, and secondly, they are more worried about their medical license. You see, here are soooo many folks out there who abuse pain medication (I know this first hand. I am a post-op RN and take care of patients with post operative pain.) It is UNBELIEVABLE how much of a tolerance some folks have built up to narcotic pain meds and UNBELIEVABLE how much IV medications I have to give them, as it is WAAAAY more than a normal person could handle before going in to respiratory arrest!! So, bottom line, it is because of the abusers out there that now all of the DR.s only care about saving here own butts (their own medical licenses.) The medical profession has gone to hell. No one cares about the real issues at hand.

[tlnelson1970]

I hear you guys I was diagnosed with fibro about 4 years ago and this last year as gotten so bad I think I can work any jobs and I get hired on and then suffer so bad with pain . My doctor acts like she don't believe me but the pain is so severe I get migraine headaches a lot and have to lay with the heating pad over my head to even relief them I feel very frustrated I want to work in the worst way but when I do the pain is so intense . I have taken lyrica , gabapentine , savella  and nothing seems to work sometimes the pain gets so severe it makes you wonder why god would put anyone through this im very agitated lately I take warm baths at night , sleep with my heating blanket and heating pad but still wake up several times during the night . My husband is the only one who really understands how I feel  and I feel sometimes he doesn't realize how bad I truly hurt .

[CompletelyWornOut]

Yeah it ***** to cut off your own sister. I've had to do the same as visiting my sister stresses me so much that I feel sick.

I am completely worn out from hurting all the time and now my doctor is making a big deal out of my being prescribed . 0.5 lousy mg twice a day, if needed of clonopin. She is trying to make me feel like I am a drug addict  over a total of 1 lousy mg to keep me from panic attacks.

[Cookiegregg]

I think it's a shame that you go to your PCP, often for many years, and he/she can't tell if you are abusing drugs. Have you always begged for pain medicine? I doubt it. Look at that chart you carry around, doctor, Do you ever refer back to it?

Funny all you doctors, but I remember the 60's and were YOU trying to get us to become addicts? Maybe we should check you out better. I could get 'diet' pills any time I wanted them.. I'm lucky I'm too sensitive to have been able to take them. I had the RX because the doctor felt I needed them for my weight control. Try to get amphetamines now! It seems that it is monkey see monkey do. What one doctor feels is 'best'...they ALL seem to feel the same. Don't any doctors think for themselves?

I too have been refused pain medicine. I have/had (I'm getting a new one, as we speak) for about a year and a half had a new doctor. I have never ask for anything. I got sick and could not move my neck from side to side and hurt all over. I had never felt so bad. I asked for something. He refused. I went to a walk-in clinic a few days later and the meds they gave me (no pain RX ) gave me much needed relief. Through another doctor, I found out my x-rays showed severe osteoarthritis . That among other things I won't go in to.

I've had three great doctors. They gave me what I needed to live healthy. Two retired and one went to a hospital to work. I'm just now trying to find another good one. There are a FEW good ones out there, but I'm afraid the bad ones out weigh the good ones. It's all about money..more money..and more!

[Lovelyme71]

I was diagnosed in 2006 at age 34 but thank God I had an understanding doctor.  He referred me to the people I needed to see for my migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and etc..  I take Lyrica 75mg, Tramadol 300mg because nothing else worked, and Cymbalta 60mg for my fibro.  Topamax 100mg, Elavil 10mg, and Fioricet 50-325-40mg for migraines.  This helps but some days nothing works but the days I can enjoy are beautiful.  I can say that walking in the morning does help ease the pain and you don't have to walk outside because I walk in my house plus I go to pool and physical therapy.  Having the right doctor is very important and you definitely have to be your own advocate.  Also, the right pharmacist is important as well because the doctor will right them and not tell you the correct way to take them so that your side effects as far as drowsy is limited.  Good luck

[Janwantstoknwo_now]

Your experience was much like mine.  Except my Dr understood Fibro and was willing to try to treat & encouraged me to exercise when I could. I finally realized I must exercise.  I started with a few minutes, every other day.  I slowly increased exercise & felt encouraged.  After 2 years of  slowly increasing exercise, I began to feel more alive.  I did finally regain my health and felt good for about 10 years.  Then I had Total Knee Replacement Surgery.  The pain from that was more than I had expected & I was stressed with the pain & trying to do the rehab exercises.  My P.Therapist recognized I had fibro.  I thought about it & realized I do.  Now I am in a bind, I have cutback on rehab exercises because of fibro.  Now my knee is not being rehab, &I I am back in the pain of Fibro, asking myself If I can possibly make that struggle again, and will it work a 2nd time.

[primo777]

Kimmie, hang on..your child needs you as much as the air she/he breathes! Never put thoughts into your head like that. Since my children are grown I struggle with that-and then they call and need me. We need to just keep on-keeping on.....when you think that have your child read a book to ya (if their old enough)....instant smiles, guaranteed! GOD Bless, lisa

[primo777]

A sleep study test will prove chronic pain. I have been dealing with this for over 15 years...about 10yrs. ago, I had a sleep study..because of insomnia that I KNEW was caused by pain. I never told this doctor I have severe pain because I didn't think he would believe me. He said to me do you know your in chronic pain and that's why you can't get into R.E.M. sleep. Wow...I thanked him and started smiling and then tears. Finally, someone really knows. It's because we look healthy for the most part. Pain management wanted me to go back to counseling...since I have PTSD. After being through years of counseling, therapy..I refused to go and keep digging up the past. Least to say I have not had any pain management for two years. I also have other issues due too tumor removed from my spine. People and doctors do not understand not a moment goes by without pain-day and night. I would request a sleep study...GOD Bless!

[Neanbean12]

Wow, this is so true! It's really disgusting to see how dr.'s mostly just judge chronic pain sufferers of any kind. They sit on their self built thrown and look down on us and accuse of of lying, being addicted, and tell us that nothing is wrong, that we are just crazy. I've been having such a tough time lately in and out of the emergency room and they just don't want to help anymore. They think I'm crazy and that I'm just trying to get pain pills. I think I can speak for most people in this type of position, but we would give ANYTHING to never have to take a pain pill or any pill again, at least I would. Thank you for sharing your testimony. I've felt so alone and depressed wondering what is wrong with me... it at least helps to know that I am not alone.
God Bless, I pray that touches us all and helps the doctors to see their wrong doings!

[Ingebose]

No you are not whining, you are not weak, you are not a nuisance to any
physician and if he/she does not know enough about this disease he/she should not be a physician.The last thing a Fibromyalgia patient needs is a
physician who does not understand or is unwilling to learn about this strange disease that is mostly to be found in female patients. Would there be more attention paid to it if males were in the majority? I wonder......
Seven years ago we moved to the Azores, Sao Miguel, for our retirement. At the time little did I expect to come down with a disease I had never even heard about. One day my husband and I were taking a walk on the promenade when I felt a sharp pain in my left foot and it began to swell.
By the time I got home the other leg was swollen as well and I began to
feel the very typical pain in my muscles and joints I had never experienced before. I consulted my female family physician who is wonderful and being
in Portugal I am lucky because you don't get shoved out the door within 5 minutes. No, she sat down with me and she asked me many questions, referred me to a physician whose specialty are lymph-nodes and after his
examination he told me that there was nothing he could do for me but not
to give up, he suspected that there was an underlying cause that was the
root of my pain. Back to my family physician she sent me for blood-tests
targeting arthosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, Lupus and other causes to narrow down where the pain, the stiffness and the memory loss was
coming from. After I brought her all the results which excluded all other diseases she asked me to lie down and she pushed the typical trigger points all patients with Fibromyalgia share. I almost went through the roof with pain.So she asked me to sit down and explained in detail what to expect and how she could help me but also how I could help myself. I am an author and I would have to limit my time on the PC. She suggested 30 minutes off and 30 minutes on the PC. In total she wants me to rest at least 50% of the day and by resting she excludes reading or watching TV. The brain where this disease starts (and I believe it started actually sooner than that afternoon I could no longer walk, needs rest as well, so from the sofa of our Living Rooom I watch the wonderful clouds pass, the ocean and our balcony has been transformed into a sweet little garden arranged around the painting of a "heart-flower" done by a friend of ours who is a wonderful artist. Some medication was increased and some added, this physician is really a wonderfully compassionate woman who looked at me sadly and told me the truth, it would never get better, only worse and to live each day to the best of my ability. No walking longer than 20 minutes (I used to love to hike) no house-work (that suits me well, my husband has taken over a large amount of the cooking and we are able to afford a cleaning woman here who has become part of what I call my family. I can always depend on her as well as other friends who truly understand that I am not a whiner or like to complain, that I can't even sit long enough any more through a two hour concert and when we go for dinner my time is limited.My physician told me specifically that I had to sort through my friends slowly and see who was understanding of my plight and those who were not, because I would have to drop those from my friend list. By that time she could clearly see how I was loosing my balance, and that from now on my life would change entirely. More symptoms started to appear and she gave me a referral to the pain-management unit and Dr. Teresa Lima who was instrumental in setting-up this program in Portugal and all chronic diseases are treated for free (YES I WROTE FREE) Her technical staff is wonderfully kind and every month I have a date with the pain-management unit and Dr. Lima to pick-up my medication and check on me. One of the things which are so baffling about this disease is that it does not show on the outside. If you go on my website
www.ingeperreault.eu
that is exactly what I look like at age 66. Six years ago I was swimming with the dolphins still, now I can only venture into the ocean to ride the waves with a floating device, "my spaghetti" but it works. Of course the
resting and limited mobility as well as the medications caused a weight gain but I can live with that. What I find increasingly difficult is that in the midst of a conversation suddenly there is a blank and I forgot the word I
was going to say. I remember after a short time but I have to keep a note
book now for important dates and my memory which was so sharp now
leaves a lot to be desired. Just recently another symptom showed up. I perspire a lot and when I entered "excess perspiration in women over 65"
there it was - google told me that this as well was a symptom of Fibromyalgia. The Fibro-fog is annoying at best and without my good sense sense of humor I would be lost. Living and coping with this disease
is the most difficult thing I ever had to do. I have written two more books and am working on my sixth book plus I publish articles but I had to give-up pro-bono teaching of English conversation. I do count myself very fortunate because we live only minutes from the indoor swimming pool that
has the right temperature for my disease (and glorious views) and that there I also met my wonderful physical therapist who works on me twice a week. Sometimes in the water, sometimes on the massage table. Never
force yourself, the red line of overdoing and making your condition worse is very thin and you know immediately when you have overdone it. The pool
at 30 degrees Celsius is my salvation, I can do everything in the water that I can no longer do on terra firma. A set of exercises depending on how I feel that given day is being followed and some free-style slow swimming
is done just for experiencing the lightness of being. I am very fortunate to
have ended-up in a place like Sao Miguel where stress-levels are very low if at all, the quality of live is wonderful and the windows of our condo all
face the ocean. As far as diet goes I eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables
which are available all year due to three harvests per year and a sub-tropical climate good for me as well. The town of Furnas (45 minute drive) had active caldeiras and a huge thermal pool where the water is
loaded with minerals and you can swim year-round. Sometimes I don't
rest enough and then I pay the price the next day. Some friends had to be
cut yet others have taken their place and now I am going back to bed
because I am not having a good day today at all. Dr. P. told me the last time to swim as much as possible and become like a fish while another physician present and in training wondered if there was a way I could write
under water. I don't believe there is but I try to make the best of every day which is no easy feat. My heart goes out to the women and men who get
this disease early on in life, it is a difficult road but find out what agrees with you best and do try the hydro-gymnastic as well as physical therapy.
While our muscles are contracting it is up to us to stretch them again.
Dr. Teresa Lima, the pain-specialist has taken me to seminars on chronic illnesses putting my photo up on the screen and asking the audience if this woman was sick. "NO WAY" a chorus shouted. Then she asked me to
come to her and explain in my limited Portuguese how I cope. To think that
the little country of Portugal and the autonomous region of the Acores can
accept this disease and be very focussed on it while in the USA many
physicians simply dismiss it as imaginary is difficult for me to understand.
Hang in there all you co-suffering victims of Fibromyalgia - just think, they could find a cure if they tried.
  

[silverfox67]

Hello everyone.... I have had Fibromyalgia since I was a teenager.  My grandmother would massage my legs and arms with Witch Hazel and Volcanic oil.  Sometimes I would take an aspirin (1950's).

Well, I was finally diagnosed after trying to ride a stationary bike - I couldn't get out of bed the next day.  I was all bent over like a little old lady.  The doctors gave me some pain meds and sent me home.   From then on, I had trouble getting out of bed - I was in so much pain, I would pull myself to the edge of the bed and fall on my knees then slowly and painfully pull myself up.  

After so many years of trying so many things I found that Ibuprofen did nothing for me.  I quit taking Tylenol as my liver has been damaged - so I did some research and found ESSIAC.    It has helped me so much that when I saw my orthopedist (I have DDD), she couldn't believe I was walking!   I have since added other supplements that have helped me with the pain and stiffness, but Essiac is my most essential.

Most of the time I have what I call "normal" pain.  I am never completely pain free, but I'll settle for a 3 or 4.  Much better than a 10!  For really bad days I will take a Naproxen - but since I believe more in natural healing, I rarely take any anymore.  Some days I take Apis Malefica (made from bees and their venom).  It seems to help.

Winter is the worst... can't stand to be cold - so I use an electric blanket and if I have to go out, I wear boots and a hat for sure.  If your feet and head are warm you can tolerate the cold better.

I was very fortunate that my doctors are so understanding and supportive.  I don't take opiates or heavy duty drugs, so I guess that lets them off the hook.    They do prescribe Zoloft for me - I don't take it everyday - I meditate on the Bible and pray a lot.

I am so sorry that you have had such a bad experience with your doctors.  
That is so sad.  - I am very grateful that when I went before the judge for SSI, he was very understanding and granted me the help I needed.  I was very weak and in a lot of pain that day and could hardly stand.  

Get documentation from every doctor you have seen now.  It will be very important for the day you try to get SSI or Social Security.  Yes, even the "crappy" doctors.  This will show the judge that you have tried very hard to get the help you needed.

I hope that you will try some home remedies - Sepia, Apis, Essiac, Calcium and Magnesium, Potassium, D3, and Fish oil with Omega 3.
These are the ones I take and altho I am not pain free, I don't have the really bad flares any more.  

Stomach issues are the worst for me.  Had a CT scan last week and am waiting for the results.  BTW - I am now taking Dexilant (supposed to be better than Nexium) and it is helping a lot.

[labrat43]

I have had this pain since I could remember.  It was so stressful that every time I went into the doctor my blood pressure would go up, and of course they would worry about that.  Doctor experience such a control complex that if they don't know what is causing something they immediately think it is fake.  It has taken me over 3 decades to find things that help.  I would suggest trying acupuncture and massage therapy (it can hurt during the massage, but afterwards it felt better).  There will always be days where nothing seems to help. Meditation has also helped me "feel" the pain but separate mentally from it.
I hope knowing you are not alone makes things a little better.

[otterwatcher]

yes the dreadful attitude of most doctors contributes to suicidal thoughts

[Mikey5170]

I am so amazed and angry about all of you having the same trouble I am with doctors. I have been hurting for many years and never knew what it was..I had been seeing the same doctor since 1994,so it took me many years to get to where I was with pain meds with him. In 2010 I was diagnosed with systemic lupus,and fibromyalgia. My doctor finally moved me up to Oxy because it didn't contain the Tylenol. I am on methotrexate also so I have to worry about that destroying my liver along with the lupus. Don't need any extra help from Tylenol. Well last July my dr. Had to take me off Oxy and put me on tramadol because a bunch of teenagers at the local high school got ahold of there parents meds and had a lot of overdosing..nothing fatal. Tramadol does not work on my joint pain and muscle pain. Why do I have to suffer because other people can't keep their meds locked up!! I switched doctors then, and now this new doctor doesn't believe I have lupus so he won't give me anything but tramadol,which I have been telling him it ISN'T working. I am at my wits end. I have all documentation to prove my lupus but he just doesn't care. What do I do? I don't want to go to another doctor. I am scared they will think I am doctor shopping,that is the last thing I need. Any suggestions??

[tamith]

I am so sorry that everyone here is having probs. with the doctors.  I think part of the problem with doctors is that the feds are now prosecuting doctors for prescribing too much narcotic pain medicine.  In my state my old pain doctor is charged with 8 counts of manslaughter for pres ribing narcotics to people who later overdosed on them.  Its sad but I don't think its his fault.  He is not allowed to practice now.  And he was one of the nice ones.  There is no excuse for being rude to patients!!!  I know doctors shouldn't judge everyone the same but narcotic pain meds are the #1 abused drug right now.  Not that I'm saying you are.  Its an unfortunate situation for everybody.  Good luck in finding better treatments.  

[savages81]

I am so sorry I have had problems too funny thing just getting anti inflammatorys that are right for me, they took me off an told me to take more vics lol now I signed a pain plan they wanna take low dose of those away, I heard sevella is good for fibromaybe try that?  But you know your body: ( an how can a Dr know if we are not doing excise inside; ) bad I guess but they seem stuck an true a gentle workout is good so u don't get stiff, yet I don't blame u I hate being cold don't give up get a new Dr I am trying acupunctnture right now ,I miss me too I think all of us in crohnic pain do don't ever give up, just think we have changed but we will be stronger more compassionait more beautiful: ) it's just a big hurdle to jump

[Rad_Tech]

I have "self-diagnosed"  w/ fibro.   I also fear and loathe FKIA dr.s  and their tx of humans. And I have no insurance.   I have been self-medicating w/ OTC like tylenol etc.   I  also use trigger point massage, accupunture and accupressure to reduce pain symptoms.   Meditating and self-hypnosis at night so I can sleep w/o overuse of my OTC drugs.   but I'm afraid it is getting worse.

[pugsly13]

OMG K immie and all of you. How sad we all feel the same way and have all had thoughts of suicide from this disease.  They call it a syndrome but it has taken over our lives.  I am 45 and live in he St. Louis area.  No docs want to take new fibro patients and the rhuematologists don't even return phone calls when they hear you have fibro.  My best bet for pain management has been my nuerologist but they are in trouble with the feds for giving to much pain meds.  Something has got to be done.  I hope Kimmie that by hearing others talk about their issues with fibro that you feel you are not alone.  Do you see a chiro?  I have a very good one and this helps alot but still have to take loads of pain meds, anti-inflams and take gabapentin for the fibro.  I have alot of short term memory loss from the gabapentin but it's much better than the swelling I got from Lyrica.  Good luck and tanks to everyone for sharing their feelings.

[audreyhoward]

Hi,  I know how you feel,  I was diagnosed  when I was 16 and I am now 54.  I had severe pain across my chest and my shoulders and arms at 16 and a specialist told me that some drs believe that fibrositis (as it was called then) is real and others dont,  and luckily he was a believer.  But I cant remember what he did for me.  I have had pain in different areas all these years and in the last 2 years it has spread allover but my legs are unbearable.  I am lucky that my current Dr gives me oxycontin and endone (morphine).  I take 40mg oxy morning and night and top it up with the endone,  but i still get so much pain and i get very little sleep and migrains and bad tinnitis in my ears. I also take dothep, a low dose antidepresant that helps with the oxy.  I dont know why drs dont believe his condition exists.  Why would so many complete strangers have the same symptoms???  I am scared my dr will retire and i wont get my meds from anyone else. Then I will probably just shoot myself.  Take care everyone.

[Rhaquel]

Last message to kimmie, addressed to wrong person

[Rhaquel]

I am a longtime fibro person.  My doc in Seattle area kept telling me cold was really affecting me.  i moved to south, and it does help tremendously.  I could hear the panic in your words, and I've been there, over the edge.  Life is not easy, no matter where you are with fibro, but it is so unbearable when you add cold.  My husband had hot skin, and liked really cold air conditioning.  Now I'm on my own.  Life is hard, but I'm not cold, and it is better for fibro.

[SiouxSioux]

Goodness :( I can completely empathize with you. Right down to the "THIS IS MY LIFE.... If it wasn't for my son I would seriously give up and shoot myself... But I can't because he needs a mommy and he is my whole world... he is the reason I fight everyday to get up and keep going.... " comment.  I was diagnosed when I was 22 with Fibro and was prescribed over 25 pills a day. I took them for about 3 or 4 months and didn't get any relief so I took myself off all meds and gave up. I convinced myself I didn't have Fibro and if I did the meds would've helped.  I went  literally for years until I was 34 to go to a doctor again for the pain becaue it had gotten so much worse. Now I have so many problems it's insane. Now I get to deal with feeling like doctors don't believe I'm in the pain I'm in and doctors who just don't get it. I have been told so many times this or that is in my head and I need to see a Psychiatrist. Of sourse I've also been able to prove those doctors wrong everytime with tests. More randon symptoms found, lesions, bone degeneration, severe deficiencies, etc... Not that that makes them do anything about it other than tell me I should still go to a psychiatrist for my depression and anxiety. They just have to accept that maybe I do feel pain in those areas. I have so many stomach problems that the last thing I want is more meds so I started going to a therapist to help me deal with how hard life has gotten. As everyone here knows, you lose so much it's almost impossible to deal with and understand by yourself.  So my therapist recently ordered a sleep study for me and I am going to the neurosurgeon today with proof I am in pain even when I sleep. Otherwise the leg that I've been complaining about since the get go would not of moved 90 times. It was also discovered that I am only getting about half the stage 3/4 sleep I should be getting which is the restorative stage for your body. No wonder is the way I look at it. If my body isn't healing at night from the damage I did to the day prior and this has been going on for years then I'm hoping it will be very obvious to my neurosurgeon something needs to be done. So just a suggestion but if you can get a sleep study done then you may have proof you need the doctors can't ignore. After all, we don't consciously control our bodies when we sleep.

[Saturnalia731]

I 100% understand where you are coming from, and most of these "doctors" and/or "neurologists" are plain and simple full of crap and have NO IDEA what they are talking about. (Not like they've ever had to suffer with this kind of pain on a daily basis..)
And if I remember correctly you mentioned something about how you're doctors weren't taking you seriously because of your age and they didn't believe someone that young could suffer that much pain - my suggestion, go online, it's easier to find but I'm sure books could work too, and find cases and information about what I believe is called Junior Fibromyaligia - or at least something similar. And that can occurr in people as young as 3 to 5. You stick the research in his face there's no way ANY doctor can argue with you.. It's the only way I got my first doctor to listen.. I hope it works for you too.

Turns out when I was 14 or 15 a friend had picked me up ran around the gymnasium at school with me (It was someone I fully trusted so I thought nothing of it.) and as we were 3 steps away from the 'finish line' he threw me up to try to get a better catch on me and ACCIDENTALLY missed. Needless to say I came crashing down on the wooden floor, was knocked unconscious, and bruised several bones. And of course anyone that knows anything about Fibro most likely knows that it's usually started because of a traumatic/ physical event. Now of course I'd never had even a hint of it before (Although my mother, who also has it along with several of her sisters, had been keeping track of a book of my symptoms and the more she read and recorded the more she didn't like what she found. Later to find out that I'm practically her exact medical replica in most cases.) however, after the accident in the gym the Fibro slowly started to ruin my life as I'm sure it has others. I barely even graduated High School because I was out so many days simply because I just couldn't get out of bed 'cause I was in SOOO much pain. Granted the pain had lessened for a little while, I am now 21, turning 22 in a couple months, an am now without ANY help from any doctor at all because the last one that was REALLY, REALLY good at  helping me let his secretary get away with not doing her job fully and discriminating against me. (She made up several excuses so that the doctor would refuse to see me again..) GRR. And to make matters worse, they dropped me two weeks before the holidays, making it IMPOSSIBLE to find a new doctor to help me then! Not to mention him/ them telling me that they were ripping me off my narcotics  was a whole other big problem.
I'd even gotten desperate enough to try the doctor that my [now] ex-boyfriend had recommended. I don't know what he told that doctor (Most likely he gave him all MY symptoms, among other horrible untrue comments - jerk.) Cause once when I went in there, I'd even brought my mother in with me to validate everything I said also in case I forgot something that she didn't, as well as at least a 20-35 pg. packet of all the lists of meds I've been on, who prescribed 'em and when they were given, making it very simple for him - this doctor, who's ranked #8 in the state (How - I'll *NEVER* understand. Especially after telling me it was all in my head, lying to my face about what kinds of meds he prescribes, and how he thought me seeing a therapist would cure it all. Yea, he couldn't even bother to GLANCE at the list. Well gee, I'm sorry, but if it's all in our heads, than why on earth would we have to see a rheumatologist to get the final diagnosis?? A call that I was told that any other doctor requires him (or her) to make..  I don't know about you guys but it certainly doesn't make much sense to me, lol.) He assumed my crying my eyes out in agony was just pure depression or something a lot like it. B.S.!! Of course the rain and the cold makes it worse!
[He just wanted to keep putting me on the same meds that had already landed me in the ER a few nights before due to bad reactions to the new medications. Not that he could be bothered to listen.]

Since then I've absolutely refused to go back and deal with that -  [In an effort to be polite..] quack; that jerk; that damn phony.
Months later I've been through just about every neurologist in the Middlesex book, but finding a doctor that will take a 21/ 22 yr old seriously in my condition and *HOPEFULLY* give me my meds back so I can get on with my life before it's too late...
I don't know.. Any suggestions?? Any help would be appreciated..

Hell, after all, is it really such a bad thing to want to be constantly treated like a guinea pig; tried on drug after drug, taking test after test - last I checked that's nowhere near living...

Regardless - best wishes to all and I hope things pan out well for each of you.

P.S. Sooo sorry to get off topic..