Fibromyalgia patient

[Silkrock]

What kind of doctor should I consult as my primary care provider for  fibromyalgia?  

[geminigirl1963]

So glad to hear you didn't stick around in that ortho doc's office to hear any more!  It's amazing and frustrating that there are still so many doctors out there that don't believe that fibro is real.  I forget now where I read it, but I read once that many doctors also used to think that diabetes was "all in your head" and that people were making up their symptoms.  That was - until they determined the pancreas' role in helping to control blood sugar!!

I think some doctors still think that if it doesn't show up on a blood test or on an xray - then it doesn't exist.  Well, I'm here to tell all those docs and doubters, I've "lived" with this horrible thing called fibro for over 15 years now and I can say wihtout a doubt - IT IS REAL!!!

And yes, I do also think the rheumatologists, most of the time, are the best docs to diagnose and trest fibro, as they quite often have more schooling and knowledge of it, but I still think that finding the best doctor for YOU is most important.

[marycarmel]

Very true.  You should always be comfortable with who treats you.  My primary care oversees everything.  I run everything by her, such as med changes, etc.  I know she has the big picture and we have a long-standing relationship as well as genuine respect for each other.

GG, I actually had an orthopedic, not all that long ago, tell me fibromyalgia is all in a person's head!  I ran from her.

[geminigirl1963]

Technically, ANY doctor can diagnose and treat fibro, although rheumatologists typically are more well versed on it and deal with it more often then general practitioners.

That said, I, personally, would go to whomever I felt most comfortable with and who was willing to try the hardest and work the most to try to find the appropriate treatment/s for me.  For me, my family doctor is the one who I feel the most comfortable with and who treats me for all my conditions.  I was seeing a rheumatologist up until a couple of years ago when she stopped accepting my insurance and I simply cannot afford to pay out of pocket for the visits.  Rheumies are very few and far between where I live - one other I called emphatically said NO they do NOT treat fibro patients (still can't understand how any rheumy or any doctor can STILL say that!) and the other one has a waiting list of almost a year to get an appointment.  So I spoke to my regular doctor to see if he is willing to continue to treat my fibro, as well as my lupus for which I was also seeing the rheumy and he said he was more than happy to.  He may not be AS knowledgeable about those two conditions as a rheumy might be, however, he has done some extensive research on them and is continuing to want to learn about them, so we are basically learning together!   I, personally, also feel much more comfortable with having just one physician for all my care - when I'm not feeling well, I can sometimes forget things to tell the doctor and I just think it's kind of like a back-up safety measure for me that I'm only seeing on doctor, so I don't have to remember to tell one doctor something that the other doctor may have told me or prescribed for me.

So..... as I've kind of rambled there and maybe got a bit off topic (sorry), while rheumatologist may have the additional knowledge about fibro that a general practitioner doesn't, there's no hard and fast rule as to who you HAVE to see for treatment.

[marycarmel]

I initially saw my primary doctor who diagnosed me.  She sent me to an orthopedic.  This was many years ago, though.  I think a rheumatologist has the  most knowledge about fibro.

[acker]

rheumatology. org

[acker]

hi silkrock
i have a great general practitioner dr, great being she knows and understands and believes in the condition. that's a great start.
recently she referred me to a rheumatologist who also is familiar with it, and though she couldn't  help me much she was certainly dedicated and on side. she just wrote a script and gave me some info from the American rheumatologists website..
another thing I found helpful was breathing and meditation practice.
good luck