I'm concerned

I am on my third dr. Actually she's a PA. Anyways i happend on her by chance when i was supposed to see her boss the dr last week and I guess they "share" patients Well when she looked at my records of course the dr had presumed I was depressed. I told the PA how upset I was about that because I would be the first one to tell you if I was depressed. We talked about that for a minute and I told the PA I had brought up Fibro to the dr but she made it clear she thought it was a quitters disease. The PA aknowledged that no the dr didn't believe in Fibro and the PA herself was on the fence but as we talked and she looked me over told me she was going to do more research into it. Anyways I'm seeing only her now. Well I thought we had gotten past the whole depression thing, and then she asks me if I've been tested for STDS i was like umm yeah every time I have a well woman check up just to make sure. She kept asking me are you sure you've been checked for clhamydia I'm lik eumm yeah. Kind of ticked me off because my husband was right there and she just burted it out (we're recently married)

Anyways she finally got off both the STD and the depression and tells me she's sending me to a nuerologist. Well after doing a lot of reading this weekend I decided Monday I'm going to call around town and see if there are ANY rhuemy's who treat firbo(I'll also call the nuero and see if he does)

The main reason I'm concerned is I looked up this nuero she wants me to see and well he's not only a neuro but he also used to practice psychiatry!!! I feel like I'm being set up to just be told I have depression again. What do you guys think? Everything I've read is that rhuemy's are more likely to dx it.

I am in soooo much pain. I havent left the house in a week only for my dr's apt. I wanted to take the kids to the library today and thought i had gotten my pain under control but when i got out of the shower I was absolutly dying.

Last night after making dinner I was in sooo much pain I wanted to throw up. I can't get my hot flashes under control to save my life. My jaw feels like it's permantly locked!

I just want to be proactive and not waste my time on bad dr's ya know?

Thanks girls for reading and letting me ask/vent I just want a dx of some type

I get so tired of the whole, "you are just depressed" or "it's all in your head." Have you read the article Libby08 just posted? It discusses how fibro is dismissed because it most often is a women's disease. Sick woman = anxiety or depression. (STDs?? Really??)

When I started experiencing severe vertigo and "weird" visual disturbances/dizziness, I had a neuro try to convince me that it was just from the hyperventilation associated with anxiety. I finally made it to a wonderful ENT who told me, "Of course you have anxiety. You have Meniere's disease. Everyone experiences anxiety to some degree with this. You can't have vertigo and not be somewhat anxious." I love him.

My point is that too many docs are too quick to dismiss women's symptoms as anxiety/depression. What they fail to realize is that chronic pain (or another illness) is very often the cause of anxiety or depression. Treat the disease, and the depression/anxiety often improves.

I'll get off my soapbox now, but the whole depression card is one of my biggest pet peeves; it's right up there with "fibro is psychosomatic."

If I were you, and you suspect fibro, I would try to see a rheumatologist. I hope you get the help you need.

Hugs - Austen

Yeah i read the article that was just posted. I've also looked over the fibro 101. thank you ladies so much. I really do feel like I should be going to a rhuemy

Wow! If you have the option of leaving that doc and that P.A. and choosing other ones, I'd drop them in a heartbeat. Seriously, I'd never look back. I've had too many quacks in my life to put up with that kind of crapola ever again. I feel for you, because now just as I found two good docs after mine retired (and I hunted through plenty of quacks to get these two!) - my ins coverage is forcing me to pick new ones. Before that happens though I plan on making as many useful appointments as I can with docs who should understand and help me figure things out. I suggest you do the same - use whatever resources are available to you with your coverage and don't feel guilty about switching! People shouldn't be made to feel like liars by their doctors! STDs? UGH!!! How RUDE!!

Can I make a suggestion? Kind of feel odd suggesting this but it's logical to me. Call your local compounding pharmacy. Ask which doctors are prescribing LDN for Fibromyalgia.. NOT that you want to take it but it lets you know that doc is open minded and NOT restricted. To me if they aren't balanced in their field and open minded then I won't bother with them. Now.. it's not what I did but I did call to see which were prescribing it because I wanted to get on it. They were very informative and happy to give me the names of the docs using it. From there I worked it out with my current doc so all went well. She does believe in Fibro just knew nothing about LDN. :) Any doc who is closed minded is not worth their degree!

Chicken Princess and others oh I know with the stds i was like umm ok so i came home and looked up the symptoms for chlamydia and they're not even close!!!!That's a great idea about calling the pharmacy!!! I may have to try that. The problem is i'm on state ins and this office was the only one (beside the one I just left that never got me a referral to pain mgmt after a month) taking new patients.

Maybe this nuerologist will be halfway decent an dopen minded. I really hope so. because once again I have spent the last 3 hours reading symptoms and such on the internet and I just don't see how it could be anything else cept maybe MS. All of my scans and blood tests though have all come back normal.

I still don't get the PA saying she wasn't sure it was fibro yet prescribing me Savella....I swear!Thank you laides you all have been great. I have a very worried husband and 4 small kids that are also worried I'd like to be able to give them some sort of answer!

SillyMe - that's a fantastic idea.

Debbie - mexican food? If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck and tells you to go get mexican food - it must be a ..
QUACK. *shakes head*

Javamommy - My insurance is a state run program - for low income, so I know what you mean about having limited choices. Hmmm. I wonder if any of the brainy ladies here on the forum have ideas for tracking down someone else for you - they're a resourceful group - as you have seen. Even though there hasn't been a name put to your illness, it is not right for the doctors to treat you like you're nuts. That simply is NOT right. Some doctor somewhere will recognize what is going on. We just have to figure out a way to help you find one.

I think you have thought this through well and your instincts are true. You want an honest MD, but you don't want a disbeliever, either. You can spend wasted time and enegy simply trying to make your providers understand, and it sounds like that is unlikely to happen. DO shop around, research, ask for referrals from anyone else in the area with fibro if you know them. Have the comfort, safety and teamwork with your provider is invaluable to your sucess in handling the day to day challanges.
Are your choices dictated by your insurance? Do you have a rheumatologist, and why the neurologist? I am sorry you are in SO much pain, and this doesn't help in making decisions at this important time! We are all here to help you along the way!

Javamommy - does your insurance provide you with a list of providers who accept your coverage? If no, how do you search for doctors?

Under your coverage, are you required to get a referral before you see a specialist?

Hmmmm....maybe your doctors are crazy!     No, you know if you are depressed or not and No it isn't all in your head.  They don't have answers and, since they think they should, they tell  you that the problem is caused by  you and your mind.  Well, that's a bunch of baloney!  God forbid they do a little research and learn.  The link Doctors Respond To New York Times Article in Fibro 101 speaks volumes.  Get thee to another doctor...one that DOES believe in fibro.

 

Sherrine

Ouchie - that was a great thing to do - getting that shrink to write you a clean bill of mental health! How very smart.