Hi, Us, and welcome! I'm so glad you found us and joined our family. Have you been diagnosed with fibromyalgia? You usually have to go through a myriad of tests to rule out other illnesses that have the same symptoms as fibro before a diagnosis is given.
Does your rheumatologist treat fibro patients? You know, there are still a few out there that are in the Dark Ages when it come to fibro. Hopefully yours does treat fibro. Were there a lot of tests done, too? Are you on any medications? If you find yourself answering "No" to many of these questions, then you probably should be looking for a new rheumatologist.
With fibromyalgia, you rarely get pain-free. I've had it for over 24 years and haven't been pain-free yet. So, don't let that be how you judge your doctors. You do want them helping you the best they can.
You have to try different things to see what works for you to help control the pain and fatigue. Everyone is different so what works for one might not work for another. You just have to try until you do find a combination of things that help you. I used to use ibuprofen with food but had to stop that a few months ago due to a bleeding ulcer. I am taking extra strength Tylenol and an alternative medication that I'm testing out. I'm waiting to make sure this is truly working for me before I post about it on the forum. I also have Vicodin for breakthrough pain. I try not to use this but some days it can't be helped. I just started taking this when I had to stop the ibuprofen. I can't take any NSAID's now.
I do take malic acid/magnesium supplements and vitamin D3 supplements for pain and fatigue.
I also do gentle stretching exercises, I walk daily as a forum of gentle daily exercise (swimming and yoga are good, too), I pace myself when doing things, and I get a gentle massage once a month that helps me. All of this combined helps me with pain and fatigue.
Be sure to read Fibro 101...the second thread on the forum. There are links to good info about fibro and you will learn a lot. Good starting links are called Symptoms, What Else Could It Be, and A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia. You just might see yourself there. There are also links to the vitamin and nutrients that I mentioned above and how they work in the body and there is a link with the gentle stretching exercises that I do. I hope some of this helps you.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you. Hope to hear more from you soon.
Sherrine