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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 10/8/2012 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hi All

I just joined this forum hoping that there is someone out there who can help me...

I live in Adelaide. for six months I have been in chronic pain. It started in my lower back and has slowly spread throughout my whole body. I am also ridiculously exhausted, all the time. I work and I sleep and I cry and that is all I do.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a Rheumatologist who diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia.. My GP, however, doesn't seem too impressed with this diagnosis, and sent me to see someone else who diagnosed me with "non-specific back pain" (a fair cop-out if you ask me... that's really just a fancy way of saying 'I don't know').

It seems my GP has just decided to ignore the initial diagnosis now... Can anyone suggest a good GP (preferably close to the Western Suburbs in Adelaide) who isn't going to just ignore this diagnosis? I really don't know what else to do... cry
Posted 10/29/2012 11:30 AM (GMT 0)
Fibro is very hard to be confirmed, in Aust I'm afraid there's still some doc who's still arguing against the condition. I'm in the adelaide hills, my GP is pretty good with organising referals and help me find specialists who is suited for me for all my fibro related issues.

What I've found so far is, you need to proactively look for solution yourself because a lot of the GP and specialist out there are simply too busy or interested to help esp when you present them with symptoms and conditions that they cannot "see".

What I did was went to a few GPs, talk to them ie interview them... tell them what you have been told and what are the results so far, keep going till you find one who is interested to help you get where you want to be. I guess I was lucky, I was dx while I was travelling so managed to get 2 opinions that agreed with the DX. And this is after 10 years living with cronic pain and $$$ on surgeries and drugs.

A few things that I've been made aware of with medicare... while FM may be recognised as a DX, many drugs that has been tested and "work" for FM are not on PBS list. So you will need to have a GP who is willing to help put your script on PBS... eg give you a close enough dx so you can get the script on PBS, otherwise you're looking at paying full price (PBS covers about 60%-80% of drug cost).

As far as I know, Cymbalta is not on PBS for FM, not sure about Lyrica because I went off it while I was still overseas. Am on Neurontin right now, it's not on PBS for FM, it's originally an anti convultion drug, so if your Dr is creative, they may get you a PBS script.

Flexiril, sevella, zenaflex are not available in Australia.

My specialists are all around Norwood or the eastern suburbs... I'm happy to give you their names if you're interested.
Posted 10/30/2012 2:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hi ledacat, sorry i havent replied quickly, it can seriously bum you out when no one replies, i know.....

I live down in the south east of SA so i cant help you with gp's.. But i am excitied like i told fibro$ux to see a new reumy for me! who is a leader in fibro (aparently) tongue   So i will keep you all up to date..

I agree with everything already said, so chin up and keep perservering, there are good gp's out there. wink

And fibro$ux, my brother also has fibro and he went to the pain clinic, he said it was a waste of time and was very demorolising.....They basically said it was in his head and tried to teach him conitive therepy! Granted it is good to have control of your mind but he had waited like you for soooo long just to find it very dismisive shakehead

I hope you have a different expereince.. yeah

And i appologise for my late response..So as not to hijack ledacats thread, i have someother news im putting in another thread..

Cheers guys

Azumi

Posted 10/30/2012 3:42 AM (GMT 0)
Azumi, RE your brother and pain clinic... pretty much what I think might happen... as with many docs in Australia, they just can't fathom the degree of pain and how demoralising and antogonising it is when you have to live with it daily and have someone else tell you... there's nothing we can do because they can't see anything physical that is not right... or they think it's all "in your head"... well that's fine... I know people are being treated for pain with antidepressant... there is just not enough doctors out in Aust who emphatise and able to associate with patients with FM and CFS. It's just beyond them. That's why I've end up with my own army of specialist. I've got a GP who's helpful, I do my own research on FM, I see a myofacial doctor, have a nutritionist, I talk to a psychiatrist... am going to add a psychologist to my list... and currently battling with abdominal pain, blood result is slowing sign of non viral hepatitis... we're still investigating.

Anyway... LedaCat... Shop for a GP who helps patients with FM... then you just have to keep pushing the GP to recommend you some other docs who may help. First you need a GP who is willing to help.
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