Discouraged & Fed Up

Ok so I need to vent. I have been to three rheumatologists so far:

The first told me to exercise and put me on Savella which after 6 weeks I had to stop d/t side effects. I cannot take anti-depressants and Lyrica makes me feel high as a kite.

The second told me to to exercise, water therapy and gave me a script for Klonopin.

The third one, which I went to today, told me about trigger point injections. I told her that I was having loud buzzing in my head and sometimes ringing in my ears..she totally ignored me. She did not know anything in depth about Fibro...I knew more than she did.

At this point I don't know whether to just give up or to go out of state to a REAL doctor who specializes in Fibro (Chiropractic Neurologist).

The kicker is that she asked me if I'm depressed!!! DUHHH yeah, I can't find a doctor who is competent and I'm in pain ALL the time.
She told me if I considered seeing a psychiatrist. lol God help me.

Sorry you are having a rough time:(

I say this in a gentle way, but may I ask what type of treatment you are looking for as far as the Fibromaylgia?

Many of the things that have been offered are pretty typical and actually help quite a lot of folks.

Exercise is definitely one of the top things on the list and so important for us. As well as other natural things eating healthy, drinking lots of water, gentle stretching, and yes, even counseling to sort out the emotions and ways to help deal with living in chronic pain. Water therapy is also a great tool and easy on the body!

And then on the medication end, Savella, Lyrica, and other type of antidepressants or nerve pain meds are also very common in helping treat Fibro.

Same thing with getting trigger point injections...these can be helpful to loosen those spots.

Obviously it's best to find a Dr. who believes and knows how to work with those with Fibro...it sounds like this was Dr. one and two.

May I ask why you left Dr. number one and number two?

The part about the depression...this is pretty common for those who live with chronic pain and many people even have a chemical imbalance that does need to be treated with medication. It's important to work with the Dr. to find out if all a person needs is counseling or whether they need the medication as well.

That is what is good about medication like Cymbalta which is also a nerve pain med for Fibro but helps with depression. Have you tried that particular med as it's not a typical "antidepressant" per say.

Again, we all truly empathize with you as it does take time to find a good "fit" with a Dr....It just seems that a few of the Drs. were trying to help with offering some tools both medicinal and non-medicinal.

The only medication I use for my Fibro is a muscle relaxer to take when needed. The rest of the things I do I listed above in the 4th paragraph along with acupuncture, massage, and trying to find joy each day:)

I would go to see an ENT about the buzzing and ringing in your ears as that might be something on it's own.

I know it's frustrating when you are seeking out answers...The thing with Fibro though and most illnesses is there isn't just one easy fix. It's pretty much working as a team with your Dr.

I do wish you luck!!

NO dont give up as this happens everywhere,theres alot good and alot that dont have a clue,ask on phone next time, that they no re fibro before you go to see them as you do have the right to do that,i have come across one that said re the depression and fibro,I should have said to him,HELLO my life has just been totally been turned upside down by a illness called fibromyalgia and now my life ahead will be with pain and the rest that comes with it,HOW would you handle that?,i am also awaiting to see a psychiatrist as you need someone to talk to that understands as it will help us,hope you get on much beter next time with dr who understands what you are going through,we all no and understand XX

Well I have read several books on Fibro and have watched many videos on YouTube from diff doctors around the country. I advise everyone to do this because you do learn ALOT!

These three Rheums I saw did not mention that Fibro involves a multidisciplinary approach. They also did not mention:

1. That there is a saliva and urine test called NeuroAdrenal Basic to test nor-epinephrine, serotonin and adrenal gland function. Basically this is a saliva and urine test.
2. Two of these doctors did not know what myofascial or neuromuscular massages were.
3. All three did not believe in vitamin therapy.
4. The last one did not know what the term "Fibro Fog" was.

Basically if I tell these doctors that I cannot take any of the meds that are used for Fibro due to side effects they just throw up their hands and say exercise and watch your diet. It is apparent that they did not even research or learn about this illness.
To Maitland--I did ask the receptionist who made my appt if this female rheum specialized in Fibro and she said yes. Apparently it was a lie, because I knew more than she did. I am going to print a bunch of info and mail it to her.

The more I talk about this the more aggravated I'm getting..lol
Thank you all for the suggestions and comments.

This is why I said you don't need a Dr. to get a good fibro treatment going. Take vitamins, excercise, use heat, massages, eat healthy and stay away from stress. The fibro fog is usually worse when your tired or stressed. Do puzzles or games that challenge your mind for the fibro fog.

A new doctor has to start at the beginning of the diagnosis and treatment cycle.

Also, specialists are very specialized, and really do not fully study other conditions. That is one of the reasons that fibro is so difficult to treat, because of it's many overlapping symptoms.

I guess I am still not sure what you are wanting out of a rheumatologist. Going to the doctor can be very frustrating when you don't feel well, and want action immediately. But medicine doesn't work that way. The doctor observes the patient, asks questions, and starts at a point of entry to try to diagnose and treat. It is not an exact science, as much as we would like it to be. A physician is going to be trained in medical intervention, much less so for natural interventions.

Perhaps you want to work with a naturopath.