feeling ignored

Doctors do this. I dont suffer from fibromyalgia but when I go to the doctor I do feel as if they are just talking at me, not listening to what I tell them. Keep looking, there HAVE to be some doctors out there who are willing to listen. Do some research on your condition and call around for doctors who have experience with it. Good luck to you!

I know how you feel about doctors ignoring you. I have a heart condition that I was diagnosed with when I was 17. I had trouble from the time I was a child but was ignored until I passed out after physical activity and my heart was beating so hard it could be seen beating through my shirt. Well, I have a new doctor now who every single time I tell him I'm experiencing chest pain he says, 'How old are you?' It's like he's clueless when he walks in the room. He has this blank look like he's never seen me there before, but I've seen him almost once a month. Finally, he ordered a new ECG and now his foot is probably in his mouth after getting the results back. I'm 26 now, 27 next month. Anyway, my mom has Fibromyalgia, but luckily she has always been physically active so it isn't so difficult for her to exercise now since she always has. She has to keep exercising to keep it from getting the best of her. Have the doctors made any kind of recommendations as far as a particular program to get you started or anything or are they just telling you to exercise without giving any input? I think if they are going to tell you to exercise, they need to tell you how to get it started and such based on your degree of pain.

Are they experts on that disease? I saw a news bit one day about this woman who had the same condition, she had a lot of trouble justifying her absences from work because her employers thought she was lying about her disease (they thought she was just being lazy and wanted to get sick pay).

OK, I have a friend who has fibromyalgia and she gave me these websites that have helped her immensely. Like you, she felt her doctors were not helpful at all. First one is a support site that helps you find the CORRECT doctors to consult and other related matters: http://www.fibroandfatigue.com The second is a supplement she discovered that helped her immensely: http://www.micronutra.com/activive.html

I am sorry for your pain...I know that fibromyalgia is a painful disease. Fibromyalgia is especially confusing and often misunderstood condition. Because its symptoms are quite common and laboratory tests are generally normal, people with fibromyalgia were once told that their condition was "all in their head." However, medical studies have proven that fibromyalgia does indeed exist. You should take some Muscle relaxants this can decrease pain in people with fibromyalgia. I have read and searched the net for this sickness and found the ff. info for you; "Muscle Relaxants: Muscle relaxants can decrease pain in people with fibromyalgia. Medicines in this family include Flexeril, Soma, Skelaxin, and Robaxin. The most common side effect is drowsiness, although Soma and Skelaxin cause less of it. I have found that muscle relaxants do not really decrease muscle spasms or truly “relax” muscles, because the painful area still has palpable spasms. Rather, the medicine appears to help by a central neurologic mechanism that reduces muscle pain. If drowsiness is a side effect, this medicine should only be taken in the evening so it doesn’t interfere with driving or concentration. Flexeril is a popular medicine for evening. Although it is a muscle relaxant, it is very similar to amitriptyline in structure and effect, hence the benefits reported." "Anti-Anxiety Medicines: Anxiety is a common problem in fibromyalgia and contributes to pain, muscle tension, and irritability. It can make depression and insomnia worse. Various medicines including antidepressants and muscle relaxants treat anxiety. Benzodiazepines such as Klonopin, Ativan, and Xanax, are commonly used medicines. These medicines also cause sedation and thus can improve sleep. Possible side effects include depression and decreased memory. Sometimes it is hard to determine whether symptoms are due to fibromyalgia or are side effects of medication." Please check out the link below.I hope this helps. Take care! http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/id/3308

I hear you. Fibromyalgia was for a long time, - and still is sometimes - the kind of illness that tends to be overlooked and even described as an imaginary thing, psychological problem etc. Only a handful of doctors understood it and worked on it as a real illness that it is. It is just now that physicians are finally opening their minds and trying to understand fibromyalgia. Hope things change even more soon, because this is not an imaginary disease, or some psychological problem - although it can lead to depression. ALl the best to you

Fibromyalgia is a parasite and as such the doctors do not know how to treat it. True FM hurts here today and there tomorrow and goes into hiding when it feels invaded annd stays there till it once again feels secure. This is very hard to get rid of but it is possible to trick it and chase it out with herbs SPECIAL HERBS but still hard to do and does not happen overnight. I do not know if I can give you my email here for more info, lets see what happens if we can get in touch. Sincerely Boyd J. Bruce

I feel for you. I've seen several rheumatalogists, and even they couldn't help me. There just is not a lot of research on fibromyalgia - at least not the helpful kind. I went to a doctor in January who flat out told me fibromyalgia did not exist and the pain was in my head. Needless to say I never returned and filed a complaint against him with the health authority. Exercise does help, mainly stretching or walking. Don't ever run, that is not helpful at all. I hardly ever feel like doing exercise either, but sometimes I force myself. And sometimes exercise is just not possible and no one understands that fact. Something that worked for me so well, was seeing a chiropractor. I thought they were quacks. I had been to one before and was not impressed. But I got a very good one this last time I went. I came in walking with a cane, and after two treatments I did not need one. Insurance often won't pay for it, so it's important to check if they have payment plans available. Also, there is a medication called Cymbalta, which you may have heard of. It is an anti-depressant and a pain reliever; the pain reliever being especially effective with fibromyalgia patients. Not everything works on everybody. But you aren't alone. I think there are a lot of support groups online as well. And if you ever want to talk about it, feel free to send me a private message. I have sympathy, since I live with it myself.

Boy, does that sound familiar. It took me at least two years to find a doctor who knew what fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome were and how to treat it. Many doctors still don't believe it is a valid diagnosis. Since there is no lab test or x-ray that can prove it is there, they think it isn't real! But there are many good books about the disorders now and if you get informed you can "shop" for a doctor who will take you seriously. I do hope you find a doctor who will respect you enough to listen and trust what you say about yourself. It is SO frustrating to have a professional "helper" act like you are imagining things. I even saw a psychiatrist because some of the doctors were convinced it was clinical depression. The psychiatrist said "You aren't clinically depressed, you are in pain and exhausted." I loved her immediately. My symptoms did respond to subclinical doses of anti-depressants, however. So don't panic if they are included in your treatment. They work for many of us to manage pain and help us sustain functional energy levels. Good luck to you. Don't give up!

I just got a really great book on fibro from the library...its called fibromyalgia and published by the arthritis foundation...you might want to look into it... I either have fibro or chronic fatigue syndrome...no one is sure, but currently the glands/lymph nodes in my neck and armpits are swollen and after many blood tests drs dont know what is wrong with me..... i am soooo tired!! i hope that you will take care of you...arm yourself, do research and know what you can and cannot handle

My husband has fibromyalgia along with bipolar disorder. He finds that hot baths, extra sleep and sometimes benadryl help him. He is also on an anti-depressant (Prozac) for it as well and that seems to help. Keep you chin up there are others out there like you and there are doctors that do understand (although they look at my husband like he is some kind of unique bug when they tell them he has fibromyalgia). If your doctor won't listen to you, it is definitely time to find a new doctor. Take care.

hi iam sorry for you.. you have a disorder and the doc doesnt believe you.. sounds strange... just make him understand by showing some symptoms...or try changin the doc...

most doctors don't think fibro is a real disease plus it's so wide spread and it seems like all of us who have it have different symptoms (I've had it since 2000) it's really hard to get a doctors attention. we didn't have insurance for a while and now we do and am trying to find a doc who takes our insurance and what am finding out is the ones who take it won't treat chronic conditions at all I guess am gonna have to start over and let them tell me wow u have fibro. and then I can go duh u think!!!!! it's really discouraging. I do have a sight that's got good info its fibrohugs.com if u haven't already check it out!!!!

Unfortunetly doctors sometimes dont know much about Fibro. Even though so much of the world now suffers from it especially women people think it doesnt always exist. It is called the invisible disability because it cannot be seen, specially on days when there isnt a flare. I was diagnosed with Fibro in 2005. There are days when i am flared so much that my hands clench into balls and i cannot move. i have a hard time keeping a job because of this. I used to get sick very little and now i cant seem to stay well. Most of the doctors i have seen also tell me to exercise because they think it is weight related. However i have a best friend that is skinner then heck and has it. Fibro however cannot just go away, it is with you for the rest of your life but you can manage it. i understand that some of the meds you are taking arent working but im sure that there are some out there. They wont cure it but it could help take the edge off the pain. Dont dispare. Any exercise you do just do it in moderate increments. Also watch your emotional state. I learned that the more i hurt the more im depressed and the more im depressed the more i hurt. Also i learned that the lack of REM sleep affects us as well. Try taking HTP. Its a medication that helps increase your dream cycle which is where the body repairs itself. Hope this helps.

Hi.I don't know how old are u and how long u suffer from as u say fibromialgia. Just want to ask-did ur doctor made u a right diagnosis "fibromyalgia"? Usually when I feel something wrong with my health, I search about symptoms in different sources-medicine literature, internet sites and etc. There is possible to find a lot of information about : what are real symtoms of disorder, what is diaagnostic, treatment and expierence in the world ...It helps me to understand better - do I really have a problem or just am "fixed" on thinkink of my bad condition. U know, 50% of healing make a keeping of good thoughts, as i do - don't allow to bad minds stay in my head, even feel a pain for example.I know if u really are sick with fibromyalgia, u really suffer. Just no one doctor can help u to fight ur disorder by ur brain. Don't laugh if my words sounds naive:) U will say-it's easy to talk and teach when haven't such illness. Believe me, most of us have differrent disorders and for every of us it seems that our disorder is worst. U can argue me.I just want say, that am not good in expressing minds in english, coz it isn't my native language. So am sorry for mistakes maybe I was made on writting.