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Fibromyalgia Pain Relief
Hi my name is Sarah I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia recently and have been suffering for around 2yrs now. I was wondering if any one could help me with finding a doctor who isn't stuck in the era of this being a problem in my head. I have had to research this my self and everything I seem to read is now saying that Fibromyalgia is a very real long term chronic illness. All the doctors I have seen treat me as if I am depressed and I need to find my happy place and I will be cured. I am suffering severe pain in all my joints and connecting muscle, I suffer extreme fatigue, memory loss, sleep disturbances etc the list goes on. I am taking Anti-depressants which are helping with the sleep and I take Mersyndol Forte for pain, but it falls very short on the crippling pain that i am in. I live on the south coast NSW and travel to Sydney to see specialists but as good as my neurologist is he doesn't know much about this condition and all the other doctors, Rheumatologists are all still treating this as a mental issue.. Could any one tell me what on earth to do. Is there a specialist out there who is up to date with the new findings of this illness (like it is an illness not in my head) and who has better pain relief ideas other than panadol. According to my research There is many strong pain relievers that are giving fibromyalgia suffers back their lives yet doctors i have seen wont even entertain the idea because of their ignorance to the illness.
If anyone could give me some idea what to do I would appreciate any help
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Finding a Dr
My GP diagnosed me with CFS (against my 'will'). He was the one that believed the diagnosis and had to convince me, and I was the one telling him he was making a mistake. This GP is going into semi-retirement and is in Sydney, and he referred me to a specialist - Dr Phillip Clifton-Bligh MBBS BSc (Med) FRACP. He is a consultant Physician Endocrinologist and Clinical Associate Professor. Located in the clinical suites of North Shore Private Hospital at St Leonards in Sydney. Ph 02 9926 7044. I guess this is hard for you to get to, but he does understand ME/CFS and the array of symptoms. You could also try Dr Youseff at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.
Good Luck, R
Thank you re Finding Dr
Thank you for your reply my computer has been down as to why its taken this long. My daughter has seen Dr Phillip Clifton-Bligh for Hypo-thyroidism and found him fantastic. So thank you I will give him a go..
Hi Sarah,I was just reading
Hi Sarah,
I was just reading your message and felt like I was the one who wrote it myself.
I have exactly the same symptoms with my fibromyalgia and also live on the south coast. It has been my biggest plight trying to find a doctor who has any idea when it comes to helping me with any of this. I am so sick of trying new doctors out in the hope of finding one who is willing to help or take me seriously. I am pretty much bed bound most days and have know idea why its so hard to for them to take this serioulsy considering what we are all going through.
I've actually just moved here from Sydney and didnt have any luck with finding a good doctor up in sydney either, so if I come across a good one, I'll let you know.
The only thing I can think of to tell you is that some doctors are willing to prescribe tramadol for fibromyalgia, its supposed to be simillar to meds like panadine fort, its an opiate still, but a little less addictive and longer lasting. I managed to get a script for it off a doctor I found, though he is on holidays for the next month and also located in Sydney, so hopefully I'll be able to see him again in the future if I cant find any other doctor down here willing to help. He wasnt of much help and not particularly nice though he did give me the tablets, so thats a start. Anyway, I hope you have some luck and I can only hope for you that you find the doctor and the relief your searching for, as I know exactly how you feel and I cant believe anyone else has to go through this amount of pain also without any help. Its almost criminal. Hope this finds you well,
Melissa
Dr south coast
Hi Sara
I also live on the South Coast near Shellharbour and I see Dr Bashford at Port Kembla Hospital or Thirroul Hospital, he was recommended by my GP and works with FM groups. He has a great understanding of the disease. Also my GP is Dr Mahon at Barrack heights Medical centre, he two is awesome.
regards
Donna
Donna again
Hi Sara
If you read my little squawl called sick of FM you will see the strong pain relievers I have been on
Donna
Chronic joint/muscle pain
Sara
Although I am a recovered ME sufferer, haven't had it since the year 2000, the one thing that sticks with me is the nagging toothache type of pain I get in my shoulders (especially if it is going to rain). Yes, rheumatologist are not much help as my previous blogs will tell you, and as I work at a hospital I know first hand that rheumatologist pretty much do not believe in chronic fatigue and treat it like it is just depression, neurologists tent to be the same. Since recovering from my ME I am heavily into sport, not the sort of thing a depressed person does, and in fact sports releases endorphines, the happy drug. A physiotherapist once said to me, a doctor can make you fit any catagory they want, there is an answer to everything and they are always right (so they think). With most doctors/specialist if you don't improve, then it is simply depression as they cannot be seen to have failed in their treating you. Interestingly enough, when doctors get sick it is not classed at depression but rather overwork, them being over achievers and all - what a joke! One rule for one, and another rule for the other. As I am allergic to most pain killers I stick to the simple things such as dispirin and digesic and sometimes these help, as long as I do not take it too often.
Kathleen! Thank you for
Kathleen! Thank you for telling us that about Rheumatologists! I had to have a medico-legal assessment for work recently and they sent me to a Rheumatologist. I advised HR that I did not think it was a suitable referral but they sent me anyway! The report came out surprise surprise with a heavy sway towards depression! Even though I have been seeing a Psych for over a year and she has not diagnosed me as clinically depressed! Anyway, it was frustrating & I am happy you wrote that - even if I am the only one it cheered up
All the best guys,
Marina
Worker's Compensation
Marina
I worked in Legal for 23 years, and insurance company's first choice of doctors they send you to are rheumatologists, they are trained at arguing either depression or an illness of the mind. With my claim the rheumatologist attached loads of articles, stating that these are what he would stand by if the matter proceeded to court. The articles went on to say that RSI (even though this turned out not to be what I had) was a non existing ailment and that people who get RSI have a condition that is of the mind. He also said that no one should waste time running tests on this type of person as it only feeds their illness. What is even funnier is that so called "independent" doctors which insurance companies claim they use, are not independent. It is vary rare that any doctor for the insurance company will agree that there is anything wrong with the claimant. It will either be depression or a phycological condition. Doctor are meant to help patients, but doctors who work for insurance companies do nothing but destroy people - so much for the oath they take when becoming doctors to always care for the patient. All these sort of doctors care for is disproving the claim and the big money which the insurance company will pay them.
Doctors
I was just reading everyones comments. I tend to disagree with comments about Dr's. I may have just been lucky, but I saw a Rheumatologist (sorry cant remember his name off the top of my head), but he was the one who gave me a definite diagnosis of FMS. My GP also is great, he listens, believes and will provide me with strong opiods where other Dr's are afraid to do this. He in the past has suffered from depression, which he readily admits.
So guys there are good doctors out there and I feel for those who have had bad experiences with Dr's. Don't let other Dr's sour you keep looking you will find a good Dr
Donna
Good points about insurance
Good points about insurance companies Kathleen. I worked for one and when a person was identified as having chronic pain symptoms, not much treatment was occurring so I'd take the case to a committee to look at getting in a provider to get treatment happening often it was refused as the person was seen as faking it, psychosomatic or having "illness behaviour" etc.
Sadly the approach of doctors is if they see the person as having a psychosomatic condition is to "manage" the person by minising treatment to so called "discourage illness behaviour" and the condition is seen as untreatable. Even the mental health field is scathing of people with unexplained symptoms talking of medicare funding for psychological treatments going on the "worried well" when it's the doctor that decides the symptoms are psychosomatic and naturally a desperate person who wants/needs to keep earning or keep up with family, community responsibilities will say well then refer me to a psychologist to treat it to relieve my symptoms and would have that right. However I've heard theories that some of the apparently "worried well" have a sub optimal thyroid functioning so there would well be other unpicked up conditions they could have.
Donna it's great that you have a GP and rheumatologist that has been good and supportive. It's great to see that such doctors are out there.
Chronic pain
DJ
I understand the concept not to encourage people who have illnesses (chronic pain syndrome) to go running around seeing doctor after doctor, but I never had pain. I had electric shocks in my finger and my arms felt like I had permanently hit my funny bone. I lost circulation in my fingers. If ANYONE had bother to even look at my hands they would have discovered the severity of my injury, but they chose not to and so far I have had 3 lots of surgery and more to come. I am sure there are many good doctors out their but having worked in legal/insurance companies myself for over 23 years, their doctors main aim is to act in favour of the insurance company. When in legal we had a list of various ways you could get a doctor to dismiss a claim. As i said I did not see a doctor for pain, in fact I did not even see a doctor but rather saw someone in my Staff Health Department at work. When you are dropping things all the time and are no longer able to write because your hands have clawed up, it doesn't take a genius to see something is wrong and that it was not a chronic pain syndrome.
Kathleen my apologies if you
Kathleen my apologies if you thought I saw your hand condition as a chronic pain syndrome. It is truely bad the fact that they were so dismissive rather than taking your symptoms seriously and looking into them. Has the surgery helped at all? How much more surgery do you need to have? You would be naturally angry at the medical profession over the poor treatment you'd had.
I was more saying that many people with unexplained symptoms get treated very poorly when they are viewed as being psychosomatic. People with migraines and headaches rarely get prophylatic treatment even though it can be very effective due to that attitude as there are only theories not facts on what cause headache or migraines. With chronic pain syndrome there are now theories of nervous system sensitisation where pain signals continue long after the original injury or strain has healed. So naturally they seek out a doctor who is open to the condition and willing to attempt to treat the pain.
Never give up
DJ
There was no offence taken, as I understand what you meant and where you were coming from. I can see both sides of every equation, I think that is why I suffer brain fag so often because my mind is busy taking two sides and fighting with itself. The surgery has made me able to write again, but unfortunately looks like my nerves are now sending off weird messages so have to see a neurologist for brain scan (they won't find much!). Won't mention to him I have ever had ME and will see how I get on. One thing I will say to everyone who has chronic fatigue, never give up on that one day it will just go away, in my case it took many years but when I recovered there was no holding me back.
A neurologist is certainly a
A neurologist is certainly a good idea to see about your hands and nervous system. Good luck with the brain scan. Will it be a CT scan or MRI? I had a CTS scan a few years ago for migraines and was happy to find that I did actually have a brain - I now have proof.
Personally, from the UK,
I am sick to death of some medics refusing to accept that ME/FM are not just a 'state of mind' issue. Thankfully attitudes ARE changing, albeit slowly. ME is now officially recognised by the World Health Organisation and the UK National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) as a true neurological illness, not some 'pull yourself together and you'll be ok', nonsense.
What does (doesn't?) help, is the prescribing of anti-depressants for the treatment of ME. The truth is that a SIDE-EFFECT of some anti-depressants is found to be beneficial to both ME and FM sufferers. Unfortunately, the assumption is that, because you are taking anti-depressants, and these improve the way that you feel, depression must be the cause of the illness. My own GP freely admits that he has no idea why they often work to relieve the symptoms of ME/FM, they just do (for some).