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Pekoe

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Apr 19, 2015
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Reason
DX FIBRO
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00/0000
Country
US
State
Ma
My Dr refuses to do anything. She says the pain I am in is a result of my depression and anxiety and that the pain should go away once the depression and anxiety are under control. She refuses to accept the fact that my depression and anxiety are worse because of the pain, and are not actually causing the pain. So basically- It's all in your head, she says.

I can't get a formal diagnosis because that requires a specialist.
My insurance won't cover a specialist unless I have a diagnosis which requires referral.
My doctor won't refer me, because she can't diagnose me...

And these people wonder why I get so angry and have so much anxiety?

My pain is REAL. It's not just in my head- I'm not just making it up or imagining it all.
But no one will believe me.
 
First, is your doctor treating you for anxiety and depression? Have you asked her to do the trigger points test and the functional capacity test? That might help convince her. Otherwise, some antidepressants help fibromyalgia pain. Cymbalta is one of the three drugs approved by the FDA for fibro and is anti antidepressant and antianxiety med. Amitriptyline is used for pain and docs combine Prozac (fluoxetine) and amiltriptyline for pain as well. An older antidepressant, Trazadone, is commonly used as a sleep aid with fibro. Good sleep is important.

I have major depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia. I take Cymbalta and trazadone. They help with pain, but bear in mind that is likely nothing will take away all the pain of fibro.

Do as much research as you can and try guiding your doc to that research. One theory about fibro is that it is in your head. It is a central sensitivity syndrome that messes with the synapses in your brain. That's why the antidepressants can help.

Good luck and hugs.
 
I've had chronic depression and anxiety since high school. Diagnosed, and was mostly under control- Without medication.
I am unable to take SSRI medication because I have very severe negative side effects- Basically they make my symptoms worse.
I started seeking medical treatment almost 2 years ago for chronic pain in my legs and arms coupled with an annoying ear ringing that hasn't gone away even for a single day.
The doctor I had put me through a gambit of blood tests, all negative for whatever he was looking for. So he started me keeping a pain log, and then after 3 months did the point test, and I nearly collapsed under the pain with several of the points he gently pressed. It took him almost 8 months to tell me that he thinks I have Fibro and CFS. He put me on Amitriptyline, and while it did help me get more sleep, it did nothing for my symptoms during the day. Because of my increased lack of sleep due to pain and ears ringing, my anxiety has worsened. In the last 6 months I have had it pointed out to me by co-workers that I am slipping. My cognitive abilities are way behind what they used to be, and I am physically unable to do things I was able to just 5 years ago. I not just out of shape, or getting old. I am actually unable to lift a 10 pound box without extreme pain.

My doctor changed offices in January, and no longer takes my insurance. My new doctor is starting me over from scratch.. Everything I accomplished with the first doctor tossed aside. No longer on the Amitriptyline, the new doctor has switched me to Buspirone and Propranolol. I developed a new symptom in February- Tachycardia, hence the Propranolol.

My doctor said she really has no interest in diagnosing me with fibro, because she firmly believes that my anxiety is the cause of it all.
I have anxiety because I might lose my job since I can no longer do the job. I have anxiety because I can barely get out of bed anymore, and I am terrified of leaving my room. My doctor is actually very good, and I am not sure why she has decided not to treat me for Fibro when what my other doctor was doing was actually helping (even if only a tiny bit).

It boils down to what I said before though...

I can't get a formal diagnosis because that requires a specialist.
My insurance won't cover a specialist unless I have a diagnosis which requires referral.
My doctor won't refer me, because she can't diagnose me.

I'm trying to research my rights, and people keep telling me to find another doctor.
Finding another doctor who takes my insurance is proving difficult.
And when you Doctor hop, you then get labeled as a pill seeker- Even after you've refused to accept prescriptions for certain pills.

Venting helps, as you know. :)
 
Unfortunately a lot of us have been in your shoes. I wish I could help more. The challenge with fibro is finding something that works. Perhaps others will chime in. Venting is good! Take care.
 
Is she the only Dr u can see. Can't u find another one going a few more miles to find someone who beilives u has to be worth it.x
 
Hmmm
If you can, get a second opinion. I'm so so sorry, it's very frustraiting, I know. AND .......HERE MY STORY IN A NUTT SHELL. GO BACK THREE YEARS, THE FDA PUT THE BOOT TO DR.S. DUE TO THE ABUSE OF PAIN PILLS. BECAUSE OF THE ABUSE, DR.S ARE NOW HAVE ING TO BE VERY CAREFULL.
BUT YOUR NOT CRAZY DONT GIVE UP ON YOURSELF, THE MORE RESEARCH YOU DO....FOR YOURSELF, THE BETTER.
I HAD A FAMILY DR FOR 18 YEARS, THIS DR. KNEW ME AND MY FAMILY, PROBLY MORE THAN HE WISHED, I COULD CALL THE CLINIC AND 98 % of the time he would call me back. So moving forward, for the last 3 yrs I have seen other Dr.s the clinic just moved me out and to incoming Dr.
I missed my family Dr. So much. ��
I've been in this tornado of one after another Dr., The last one had dropped me off of valume had been taking for 5 years, not because they felt I didn't need it, but that they would loose his / her licence.
I'm off of benzos and agree they are only for extreme anxiety, butt.......Please! Anyone reading this......DO NOT....
allow the nightmare of detoxing be sudden. I KNOW MY own experiance, I could of died. There were

times fter going to bed In my sleep, I bit my tounge, I was on sleep aid, so I didn't wake up. I also know I had a mini
stroke, because half my face drooped and the top of my head down through my jaw was numb, for a day. My blood pressure went sky high, because of detox, I tried to explain to my Dr. That it was because of the sudden drop from valume, his replying was..."oh no your bp, would not do that because of lack of valume, I was a complete basket case for 3 months. I'm sharing this because.....I do not want the same thing to happen to anyone else.
If there was a way I could help just one person, I would at least had gone through all that hell, for someone else not to.
It is up to your pharmacy to keep you updated to meds, side effects. TWO DR.S PRIOR TO MY LITTLE STROKE tried to take me off, suddenly, when I would check with the pharmacy, they would say oh no you must not suddenly go of these, and I would get my rx. But the last New Dr. That I was seeing said NO again, I was so sick of life Dr.s and pills I was pretty convinced, that they won this battle, but no I should of kept fighting, looking back I wish I had taken a family member with me to my visits. The last new 3 Dr's I saw were all weird, degree or no degree, the first New Dr. I SAW I requested to see my regular Dr. She said "oh he doesn't do pain killers anymore, so if you want to see him, you have to be off them, Wow!,,,,really? Because my husband sees this family Dr. And still gets pain scripts. Liar.
The second Dr. Was pushing me through like a cow, and wanted me to see a shrink, well....I just thought. OK jump through another hoop, oops I missed an important part, the poor Dr. That said I couldn't see my Family Dr I had for 18 yrs, well she just up and disapeard, quite, I never got a phone call so I missed an Important Dr. Appointment for med refill.
I went to the shrink so I could stay sane, she said "uh why are you here? I told her well it should be in your notes my last Dr said I had to see you. She looked puzzled.
So the next Dr. App He walks in the room and it felt like at the top of his lunge said"so, you see your shrink yet?
Guess what, he also quite, out of the blue, and yet another missed appointment, high bp again.
Moving on ...yawn, Dr. # 3 oh he was a great actor and one visit my second to be exact, he said "so no one cares about you you know! What weird!
Then the next appointment I was told I was a ticking time bomb with high blood pressure, well ya. HE played checkers in the pill department for 4 months. He said and did the weirdest stuff.
And low and behold,,,,,,,you guess, He quite too, no phone call to warn me about my appointment, nothing, now I'm seeing Another Dr. And seams leave headed.
I've been to (her) twice, and we click. I CAN TRUST THIS ONE,,,,,,KNOCK ON WOOD.
WOW, THIS WAS A LOL OF TYPING, AND THE FIRST TIME I'VE SHARED SO MUCH. SO MORE OF THE STORY.......THE DR.S ARE PAID TO SEE US, WE HIRE THEM TO TAKE CARE OF US, NOT SHOOTING US DOWN AND DISASEMBLE OUR BRAINS.

It's been a nightmare, and I just pray to God this one is for real!
Well that was long winded
Happy weekend!
 
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Pekoe welcome the forum.

Im sorry you are having to go through this with the doctors.

it all lays within your hands. you are in control of your treatment plan. if you are having trouble finding a doctor that takes your insurance,
then call or go to your insurance website and find the list of doctors that you can see. call everyone of them if you have to to find one you like.

im no doctor. just been to many and paid a lot of money to them.

I have experienced what you have with the doctors and hospitals.

Your pain log is important and you should have reviewed it with the new doctor before she threw it all out as you say.
I would have never let her throw any of it out. i would have made her give me a referral to another doctor for a second opinion.

what exactly is your treatment plan that you and your doctor agreed upon?

what pain level did you agree upon with the doctor?

when are you going to see results from the meds she is giving you?

what and when is the next step for this medication that is not working?

before you made an appointment with this new doctor did you ask what her belief is in fibromyalgia?

did you ask any questions during your first appointment? what did you ask?

if you think you need a specialist then call your insurance and ask for one. tell them you have no diagnosis from your doctor and what do they recommend that you do?

sounds like you are doing nothing to help yourself and allowing a doctor to make uninformed decision about your body and treatment.

im sorry if this sounds harsh, but its time someone told you this so you can get some relief from the pain.

im here to support you if you want it.
 
I haven't agreed on any treatment plan with my new doctor, she just wrote me a script for Propranolol and Buspirone. I have been taking them, but I have noticed no difference, so the dosage was upped. Still no difference. Not sure what you mean by pain level. I really have no answers to most of the questions you asked because I get no answers when I ask them, either. Her answer is basically that if the meds aren't working yet, to up the dose in a few weeks. I asked for a referral to get another opinion... Got referred to a psychiatrist, not an MD. I am trying to get a referral to a Rheumatologist, but my insurance won't cover it without a diagnosis which requires a specialist's attention. It's the circle jerk that is making me angry.

I have called my insurance. These are the answers I have gotten after several hours on the phone. I've even tried just finding a specialist who would see me without my going through my own doctor- No luck with that, if my insurance won't pay them, they won't see me.
There is only so much I can do without knowing what else I can do.
So for now, I play the game and go along with this new doctor, because really there hasn't been any other option. I'm open to hearing suggestions, since that is what I came here for. :)
 
Pekoe,
Hello and welcome to the forum. If I am wrong correct me, but is your insurance a HMO or a PPO. I know if it is the HMO type you need permission from your doctor, as well as, referrals to other doctors, must go through your family doctor. With a PPO insurance you get to pick your own doctors and see who ever you want. So this type of set up can restrict your abilities in seeing new doctors.

I know you will think I am crazy, but I suggest you allow your doctor to refer you to that psychiatrist. If that is too strong a word then ask for a mental health therapist. The reasoning is because my first doctors did the same thing and I reacted like you did with anger. But later I realized that seeing the doctor gave me the answer needed that indeed I was not crazy and my pain was not mental. However, my anxiety and depression, brought on my non-listening doctors was real and I needed help to control it. The therapy helped me cope with the mental symptoms, as well as, taught me how to cope with other people who did not believe I was ill. So reconsider going it might do you some good, as well as, help big time should you ever need to apply for SSD.

Are you at this time seeing a Rheumatologist or just a family doctor? If you see the psychiatrist, that doctor might be able to refer you to see a Rheumatologist. Sometimes you need to play along until a back door opens up, if you get my drift.

Sorry I was so long in answering, I recently had eye surgery, and my sight was impaired for a week. Please ask me any question and I will try to help if I can. :)
 
Hi, I'll just comment a bit on my FM issues. I'd been trying for 10 yrs to get what I believed was a sluggish thyroid SUPPORTED....10 yrs of depression and cocktails of anti depressants...they did nothing, but one day I called my osteopath MD and talked about thyroid to him and he KNEW, he called in for Armour thyroid and that 10 yrs of depression lifted. That was in 2002.

Then in July 1999, I was hit with an emotional trauma and my body went into a major SHOCK, I had not been on Armour YET and didn't get on it until early 2002....I feel had I been taking thyroid support the trauma would not have hit me as badly.

So going along with my thyroid and supps ONLY for fibro and getting my Vit D tank filled, it was empty I found in late 2006....I was feeling pretty darn good.

Then in late 2010, I went thru hip replacement and BAM ... it has been a mess...another trauma and this surgery is a trauma...and here it is 2015 and I live in so much more pain and I know it's from the surgery. Complications are: Femoral Nerve Damage, IT Band Damage, Shorter Leg, mess of a knee and foot/ankle from the shorter leg.


So, I'm thinking the FM is in good shape, pretty much, but body and mind messed up from hip replacement.

For me most important supps and med I take are:
Armour Thyroid
Magnesium, higher dosing thru day
MSM, higher dosing thru day
Grape Seed Extract, going on 20 yrs soon.
Vit D3 and K2
DHEA for hormone support

Ibuprofen 2 two times per day
Pain RX herbal supp, 2 two times per day
DGL for stomach lining protection


I worked out a sleep combo, that gives me 8-10 hrs pretty good sleep per night.

Hope the above isn't too scattered but I'm anxious to get to bed. I'm not a fan of the drugs. I see only an integrative MD and she's a good buddy.

This is how I handle it all, and wish I could stop the aging, but that's not gonna happen...trying to do it gracefully, but it's getting tougher.... J
 
I'm sorry you are going through this ridiculous process to find help to ease your pain. I will not get on my soapbox about the medical field because I know we are all probably in the same boat, thinking the same thing. :)
It took FIVE different docs before I finally got a legit diagnosis. They tested me for everything under the sun, and with the process of elimination Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and osteoarthritis in my hands. DO NOT GIVE UP! PUSH THE DOCS. BE ANNOYING. KEEP SEARCHING, RESEARCHING. I basically had to be a ridiculous sass to get a doc to do their freaking JOB! you can do this! Keep us update and keep pushing until you get answers! this is your LIFE and HEALTH!
 
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