Going on 25 years with FM.

Hi Gia.  I hope you are having a good day.  I have been with my doctor for about 16 years.  He was a resident when I met him at the hospital where I worked.  He took care of my first grandchild (who is now 18) when he was an infant.  We know each other on an almost family level, so I can talk to him and he talks to me and he listens.  We started off with some mild pain medication which helped for a while.  I have gradually moved up on the pain med scale to Lortab 10/500 3 times a day, Mobic which helps the aching joint/bone problems, and I take Xanax twice a day religiously.  He will give me Oxycodone if I'm having a particularly hellish day (or week).  I am able to function most days.  I have the dizzy spells, the blurred eyesight, and I stumble around sometimes because I lose my balance.  Anyway, it probably is related to the FM, or the condition is made worse because of the FM.  I hope you find a Dr. who will "get it".  They only allow 10-15 minutes to spend with a patient, so you gotta get a good doctor who will maybe spend a little more time with you.  Hang in there, you got a lot of company. 

Thanks,

I did just get a new primary care and she seems to actually get it, so I think there is hope on the horizon, she is willing to at least consider other options and other possible illnesses.

I read your post and it's nice to know someone else knows it does get worse with age.

Thanks for the input.  If you hear of anything new please let me know  

 Hi Gia,

I have had FM & CF for many years!

I DO have a great Dr., it took awhile to find him and when I did I couldn't believe how lucky I was! He has helped me so much. I had to stop working 7 years ago and I am on SSD. Even though my Dr. helps me I still am not pain free. We work together on the meds to find out what works. It does take family and friends a long time to GET IT! My family is good with it but I have lost a couple of what I thought were "Best Friends" !! Well, ya know what, I didn't need them anyway! If they were true friends, they would still be "True Friends" Dr. started me on Lyrica about 9 months ago, it does work with a lot of the pain, not all of it, but what I does work on is a nice relief. I still have a lot of meds but that is the way it goes! For the Chronic Fatigue he gives me a stimulant to take in the days so I can be awake with everyone else! I hope you can try these meds, you'll be happier if they help!

Hi,

I'm sure glad you have found something that works, and I do agree that if you loose the friends, to heck with them.  I lost a few of my own, but I figure it's their loss.  I sure can live without them.

It's also true to get anywhere you have to be your own best advocate.  I could not understand why nothing they did to treat my Fibro was working this time, nothing.  I had had treatments in the past, and some of them provided some relief.

So this time, I went out and found an new Dr., and I gave her all the info about what had been going on, so she decided to start all over with testing, because she felt that there may have been things going on that were preventing the treatments to work.  

I am so glad I changed Dr's, because by starting over they discovered I had breast cancer.  I appears that what ever symptoms I presented with were just being swept under the "Fibro" rug, that no one looked any further.

I'm glad you found a doctor who gets it.  Doctors can be put into categories - ones who don't believe you have FM, ones who do believe, but are afraid to give you the medications you need, ones who just sweep every symptom you have under the FM rug, and once in a while you get a doctor who "gets it".  I wish you continued good luck with your new doctor.  Keep in touch. 

Thanks,

Your right they are the classes of Dr's I have been through, that resulted in me ending up where I am now.  I can't urge everyone strongly enough that you are your own best advocate.

I know sometimes it's hard to fight, when you are so tired and hurt so much, but if you believe in your heart something else is wrong, find the energy, and get a friend or family member to help you to get a new Dr. 

 Don't be afraid to ask allot of questions, go online and research your symptoms, and see if they even fit into the Fibro box, and if you haven't done so yet, do it now.  I had to educate myself on everything anyone could know about Fibro, so then I knew what just didn't fit.

Be and educated patient, and stand your ground and fight even if it means contacting plan administrators, until you get your problems resolvved.