Well, I really feel for you guys and gals who have FM. I went to see a different doctor than my own today, just a family practitioner. Granted, I wasnt his patient and he doesnt deal with Fibro. And granted I have thyroid disease and it causes me lots of problems. But he really let me know in no uncertain terms that in his eyes, Fibromyalgia is a garbage can diagnosis, with no treatment, no specific symptoms and no real justification. So you figure any patient of his who has truly got this disease, isnt going to get any help from him. Not only that, he said it isnt a proven autoimmune problem, and I would only say there are many ties between things like FM and thyroid disease, and many other diseases. So in this case, I feel like I really knew much more than he did. He did suggest I ask my own doctors for their opinions, but he wasnt about to even get involved in the whole discussion. Likewise I asked about Synthroid thyroid hormone. There is much discussion about the drug being unregulated in its production. Again, he didnt give any credibility to that argument. I guess it pays to wait for you own doctor, but then again I have no guarantee that she is going to believe in FM either. They say next year we are going to have the option in our HMO of picking our own specialists, making an appointment on our own and have no referral system. I think it's a good thing. I think now so often patients know better than the doctors care to know, or have time for. I'm sorry if any of you have received that kind of treatment, because I know people who sincerely have FM and I know they suffer much.

Tasha--

Well, you saw first hand how ugly it can get for us with FM.
I'm lucky in that my doc hands out a diagnosis slip for billing purposes and on mine he circles 'Fibromyalgia' with the diagnostic code next to it.
That's how real it is.

Maybe doctors need to read up on their Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Treatment. It's not hard for them to catch up on their education.

Ed

Since my primary physician left I was referred to a new one for a physical. When she asked me what my problems were and I started relating them. The first thing out of her mouth when I said fibromyalgia was "that is just a bunch of symptoms" which instantly caused a personality clash. Then when I told her I have severe osteoporosis she stated "you fall right in that category small boned female, former smoker..." This woman had me so upset so I took a deep breath for control and uttered, "Well, I guess you should be prone to osteoporosis as you are downright puny!" I then wanted to yell, "Security, security..." Needless to say I never entered her door again even though they tried to send me back to her again. (TT)

Typing: It is a shame. As a diabetic who is very involved in keeping up to date with everything, I am well prepared when I go to a doctor's office. I cannot believe how many times I can go armed with material, right out of the medical journals, and they say it isnt true or accurate information.

If a Doctor told me that FM wasn't real I would grab his little nose and change his little mind!

My doctor knows my FM pain is very real and treats me for it!

The problem is that SOME Doctors are ignorant of the symptoms and should go back to school for a refresher course!!!

Mad- snarlling *(*_)(^$**!

he sounds like a real charmer - a lot like the myriad of dr's i have seen for my fibro over the last year that have absolutely treated me so badly that it has caused me so much emotional not to mention financial trauma. you definitely do not want fibro - most people are really weird about it, it's no fun.

best of luck to you,
amy

Thanks Amy. No, I dont want it and am really dealing with the thyroid issues right now, to see if that is the whole problem. But I am glad I know about it, and have friends with it, so I can defintely say it isnt in their heads!