I am desperately trying to find a doctor in the Greater Portland area who understands Fibromyalgia. My primary care physician isn't able to really help me.

Any info/help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Ask your primary doctor for recommendations. If not look in your Insurance Book (If you have one) to see what doctors are covered by your insurance plan. You will want to look under Rhumatology (I don't know if I spelt that right) Hope I Helped!
Good Luck and God Bless-

hey thomes-try a psychiatrist!! most of them understand and treat fibro-even if you dont have depression or that stuff they can still treat you for fibro!! and most health plans dont require your primary care doctor to refer you!!good luck!!naq..:)

Naquaada,
Does he treat you with meds, and may i ask what meds he's given you? Are they working for you? Also, i bet talking about the illness to him/her gives you some type of relief or feedback from him/her on how to cope with it. I was , have been pondering the idea of seeing one, to just vent and see if he can give me some insight into living and coping with fibro. I know people say it doesnt get worse, but i believe thats wrong. In the last two years, ive seen a huge difference and the difference isnt good. I know im older, but still just the thought of having this thing for the rest of your life, the changes one has had to make, the things in life ive had to give up, the guilt of not living up to someones expectations, the fatique, the drugs, the never ending explainations, appologies, cancelled events, not being able to ever plan anything, is just getting to me. Im wondering if hes helped you with things on how to cope?
anyway, if this question is too personal and you dont feel comfortable answering , i'll understand. Sometimes i can be a bit too nosey when im asking for info on fibro.
Hope youre having a pain free day hon.
Thanks,
jen

Naquaada,
Does he treat you with meds, and may i ask what meds he's given you? Are they working for you? Also, i bet talking about the illness to him/her gives you some type of relief or feedback from him/her on how to cope with it. I was , have been pondering the idea of seeing one, to just vent and see if he can give me some insight into living and coping with fibro. I know people say it doesnt get worse, but i believe thats wrong. In the last two years, ive seen a huge difference and the difference isnt good. I know im older, but still just the thought of having this thing for the rest of your life, the changes one has had to make, the things in life ive had to give up, the guilt of not living up to someones expectations, the fatique, the drugs, the never ending explainations, appologies, cancelled events, not being able to ever plan anything, is just getting to me. Im wondering if hes helped you with things on how to cope?
anyway, if this question is too personal and you dont feel comfortable answering , i'll understand. Sometimes i can be a bit too nosey when im asking for info on fibro.
Hope youre having a pain free day hon.
Thanks,
jen
I don't think you're being nosy...that's the only way we can help ourselves is to talk to each other...
I started taking a statin drug after a heart attack (for high cholesterol) and almost immediately I felt something different in my body. As time went on, oh I'd say a year or so, I got worse and began to apologize for not getting the housework done, or the finances finished...I began to put the yard work off. Even the riding mower would make my whole body ache and throb. The stabbing sharp pains that I felt in my hips, legs, ankles and feet were getting worse. I would have hot spots on my legs and I would actually look down to see if my clothes had caught fire somehow.
I'm not getting any better and I'm taking Paxil to help me sleep all night and Lodine as an inflammatory. They are not working because I feel exactly the same and I usually wake up around 2 or 3 in the morning. I just watch TV, drink coffee and do stretches for a while before I'm able to get up and start the day. I'm so exhausted all the time...usually trying to catch my breath and have to sit down before 7am...I'm so hungry all the time and need to loose about 40 lbs that I've put on since taking so much medication and also due to the fact that I quit a 30 year smoking habit after the heart attack. I'm unable to exercise and workout enough to loose weight and strengthen my muscles. I try to walk the treadmill some and use my ABLounger that I bought. I try Pilates and yoga but when a person starts exercising usually the body is sore and if you just get back up and do it again, then you eventually work the soreness out. Not in my case. The more I exercise, the more sore I get and by the 4th or 5th day, I have to stop completely because I can barely get around due to the soreness...
A few weeks ago the Reumatologist sent me to a specialist to have the nerves in my legs checked to make sure I didn't have some sort of Neuropathy and that test proved that I did NOT...so I'm totally Fibromyalgic...I want to be normal again but I don't know how. I see the Reumatologist again tomorrow and I'll tell him everything that I've saide here. I'll let you guys know what he says to me. Hugs to everybody in pain...

Mamajo,
Please let us know what he says. I know that i wake up every morning and it takes me quite some time to feel well enough to do anything. First thing in the morning, i always feel exhausted when i get up, feel feverish,although dont have a temp, then get chills, my body is HURTING, every inch of it and my blood feels like its thick syrup running thru my veins. After i take my pain pills, it takes an hour for them to start working, then i start feeling at least well enough to make some breakfast for myself. Usually, toast, or pkged oatmeal, cream of wheat (instant), or cold cereal. Easy things. If the weather is bad, forget it, i know no matter how many dosages of pills i take, i will not get better that day. If i have to be somewhere say a docs appt by 9 or 10 am, i have to force myself to get up at 5:30 or 6, so that my body can be able to move and warm up those muscles enough to shower and get dressed. I understand how you feel hon. Please let me know how the appt goes.
Jen

Naquaada,
Does he treat you with meds, and may i ask what meds he's given you? Are they working for you? Also, i bet talking about the illness to him/her gives you some type of relief or feedback from him/her on how to cope with it. I was , have been pondering the idea of seeing one, to just vent and see if he can give me some insight into living and coping with fibro. I know people say it doesnt get worse, but i believe thats wrong. In the last two years, ive seen a huge difference and the difference isnt good. I know im older, but still just the thought of having this thing for the rest of your life, the changes one has had to make, the things in life ive had to give up, the guilt of not living up to someones expectations, the fatique, the drugs, the never ending explainations, appologies, cancelled events, not being able to ever plan anything, is just getting to me. Im wondering if hes helped you with things on how to cope?
anyway, if this question is too personal and you dont feel comfortable answering , i'll understand. Sometimes i can be a bit too nosey when im asking for info on fibro.
Hope youre having a pain free day hon.
Thanks,
jen

hey jen-not nosey at all!! i'm glad to help in any way I can!!..I am seeing a psychologist and a psychiatrist-obviously I see the psychiatrist mainly just for the meds-he has me on paxil cr for major depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder. he has me on concerta now for ADD :rolleyes: ...yes the paxil helps alot!! and I'm also on trazadone prescribed by my rhuematologist for the general pain and for sleeping.so far my combo is working good. having a therapist to talk to about the load I've been carrying for so long definately helps!! she understands my pain and I can just be myself and not have to put my best face on for her..I strongly reccommend seeing one if you can-it definately helps alot!! it gets very depressing knowing that until..or if..they ever find a cure we will be living with this for well-ever :yawn: I am only 28 so I have a long life of fibro to look forward to..yay :(..anyway-hope that info helps-hope you feel good today, Naq

Elavil has been a life saver for me! I could never wake up in the morning and then when I did get out of bed it felt not only like I'd been hit by a Semi-truck, but also that someone had been beating the soles of my feet all night with 2X4's!

I began taking melatonin on my own to sleep deaper, and then a doctor put me on Elavil and It's been the greatest! I still have the daily fibro stuff, and now I'm on Lipitor and have a whole new set of problems, but I d0 sleep deeper and get that restorative sleep that is so needed.

Smiles!
Connie :)