The Family Clinic that my family goes to has a new young female doctor on their staff who is just fresh out of medical school, etc. Well, my son had an emergency and couldn't see our regular PCP so he saw this new gal. He mentioned to her that his Mom had FM and she blurted out that there was no such thing as FM and that it was just a symptom of depression. So, I guess I'm just depressed! Oh, that's right, I am! I'm depressed because I can't control the pain and I have to walk with a cane and there are days when I hurt so bad I can't get out of bed. I'm also depressed because I've had to go on disability and leave a career in marketing that I loved and excelled in and I've had to give up a six figure salary for my SSD check (oh yeah, I'm depressed all right). Let's evaluate; I used to travel extensively in a job I loved and had an active social life that included lots of fun and now I'm in constant pain, can barely walk, my brain is continually fogging over, and I rarely have the energy to leave the house much less to see friends. Gosh, I wonder why I'm depressed?

hi oholland,
there are ignorant people with biased opinions in every walk of life. sadly doctors and caregivers who are uninformed speak as tho they know it all. blow her off. waste of your precious energies.
it's real. so is the sadness. you don't sound depressed, just frustrated with your current reality.
peace,
bluelakelady

What a foolish doctor. It's a shame that there are people out there that really do feel that way. :o

Hi,
Unfortunatly, I can relate. I had been diagnosed for awhile and was seeing a rheumatologist that I was OK with but I kept seeing and hearing the name of this other local female rheumy who was supossed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread for Fibro patients, so I made an appointment. I was so excited. I had to wait like 2+ months for the appt and then waited over 3 hours at her office only for her to tell me that I needed to get my depression under control and then I would feel better. I have been treated for depression for many, many years, and while it gets intertwined with the Fibro, it is not causing it. Some great Fibro Doc. I was devistated.
Since then, I have also had a doctor tell me that I needed to get off all of my meds, spend some time without any meds, and then go on Neurontin, which according to her is the only drug that works for Fibro patients. She had the gaul to say that going off my meds shouldn't be too hard for me since 2 of my 3 small kids were in school at least part of the day!! (my kids are 7, 6, and 3). I walked out and wrote a complaint letter.
Everyone I know seems to thinks doctors are so high and mighty and they hold them on this pedistal. Well, we have all seen the other side of doctors. I take almost nothing a doc tells me as true unless I research it. It's nice to know that people like us, without one day of medical school, can know so much more then those who have actually graduated!!
Hugs,
Maria

If I had to deal with that doctor, I would be concerned about her opinions. I certainly would not want her to treat the problem she does not recognize.

I wonder what all else her opinions contradict with the AMA.

It's a shame a young doctor is so arrogant, that they think they know that FM does not exist. Unfortunately, there are people that believe only what they read or are taught, and will continue to live in ignorance for many years in their lives.

As we get older, I think we begin to appreciate all the things that we do not know. There's a world outside of "known and proven" science. Out there, there is where the cure is...outside of their known knowledge.

I beat these joint/muscle pains, headaches, lower back pains, chest pains, and urinary problems etc., by having my mercury fillings removed, along with improving my diet etc. So, I know these strange FM symptoms are real. I've had them, and now I don't. I guess people like us know more than they do. We've lived with the pain, and now we are healthy and painfree once again. Yes, we are a rare bunch...people that didn't accept the orthodox answers of it doesn't exist or there isn't a cure.

Sorry you had such a bad experience. To a lot of Dr's, if it doesn't show up on a test....then it doesn't exist. Very sad.

As for my personal experience w/fibro......Mine started 2 months after birth of second baby. At the same time I had lots of stress/depression going on because of family dispute.

If my fibro came about because of this very, very high level of stress and depression at that time, you'd think the dr's would be interested in this.....because , 9 1/2 years later the fibro is still w/me and I was recently dx'd with essential tremors also.

It makes me mad when a dr says, "oh it's depression, take a pill". Depression and stress might have kicked MY fibro in gear back then, but taking a little pill isn't going to make it go away.

There's so much more to fibro than just pain. It's a whole body disease. To me , it feels like arthritis of the whole inside of the body....w/lots more to go along with it.

And I agree totaly with the statement that dealing with fibro and all of its symptoms does cause one to go into a depression!! It's like someone dying and you have to go through the grieving process. You just totaly are not the same person.

No one knows what we deal with.....until they get fibro themselves.