Fibromyalgia. Who to go to?

Tim Robbins · 15-10-2009 11:31am

Hi Op,
I'm 34. When I was 25, I was diagnosed with query lymes / query FM.

Basically they hadn't a clue what was wrong with me. My symptoms were muscles pains and dizzy head after some weird infection.

I was out of work for five months. I found exercise a great help. Made full recovery after 2 - 3 months exercise.

I started with non contact, cycling and stretching and then ended up being fitter than I have ever been after a few months.

Looking back on it, my sleeping patterns were all over the place. I rarely got any "deep" sleep. I think this could have had something to do with it all.
It was also a very stressful time. I must have seen over 40 Doctors in all.
So that must have also had something to do with it.

There were other complications I won't go into but suffice to say I think for any long term illness, streching, light exercise is a brilliant idea. I did some hydrotherapy in the Mater along with a lot of other old women who all had FM.

I really put everything in doing exercises and my recovery was very fast. I also gave up taking all pain killers. One sweet old woman even came up to me and told me she it thought it was miracle how quickly I got better as she saw the state I was in at the beginning!

The thing is getting an appropriate program and putting everything you have into sticking to it.

Cheers.

kangaroo · 15-10-2009 12:36pm

Tim Robbins wrote: »

There were other complications I won't go into but suffice to say I think for any long term illness, streching, light exercise is a brilliant idea

I don't think one should extrapolate from your case to "any long term illness".

As I said, my illness (ME but at that stage it looked more like Fibromyalgia) got worse from light exercise. So has it for lots of other people with M.E.

Earlier in the thread, I also posted an abstract of an Irish study which found pool based exercise didn't make much difference on average to people with Fibromyalgia. There may be subgroups within Fibromyalgia that have different responses to exercise.

Tim Robbins · 16-10-2009 1:50pm

kangaroo wrote: »

I don't think one should extrapolate from your case to "any long term illness".

As I said, my illness (ME but at that stage it looked more like Fibromyalgia) got worse from light exercise. So has it for lots of other people with M.E.

Sorry to hear that.

AS a matter of interest what is your sleeping like? Do you get 8 hours sleep in a row?

Or is it a half hour here, half hour there type of thing?

Earlier in the thread, I also posted an abstract of an Irish study which found pool based exercise didn't make much difference on average to people with Fibromyalgia. There may be subgroups within Fibromyalgia that have different responses to exercise.

That's fair enough. They weren't sure what I had anyway I was just trying to be helpful.

Missmindiloo · 03-01-2010 9:02pm

Hey guys,

Just wondering have any of you been treated for heavy metal poisoning, im under the care of one doc at the mo and he is fantastic. All my mercury fillings are replaced by a specialist DONT GET IT DONE BY A NORMAL DENTIST!!!!!!!!!! For no's contact me

:):)

Unreg there is a TMJ specialist in Wilton just out of Cork city very reasonably priced and excellent care. His name is Sean Mannion, he will let you know whats going on with your TMJ

LegacyUser · 04-01-2010 1:19pm

Missmindiloo wrote: »

Hey guys,

Just wondering have any of you been treated for heavy metal poisoning, im under the care of one doc at the mo and he is fantastic. All my mercury fillings are replaced by a specialist DONT GET IT DONE BY A NORMAL DENTIST!!!!!!!!!! For no's contact me :):)

Unreg there is a TMJ specialist in Wilton just out of Cork city very reasonably priced and excellent care. His name is Sean Mannion, he will let you know whats going on with your TMJ

You seem to be going down the road i went down before. I suffer from chronic back pain and also have CFS for nearly a decade now, whoopee!!!! Out of desperation i tried loads of alternative treatments like everyone else here.
I had amalgam fillings removed by a specialist and all that detox craic too, i shouldn't have bothered it was a waste of money and time but sure i was desperate. I think it has absolutely nothing to do with Fibro or CFS all your going to end up with is deeper fillings that are more sensitive.
Saw some TMJ specialist too, i was told all the pain in my back was due to my jaw ... gave him plenty of cash too for zero benefit.

Missmindiloo · 07-01-2010 1:45pm

devintownsend wrote: »

You seem to be going down the road i went down before. I suffer from chronic back pain and also have CFS for nearly a decade now, whoopee!!!! Out of desperation i tried loads of alternative treatments like everyone else here.
I had amalgam fillings removed by a specialist and all that detox craic too, i shouldn't have bothered it was a waste of money and time but sure i was desperate. I think it has absolutely nothing to do with Fibro or CFS all your going to end up with is deeper fillings that are more sensitive.
Saw some TMJ specialist too, i was told all the pain in my back was due to my jaw ... gave him plenty of cash too for zero benefit.

Devintownsend, im sorry to hear you never responded well to treatment, maybe you were not under the right care? My TMJ is totally fine now thank god no more headaches pains in my neck shoulders all gone

it took about two years or wearing a splint i still get it adjusted once every few months and wear it at night only but the benefits are fantastic

Personally i believe the FM is a complex condition that the term"Fibromyalgia" is just an name used to cover all angles but it in itself is not just one thing. There is one main cause and a million knock on effects from that, once you get to the core of the problem its easier to deal with then. From what you have said, nothing worked but what exactly was it that you done?? You need to research an awful lot yourself even down to food and water, did you take supplements?? Get specific blood tests called Acumen and have a specialist who deals in it read them and use chelators to get your urine tested??Btw metals will not appear without chelators being used.. If you need more info PM me

LegacyUser · 07-01-2010 7:49pm

Missmindiloo wrote: »

Devintownsend, im sorry to hear you never responded well to treatment, maybe you were not under the right care? My TMJ is totally fine now thank god no more headaches pains in my neck shoulders all gone it took about two years or wearing a splint i still get it adjusted once every few months and wear it at night only but the benefits are fantastic

Personally i believe the FM is a complex condition that the term"Fibromyalgia" is just an name used to cover all angles but it in itself is not just one thing. There is one main cause and a million knock on effects from that, once you get to the core of the problem its easier to deal with then. From what you have said, nothing worked but what exactly was it that you done?? You need to research an awful lot yourself even down to food and water, did you take supplements?? Get specific blood tests called Acumen and have a specialist who deals in it read them and use chelators to get your urine tested??Btw metals will not appear without chelators being used.. If you need more info PM me

I definitely wasn't under the right care if someone is telling me that my chronic back pain is due to my jaw? I never had any problems with my jaw the odd bit of clicking but certainly not a problem or issue but supposedly it can cause pain in the lower spine ... huh? No regrets about trying it but it was an awful load of rubbish looking back. I was only diagnosed with nerve damage recently by a pain consultant in a dublin hospital after 8 years of hell, now i finally feel i am under the right care.
In relation to the CFS i was diagnosed 2 years ago by a fatigue consultant once again someone medically qualified.It took months before he could diagnose me because we had to eliminate every other possible cause this all included diet and supplements, possible allergies etc, bloods were taken a few times and urine tests, all of which i had done a lot of times before but at least this time it was under proper medical care.
I have spent the best part of a decade in and out of hospitals having every test under the sun done all were clear and i accept that completely as i have attended excellent consultants and i respect medical science. But you become weary and seek help elsewhere usually down the alternative route where it never ever ends on all the possible treatments and causes your posts just remind me of what i went through before, amalgam, diets, supplements, metal detox etc. I remember at one stage i had lost 4 stone, im 6ft and my weight is 12 stone, practically brain washed i was trying all these alternative treatments.
The only thing that does interest me is this XMRV virus find but of course there is so far to go with that too before jumping on the band wagon.
Please don't ask me if i did research, i have no doubt that anyone suffering from CFS or Fibro has spent most of there illness looking for answers, its a given. There just isn't an straight answer right now for my condition and i accept that, i enjoy my life a lot better now that im not constantly chasing the cure. For me its learning to live with it and to adapt as best you can, il stick to medical science from now on even if it can be difficult to find a consultant that recognizes your problems.

limpopo · 11-01-2010 10:59pm

I would like to second missmindiloo in mentioning Dr Downes throughout the thread, my mam has improved IMMENSELY from her treatment(s) even though she was adament she was not a FM sufferer when she first attended Dr Downes. From a low point 5 years ago, where simple things such as direct sunlight, slight exercise and life in general left her exhausted and in severe pain for no apparent reason, she is a changed person today all because of Dr Downes. Her approach may not be conventional but she's dealing with a complex series of disorders in many patients and perhaps the unconventional route works best. I would highly recommend anyone suffering needlessly from FM or chronic fatigue or unexplained severe pain etc., to give her a go.

Sorry if at times that seemed like a plug, I was just so delighted to see the thread when I ventured into this section of boards because I've seen the effects of FM first hand for years and years and know what a relief it is to finally find a means of managing it.

Cuddles85 · 11-03-2010 3:53pm

Hi... about a year ago my doc told me i had cronic fatigue syndrome, i tried sleeping tablets antidepressants everything ...
went to an alternative doctor and everything ...

So i ignored it for the last year really, now i feel like im losing my memory, its really patchy i cant remember things. ive really bad pain in my back shoulders and back of my legs..
I barely sleep im constantly tired, and recently i've developed a pain in my chest thats incredibly bad doctors said they cant find anytihng wrong but its really painful and some times ill get pains down the entire left side of my body

Has anyone ever been like that is it part of Cfs or something unrelated?

i-digress · 11-03-2010 10:56pm

The problem with CFS, as with fibromyalgia which is what I have, is that you can dismiss everything as a symptom. If your symptoms are getting worse, or you're getting new symptoms you need to go to your doctor again.

I have new symptoms, and I need to get more tests done to see if I've developed a digestive disorder. I really hope I haven't, I'm finding it hard enough dealing with one illness on its own

kangaroo · 12-03-2010 4:52am

Cuddles85 wrote: »

Hi... about a year ago my doc told me i had cronic fatigue syndrome, i tried sleeping tablets antidepressants everything ...
went to an alternative doctor and everything ...

So i ignored it for the last year really, now i feel like im losing my memory, its really patchy i cant remember things. ive really bad pain in my back shoulders and back of my legs..
I barely sleep im constantly tired, and recently i've developed a pain in my chest thats incredibly bad doctors said they cant find anytihng wrong but its really painful and some times ill get pains down the entire left side of my body

Has anyone ever been like that is it part of Cfs or something unrelated?

I've no qualifications, haven't seen your records nor seen your test results, we can't give medical advice anyway, etc so these are more general comments.

Like i-digress said, with Fibromyalgia and CFS, it's important not to put everything down to the condition.

At the same time, lots and lots of symptoms can be part of CFS (and Fibromyalgia). More symptoms are sometimes related to two things: (i) greater severity of the condition and/or (ii) poor management of the condition. Lots of people get worse with CFS if they don't manage it properly unfortunately.

Graces7 · 12-03-2010 11:27am

Cuddles85 wrote: »

Hi... about a year ago my doc told me i had cronic fatigue syndrome, i tried sleeping tablets antidepressants everything ...
went to an alternative doctor and everything ...

So i ignored it for the last year really, now i feel like im losing my memory, its really patchy i cant remember things. ive really bad pain in my back shoulders and back of my legs..
I barely sleep im constantly tired, and recently i've developed a pain in my chest thats incredibly bad doctors said they cant find anytihng wrong but its really painful and some times ill get pains down the entire left side of my body

Has anyone ever been like that is it part of Cfs or something unrelated?

Yes; I get chest pains at bad times. Muscle spasms.

Just get everything checked properly and walk or limp on.

Added now is arthritis in shoulders and arms/wrists. May be the M.E; may simply be age.

Graces7 · 12-03-2010 11:48am

devintownsend wrote: »

I definitely wasn't under the right care if someone is telling me that my chronic back pain is due to my jaw? I never had any problems with my jaw the odd bit of clicking but certainly not a problem or issue but supposedly it can cause pain in the lower spine ... huh? No regrets about trying it but it was an awful load of rubbish looking back. I was only diagnosed with nerve damage recently by a pain consultant in a dublin hospital after 8 years of hell, now i finally feel i am under the right care.
In relation to the CFS i was diagnosed 2 years ago by a fatigue consultant once again someone medically qualified.It took months before he could diagnose me because we had to eliminate every other possible cause this all included diet and supplements, possible allergies etc, bloods were taken a few times and urine tests, all of which i had done a lot of times before but at least this time it was under proper medical care.
I have spent the best part of a decade in and out of hospitals having every test under the sun done all were clear and i accept that completely as i have attended excellent consultants and i respect medical science. But you become weary and seek help elsewhere usually down the alternative route where it never ever ends on all the possible treatments and causes your posts just remind me of what i went through before, amalgam, diets, supplements, metal detox etc. I remember at one stage i had lost 4 stone, im 6ft and my weight is 12 stone, practically brain washed i was trying all these alternative treatments.
The only thing that does interest me is this XMRV virus find but of course there is so far to go with that too before jumping on the band wagon.
Please don't ask me if i did research, i have no doubt that anyone suffering from CFS or Fibro has spent most of there illness looking for answers, its a given. There just isn't an straight answer right now for my condition and i accept that, i enjoy my life a lot better now that im not constantly chasing the cure. For me its learning to live with it and to adapt as best you can, il stick to medical science from now on even if it can be difficult to find a consultant that recognizes your problems.

Relating here to your last para. After decades of misdiagnosis and then drs who do not believe M. E exists, seeking acceptance and some peace and quality of life is a good place to be.

You learn what you can do and cannot; the balance between damaging exercise and the deconditioing that no movement results in..

Many here are too proactive for me..

But I am older now and priorities change and attitudes also. No one can challenge an old age pension after all.

And I would no longer tolerate a dr who treated m as many did in the past in the UK

Life even with such limitations is too precious to waste chasing what is not there.

And the inyernet is a great resource.

kangaroo · 12-03-2010 4:14pm

Graces7 wrote: »

Just get everything checked properly and walk or limp on.

I think they can do more that that in terms of dealing with the illness.

Often if people with CFS reduce their activity and take lots of rests, their symptoms will ease.

It takes a lot of sacrifices - some people might have to work part-time or not work at all. Or work and have very limited activity after that.

Once people get to know their body better, and what they can and can't do, they can test their boundaries a bit more.

But CFS is not normally an illness one can fight with stubbornness and try to live a full life (work full-time and have a full active life outside work) - if you keep doing that, you're asking for trouble.

I wish I'd know what was wrong with me quicker. It took me over five years to get diagnosed - I was relatively mildly affected for the first few years once I gave up sports; but I ended up worse and worse before eventually ending up severe. And I've been severe now for over 15 years.

No one may want to hear this but it's a weird illness - just keeping pushing yourself can make you worse and if you're not careful, you can stay low.

Graces7 · 12-03-2010 7:35pm

kangaroo wrote: »

I think they can do more that that in terms of dealing with the illness.

Often if people with CFS reduce their activity and take lots of rests, their symptoms will ease.

It takes a lot of sacrifices - some people might have to work part-time or not work at all. Or work and have very limited activity after that.

Once people get to know their body better, and what they can and can't do, they can test their boundaries a bit more.

But CFS is not normally an illness one can fight with stubbornness and try to live a full life (work full-time and have a full active life outside work) - if you keep doing that, you're asking for trouble.

I wish I'd know what was wrong with me quicker. It took me over five years to get diagnosed - I was relatively mildly affected for the first few years once I gave up sports; but I ended up worse and worse before eventually ending up severe. And I've been severe now for over 15 years.

No one may want to hear this but it's a weird illness - just keeping pushing yourself can make you worse and if you're not careful, you can stay low.

That was taken as read in the post I referred to.....;)

And very different from FM which is the thread topic here; maybe you need a new thread?

What has interested me here is that drs in Ireland seem to be the same as drs in the UK re these s they refer to them "illnesses" I had hoped things might be different here. So thank you for that.

And brave folk as always to cope and bear. God reward and cheer you

kangaroo · 13-03-2010 4:04am

Graces7 wrote: »

That was taken as read in the post I referred to.....;)

Maybe as a very long-term sufferer you might know these things, but one can't necessarily presume knowledge in somebody relatively newly diagnosed. Telling somebody to "Just get everything checked properly and walk or limp on", doesn't mention anything about them have to consider to cut on their energy expenditure/activity to see does it help.
I've come across so many people who are annoyed they were not warned to be more careful in the early part of their illness.
Anyway, you've clarified what you meant now.

Graces7 wrote: »

And very different from FM which is the thread topic here; maybe you need a new thread?

I'm not sure why you are saying this - your two posts were in reply to people who mentioned CFS.
I was replying to those and also indirectly the people with CFS you were replying to.

I agree it is unfortunate that this has happened and would encourage people who have ME or CFS but not Fibromyalgia to post messages on ME or CFS threads if that is what they what they want to talk about. But a person with CFS posted on this thread so it was unclear how else I could reply to him/her in the circumstances (and as I said, you also did this). Some people diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in Ireland probably should have ME or CFS as their primary diagnosis (some rheumatologists appear to give the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia if you have fatigue and pain), so it's not the worst thread to mention points on CFS. Fibromyalgia sometimes gets discussed in CFS forums I've been on.

kangaroo · 13-03-2010 5:05am

This suggests there might be a genetic basis to Fibromyalgia

The relationship between a common catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism val(158) met and fibromyalgia

The relationship between a common catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism val(158) met and fibromyalgia.

Journal: Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2009 Sep-Oct;27(5 Suppl 56):S51-6.

Cohen H, Neumann L, Glazer Y, Ebstein RP, Buskila D.

Ministry of Health Mental Health Center, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. hagitc@bgu.ac.il

OBJECTIVES: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is an idiopathic chronic pain syndrome characterised by widespread nonarticular musculoskeletal pain, generalised tender points, in the absence of inflammatory or structural musculoskeletal abnormalities, accompanied by a constellation of symptoms that include fatigue and disturbances of sleep and mood.
Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is the major catecholamine-clearing pathway and involved in the mediation of pain perception in humans, and the hypothesized role of pain perception in FM. The association between Val/Met polymorphism at the COMT gene was evaluated in FM disorder.

METHODS: 209 FM female patients were compared with 152 of their non-affected relatives. DNA was obtained from all family members and extracted. We used the logistic based variant of the transmission disequilibrium test to assess association (and linkage) without confounding effect of population stratification.

RESULTS: We observed an association between FM and the COMT val(158) met polymorphism in a dose response effect of the COMT genotype and the number of pressure points reported. We also observed that non-affected relatives of FM patients had a reduced percentage of the COMT met allele.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results are consistent with carriers of the COMT met/met genotype showing increased sensitivity to pain as one mechanism for the role of this gene in conferring risk for FM. We suggest that the reduced frequency of the met allele in the non-affected relatives acts as a 'protective' allele in this group and prevents the development of clinical FM.

PMID: 20074440 [PubMed - in process]

Splendour · 15-03-2010 1:11am

Have any boardsie fibromyalgia sufferers tried a gluten free diet?

Cuddles85 · 15-03-2010 11:41am

Splendour wrote: »

Have any boardsie fibromyalgia sufferers tried a gluten free diet?

Some one on the forum already suggested that to me.
Im just hoping i dont have heavy metal poisoning like missminiloo mentioned i'm gettin seen soon

P.A.C · 16-03-2010 12:37am

Sorry i havent read all the pages, but i did post in the beginig.
Iv just put a thread up about some problems im having but thought i would come into this thread as its FM i have.

1, is anyone one cymbalta and getting side effects like a withdrwal feeling.
This is happening to me since they upped it to 90mg,
They also upped my lyrica and zydol and iv been feeling realy crap since.

2, Iv been getting body/muscle jerks at night, i realy jump like when you get when you are falling in your sleep. Every part of my body jerks at different times then i get huge jerks that i looks like im possed or having a fit its that bad! Is this happening to anyone.

3. If anyone is on illness/invalidity have you been called up and been sucessfull at keeping your benifit. Did they recognise you fm.

Thanks for reading, and hope you are all feeling a bit better now that the weather is getting better. Thanks again.

Cuddles85 · 16-03-2010 1:50pm

P.A.C wrote: »

2, Iv been getting body/muscle jerks at night, i realy jump like when you get when you are falling in your sleep. Every part of my body jerks at different times then i get huge jerks that i looks like im possed or having a fit its that bad! Is this happening to anyone.

I kind of have that i violently jerk around in my sleep.
i also struggle to breath in my sleep but i think thats because im overweight

Cuddles85 · 25-03-2010 5:15pm

i seen dr mcgee.. what a lovely man, totally understanding and such an eye opening experience i recommend everyone go see him!

vinylqueen · 26-03-2010 9:58pm

Splendour wrote: »

Have any boardsie fibromyalgia sufferers tried a gluten free diet?

well... i've fibromyalgia but i'm also a coeliac so quite difficult to know if gf has any positive benefits on the former as well! coeliacs often suffer from random neurological symptoms and find going gf helps (to an extent anyway) so could be worth a try for a few weeks.

condra · 13-04-2011 12:09am

dsg wrote: »

Can anyone point me in the direction of a doctor that actually believes this exists and won't fob me off onto a mental health professional. No advice needed just contact details and maybe a quick synopsis of how you ended up there.

My advice for anyone with unexplained or "invisible" illness such as FM/ME/CFS would always be to beware of snake oil salesmen.

Oh, and don't get dragged into obsessing over one single hypothesis, like alexcleo, above...

Keep an open, but skeptical mind.

condra · 13-04-2011 1:14am

Alexcleo, apart from that last post, all 10 of your first post on boards.ie have been the same, as can be seen here:
http://www.boards.ie/search/?u=438223&sort=newest

I would accuse you of being a spammer, but it is clear you have good intentions.

You titled your last post "snake oil". My point about "snake oil salesmen" was completely separate to my point about getting entrenched in a single hypothesis.

I've been guilty of it myself at times during my ten years of health problems. At one point I was utterly convinced I had Addison's Disease. I read about it, made some connections, and eventually it clouded my judgment. Since then, I am much more open and objective when it comes to my, and other peoples health problems.

You may be convinced that Fibromyalgia is caused by Fluoride poisoning, but it has not been proven in peer reviewed studies, so it would be prudent to remain skeptical.

To answer your question - No I don't have FMS, though I do have CFS/ME, apparently.

Hope is like a candle in the wind and all it takes is negative opinion like yours to blow it out.

Poetic stuff in a medical discussion is like candle wax on a calculator.

LegacyUser · 14-04-2011 10:15am

condra wrote: »

To answer your question - No I don't have FMS, though I do have CFS/ME, apparently..

but you put them together on your site as if they are the same thing

condra · 14-04-2011 12:21pm

jake111 wrote: »

but you put them together on your site as if they are the same thing

No I didn't, "JAKE". I grouped them together in a discussion forum, which is perfectly reasonable - just like I grouped Lyme Disease with Parasites, and just like the whole site falls under the "chronic illness" category.

LegacyUser · 14-04-2011 3:17pm

condra wrote: »

No I didn't, "JAKE". I grouped them together in a discussion forum, which is perfectly reasonable - just like I grouped Lyme Disease with Parasites, and just like the whole site falls under the "chronic illness" category.

Ok "Condra" i see what you mean

louglee · 13-12-2012 4:21pm

dsg wrote: »

Can anyone point me in the direction of a doctor that actually believes this exists and won't fob me off onto a mental health professional. No advice needed just contact details and maybe a quick synopsis of how you ended up there.

Studies have shown that treating fibromyalgia from multiple angles, I don't think people should be so quick to dismiss a mental health approach, multiple studies have been done on using mental health techniques such as CBT, and antidepressents has resulted in significant improvements in quality of life in people with fibromyalgia.
I believe that many people with illness such as chronic pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyagia believe that if they are referred to a mental health doctor its believed that its because the doctor thinks that the illness is "all in their head" (a good friend of mine has fibromyalgia, I've chronic neuropathic pain (not as bad, but still it took me over 2 years to get a doctor to take me seriously, turns out there was something wrong, however its since been repaired - pain much better now but still there. Essentially I've got pain without an underlying cause))
In the past conditions such as fibromyalgia were either seen as not real, or just treated with painkillers, however now studies have been done and have shown that the best results come from treating it with multiple approaches
the use of anti-depressants such as Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine (an SSRI), the use of other drugs like lyrica, as well as painkillers such as paracetomal on a regular basis, as well as exercise/mobility programs designed for the individual patient lead to the best results.
Their is huge stigma with attending a psychiatrist for any reason in Ireland, and often this will stop some people attending, this stigma can and dose often lead to people with fibromyalgia getting sub-optimal treatment. Personally I wouldn't care who I saw as long as it improved my quality of life.
I've seen it often (my friend attends a support group & for the first few times, didn't want to go alone so took me), where people with fibromyalgia in the group are angered when the idea of being referred to a mental health doctor, they see it as though they are being told that their condition is a mental illness not a physical illness.
In our society, many people think of illness as being either mental or physical, and in reality for many conditions its interlinked, for example in people with severe depression they often get other symptoms that if you consider mental and physical health as different don't make sense. People with depression often get significant weight loss or gain, they often get issues with energy/fatigue, problems with concentration etc.
People with thyroid disease can also get symptoms that might in isolation be considered "mental illness" symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability etc.
Personally I think that for conditions such as fibromyalgia there should be a clinic where you see a rheumatologist, psychiatrist, physiotherapist. I think that if the clinics combined doctors from both a mental and physical illness point of view it would be better for people with these conditions. I've seen clinics where e.g. people with diabetes and kidney disease attend a clinic run jointly by a diabetes doctor and a renal doctor.

mickmccarthy · 23-10-2014 6:05pm

imokyrok wrote: »

I see Dr. Geraldine McCarthy (rheumatology) in the Mater and find her good. Overall doctors in Ireland tend to be very conservative and I find I need to be the one to keep up with the latest information from the US. My local GP will usually agree to try different treatments if I bring in some medical papers from the net.

I saw a female rheumatologist in the Bons Secour in Tralee some years ago and she was very good. She had worked in FMS in Australia for some years. It was too far for me to travel on an ongoing basis but I had a week inpatient saty at the time and found it helpful. I just can't think of her name right now though.

I believe Dr. Frances Stafford in the Blackrock Clinic is experienced with FMS also. I think most rheumatologists are fairly au fait with the condition now (there is a certain male rheumy who wrote a book and thinks he's an expert but he is totally outdated , very unsympathetic and I'd avoid him like the plague!)

Your GP sounds better than any I've ever been to. Who are they (if you don't mind me asking)?

Fibromyalgia. Who to go to?

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