did anyone else"s doctor not know what fibro was?

[marymcd]

when i was first told i had fibro my doctor had to look it up on the internet as he had never even heard of this condition, so i have to ask myself how can he help??? i have seen a rhumatoligist that told me 4 yrs ago that if i took tablets he gave me it would be gone in 6 months, i finally got to see him again before christmas to tell him its not been cured!!! and now hes told me to loose weight and i will be better,

hence if you have fibro dont live in manchester coz there is no hope!!!

[manfa22]

they r not any better in london , iwas told 10 years ago i had fibro , nothing they can do and just learn to live with it , well in ten years they r still saying the same thing ,or what do i think they should do to help , was the last answer i got when i went for help

[DebbieChelsea]

Not much better here in Bristol to be honest.....

[Belle67 in reply to DebbieChelsea]

I had a lovely doctor when i lived in Emersons Green she listened and we would sort out my medication on what i told her. I then moved the otherside of Kingswood and eventually had to move doctors last Nov after 2 yrs of not wanting to leave the lovely one. In 4 mths my new doc has tried to takeaway my morphine and says afterwards we can cut down my tramadol until i'm off it and get me exercising !!! WTH I'm in a wheelchair lol Unfortunately only 2 docs in my practice and husband & wife team. Thank goodness i am moving again in 8 weeks to a ground floor flat and i'll be able to change Doctors so i'm hoping for someone who listens this time.

[shazzll]

Wolverhampton is not much better it took four consultants and three gps and 10 years to finally find a doctor that told me as soon as i said what the symptoms were to tell me...

[Hidden]

I had this problem at my local hospital. Fortunately my GP recognised my symptoms and pain and referred me to a Rheumatologist who didn't acknowledge Fibromyalgia at all, wouldn't even say the word, but told me if I wanted to call it the "F" word I could! I changed Consultants as not being recognised as having Fibromyalgia was really making me worse, I felt like I was losing the plot. I was recommended another Consultant and I set about changing. I have never looked back - my new Consultant gave me a firm diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and altered all my meds. At last after three years I am now getting the support I lacked before, my meds are stable and generally I am managing better. Thankfully my GP is great, very supportive and happily changes my prescriptions when they need to be increased or decreased. She also referred me to a CFS Clinic who taught me to pace which helped a lot.

[bertie121]

I have also had it called the 'f' word and fibro 'whatsit' by medical professionals. I eventually got a diagnosis from rheumatologist but he didn't really give gp much advice on medication. I later read that professor Davies at guys hospital excepted nhs referrals (not sure if still the case) so I went to gp with the details and he referred me to see him. prof Davies confirmed fibromyalgia and advised gp which meds to prescribe. however the gp is reluctant to change/increase any meds because he is concerned about their long term effects and adverse interaction between medication so I am not sure how to get over that hurdle that's another story.

however in the first few years i strongly considered changing dr but I now accept that my gp is just that a general practitioner and he was actually frustrated that he couldn't help me and didn't really know who could either. he was happy to act on the advice of the medical professionals who specialise in fibromyalgia (or the 'clever' doctors as he calls them. lol). sometimes It's like he has learnt about fibro because of and at the same time as me.

[Brujah81]

I just got a new doctor.. luckily who understands fibro... but before that my doctor was sooo clueless.. i would see her on a monthly basis to review my medications etc.. sometimes she would tell me fibro was a condition of the brain.. or the bones... of inflammatory.. i got so fed up i knew what fibro was so i changed doctors..