Got my rheumy referral!
mimosette - Sep 11th, 2009 2:50 AM
[ Original Post ]

I woke up at 6AM with a flaming (double) earache, and decided I might need to see my dr, since we leave early Sunday for a week at the beach.

My dr was SWAMPED with flu, and couldn't see me (she;s closed on Fridays), so I dropped by the local doc in a box.

By this time I was having a fibro flare, and squirming everywhere trying to get comfortable, and I just said,"dude, I hurt like HELL and you are gonna do something about it"

He smiled (he knows us), and asked me had I seen a rheumy. I told him I had just joined the National Fibro Society and gotten a name that intetested me . Who did he reccommend? He recommended the same doc I had picked! And is getting me an appt for when we get back !

He said this rheumy is very good with fibro.

He knows I always refuse the Pain pills, they make me so icky feeling, but I asked for some today, I wanted Ultram, I remembered it working when I had my hysterectomy w/out freaking me too badly. SO I got that. (and 2 shots in the booty that I swear felt like wasp venom)

He was so tired, his office is being slammed with swine flu /stomach virus/ strep/people wanting flu shots, he looked utterly exhausted.

He said "In your research, have you ever heard of people using ___________,oh, ____________, oh I am SO Tired I can't remember the name of it!! but people say it works for them!! I named off everything I'd read here, and everything , supplement I take , and it still wasn't the one he was trying to remember.

He said he would call me when it came to him.Very interested to see what he was trying to spit out.

Comment


 

tnichel - Sep 13th, 2009 12:01 AM

Yea! One step closer to a little relief. It's a plus that he likes the rheumy. Keep us posted! Ultram is my wonder drug (aka tramadol).


m.e. - Sep 13th, 2009 10:42 AM

Glad that you had a nice doctor who sounds like a good listener, mimosette....that's half the battle.Feel better!
tnichel--I have tramadol as needed (if pain is very bad), but use 200 mg. neurontin and cymbalta (low dose). I wonder if I can replace neurontin with tramadol. Any thoughts?




tnichel - Sep 13th, 2009 5:44 PM

M.E. I'm on ultram er. It lasts for 24hr. the one you take every 4hrs didn't really work for me. I take it in the morning. There's is no way I could sit at my desk all day long w/o it. It doesn't take all the pain away but it's helped moreso than any other pain killers or otc meds. My pain mgmt doc says it's not addictive. I was worried about that at first. You should give it a try. I take 60mg cymbalta and elavil (amitrytiline [---butchered it again. lol)at night.

I also take a muscle relaxer before bed and a different kind during the day. the day muscle relaxer has done wonders. I'm not so fatigued at the end of the day and still have energy if I want to hang out for a bit.

You may want to consider seeing pain mgmt. doc. My rheumy wasn't for it but it really has made a big difference in my day to day life. Plus that pain doc is up to date on the latest pain meds your regular doctor my not know about. And even though I take a lot of meds now, the doc says it won't be that way forever. i just have to get my body in a good place first since it's been out of wack for so long. Feel free to ask me any questions about pain mgmt. I don't know much about neurontin. Is it a pain med?


m.e. - Sep 13th, 2009 7:27 PM

Thank you tnichel. Neurontin is aka gabapentin. It is an anti-seizure med that also is used to block pain. My pain started with plantar fasciitis in the foot(which happened after 2 neck injuries in car accidents). I was prescribed neurontin then as well as amitriptyline. Both made me very groggy and tired, but handled the excruciating pain in the foot and allowed me to walk again after barely being able to do so for a summer. Then fibro kicked in, and I have been on a lower dose since then. Off the amitrityline due to wicked morning grogginess as well as constipation for the good old IBS. Now on Cymbalta and neurontin. Would like to be off of all of it, but tried that for a month in July and had to go back on. Oh well...we all just keep on plugging away looking for that magic treatment to this annoyance. I will check into the pain management doctor--thanks! m.e.


axxie - Sep 15th, 2009 2:46 PM

Hey mimosette, you are so lucky to have your referal to the rheumy, I can't wait for mine, I was told to expect to wait 6 to 8 months, I think I'm on to the 6 month part, now. I keep hoping.

You have a good listener, keep him, it's nice to know that you do have one.