Why Doesn"t Anyone Believe I Have Fibromyalgia?
Do you believe you are living with fibromyalgia but have yet to get a doctor's diagnosis? I have been dealing with chronic pain for over 12 months now.
I really believe that I am dealing with fibromyalgia, but why don't my doctors agree with me? I have been doing a lot of research and attending a local support group.
My symptoms totally line up with what these other people are going through; however, I have also learned that it's pretty common to not be officially diagnosed.
Apparently fibromyalgia is fairly difficult to diagnose and some doctors don't really believe it exists.
I have chronic pain from the moment I wake up and often through the night, meaning I face the day not only in pain but also extremely tired.
My doctor has diagnosed me with chronic pain, which is defined by my doctor as lasting anywhere from 3 to 6 months from onset.
For me, my pain is the primary symptom of fibromyalgia.
Wikipedia defines fibromyalgia as "a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure.
" Essentially, fibromyalgia is widespread muscle pain; from my experience, you feel pain from your head to toes and from the left to the right of your body almost all day long.
My doctor suggested I keep a daily journal to rate my pain.
However, I am the only one who can truly feel the pain.
How can he know how I am really feeling? Some people have different pain tolerance than others.
My pain is often worse in the morning, so I do my best to get up and get moving.
I wait until lunchtime to update my journal because this is when I feel the most relief.
My symptoms of fibromyalgia intensify again at night, making it hard to get comfortable in bed and fall asleep.
I have learned that there are a lot of other diseases that look like fibromyalgia, making the diagnosis even harder for physicians.
It's important for physicians to be able to rule out more serious medical conditions, which can be done through a laundry list of tests.
Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are common conditions that look like fibromyalgia.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can be life threatening, so it is understandable why doctors need to test to rule it out.
I have had these tests and thankfully do not have any of the other conditions.
I am now spending my time trying to track down a diagnosis, which starts with a physician who really listens.
I really believe that I am dealing with fibromyalgia, but why don't my doctors agree with me? I have been doing a lot of research and attending a local support group.
My symptoms totally line up with what these other people are going through; however, I have also learned that it's pretty common to not be officially diagnosed.
Apparently fibromyalgia is fairly difficult to diagnose and some doctors don't really believe it exists.
I have chronic pain from the moment I wake up and often through the night, meaning I face the day not only in pain but also extremely tired.
My doctor has diagnosed me with chronic pain, which is defined by my doctor as lasting anywhere from 3 to 6 months from onset.
For me, my pain is the primary symptom of fibromyalgia.
Wikipedia defines fibromyalgia as "a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure.
" Essentially, fibromyalgia is widespread muscle pain; from my experience, you feel pain from your head to toes and from the left to the right of your body almost all day long.
My doctor suggested I keep a daily journal to rate my pain.
However, I am the only one who can truly feel the pain.
How can he know how I am really feeling? Some people have different pain tolerance than others.
My pain is often worse in the morning, so I do my best to get up and get moving.
I wait until lunchtime to update my journal because this is when I feel the most relief.
My symptoms of fibromyalgia intensify again at night, making it hard to get comfortable in bed and fall asleep.
I have learned that there are a lot of other diseases that look like fibromyalgia, making the diagnosis even harder for physicians.
It's important for physicians to be able to rule out more serious medical conditions, which can be done through a laundry list of tests.
Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are common conditions that look like fibromyalgia.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can be life threatening, so it is understandable why doctors need to test to rule it out.
I have had these tests and thankfully do not have any of the other conditions.
I am now spending my time trying to track down a diagnosis, which starts with a physician who really listens.
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