I was diagnosed with Fibro almost 18 years ago. I went for years just accepting the moderate pain that I had to live with. Almost a year and a half ago, I got the shingles which set my Fibro on fire! It is 24/7 pain, on top of other things, I have nerve damage from the shingles, osteoarthritis, restless legs and I have not slept for more than 3-5 hours a night for over a year. I started seeing a gp and a rheumatologist. Since the gp could prescribe the drugs the rheumatologist did and he was a ways away, I dropped the rheumatologist and just stayed with the gp. I finally felt that he did not really believe in Fibro and all he was doing was throwing more drugs besides Gabapentin at me for restless legs. A neighbor referred me to actually a nurse practitioner. She immediately started evaluating everything I had going on, she believed in my pain and was aggressive in finding solutions. I never left her office with less that 3 hugs! Now I am on the Gabapentin, Cymbalta, Melatonin, Norco or Tylenal for pain when needed and we are trying different things for the sleep deprivation and restless legs. Through her, I also found out that the prescriptions the other doctor put me on for restless legs was 4 times stronger than I should have taken. No wonder I was so sick when I took it!
Now we have moved and I am starting over! Yesterday, I saw a new doctor who immediately gave me the impression of not believing in Fibro! I met my husbands gp whom he tried (heart patient but just needs a new gp to direct some of his meds) and the first answer I got from her was that she would not prescribe narcotics, go to a pain clinic. My Norco use is 20 to 30 a month, and used for the days I can not get out of bed and after days upon days of badly hurting, getting the break for the pain!
Anyone have some advice on finding a new doctor? I would love to keep seeing the nurse practitioner but we are now 125 miles away!