I was diagnosed about a year ago with fibro. So far I have not gotten in contact with a rheumatologist. I guess I kind of have a strange question - what can they do for me that my gp cannot? My gp has not suggested going to a rheumatologist as of yet but I have started wondering if I should.
I went to my first rheumatologist appt to day and I can tell you he was much more thorough than my PCP. Not to say my PCP isn't good but they look for completely different things. I am so glad I went today. He didn't just accept the diagnosis of fibromyalgia and go on. He is starting from the beginning and going thru everything. I was frustrated with seeing another doctor at first but now I'm so glad I did. I may have just fibro and nothing more when all the tests come back but I think the rheumatologist just have a better idea how to treat and manage the pain.
My rheumotologist did a lot of testing on me, although my GP did too. He also suggested alternative ways to treat the fibro pain, although I find that meds work best for me. If your rheumy should find anything more than fibro, then he can treat that illness as well. The reason they check is because people with fibro oftentimes have other illnesses as well, such as irritable bowel syndrome, auto-immune illnesses or even connective tissue disorders. However, it's not a hard and fast rule, as I only have fibro.
I do think it's a good idea for people with fibro to visit a rheumy for the above reasons. It certainly can't hurt, and if you have anything else to deal with, it's a good idea to find out and start treament for it.
Good question, by the way, and one which many people wonder about. So thanks for posting it!
Hi Killian, the Rheumy can test for a lot of autoimmune disorders the PCP may overlook, I finally got an apt with a rheumy that wouldn’t see me until I got a ton of blood work he ordered, then he would determine if he would take me on as a PT , he sent the blood work that he wanted to my PCP, she didn’t even know what half of it was, so she passed it on to me, I had to go to 2 different labs, and finally his office called me three months later & I have an apt in Oct, but the receptionist gave me a list of food allergies that came back positive & my food allergies came back neg when my PCP ordered them, he ordered a different type of test. An IGG instead of the routine IGE, but I have to tell you I saw a different rheumy about a year ago & she had no interest in treating me… After my second visit she said I should go see dr so& so because he likes fibro, I knew by the way she sat with her arms folded and didn’t even open her computer that she had no intent in trying to help me. But if you can find a good one, they can test for lots of other things the PCP may not have. I’m so glad I got in with this specialist because according to my blood work I may have a rare genetic muscular skeletal disease. So it can’t hurt to get a view of things from a different prospective 
Hugs
& blessings
dee B
Hi Killian -
A Rheumatologist is probably the best place to start to get a firm diagnosis, and then your GP can always manage your care. The Rheum looks at things deeper and does much more extensive testing, because the connective tissue disorders can be complicated, and they tend to mimic each other making diagnosis difficult.
It's important to have all these disorders ruled out first, because you don't want to have an underlying autoimmune disorder being ignored. Many doctors don't have the knowledge of the various detailed tests, or even the patience to want to deal with the multitude of symptoms we tell them about --instead opting to say, 'she has pain and a lot of issues, must be Fibromyalgia'.
A Rheumatologist also knows each little complaint we have better, which helps him to determine what type of treatment is might be better over another. There are many treatments that they are finding effective in FMS patients, but they are things that aren't necessarily marketed for it -so a GP might not be aware of something that could help you specifically.
After being diagnosed by a Rheumatologist, many times you are sent back to your GP for treatment -he will follow the recommendations, and then you should only need to see the specialist maybe once or twice a year to check on you.
So I think it's always good to start with a Rheumatologist, get a firm diagnosis and treatment plan, and then you will have some freedom on who you would prefer to manage your care for the most part.
Hugs!
Renie♥