If you believe you may suffer from fibromyalgia what should you tell you your doctor without sounding like your fishing for painkillers?

Answer 1

Describe your symptoms and what they prohibit you from doing. Example:

My arms and legs hurt. It is both joint and muscle pain. It hurts more in certain areas (show the physician the areas that hurt the worst) and it is worse in the morning (if it is).

You may also give examples of activities you can no longer do that you used to enjoy, such as, "I used to enjoy horseback riding but now it hurts so bad I don't even try".

You may also want to tell the doctor what you have tried at home, such as "I've taken Advil and that didn't help so I tried Aleve and that worked better but only for a short time. I use a heating pad every day, which does help to some degree."

By indicating that you are trying non-prescription remedies at home, you are giving the impression that you are willing to do whatever non-prescription remedy is available but haven't found sufficient results. Often, an anti-inflammatory is prescribed (as opposed to pain killers)

I had a twelve year diagnosis of fibro. People were trying to treat me for Arthritis{neg NRA titer], psychosomatic illness [ imaginary pain] and every other thing. There were days I couldn't dress myself and would take 8 double strength Acetominophen to get thru a day's work. Finally I got a Doctor Who helped me. I got my disability on the first try after he ran me thru every diagnostic test on the planet, electrmyography, nerve conduction, PT Rehab testing and everything including a psych eval and all my old records.DON'T sing up with any of those disability sharks. A good doctor and good documentation will see you through. Be persistent. The new fibro drugs like gabapentin made me so sleepy I actually fell asleep with food in my mouth. Be careful . And SSRI's just mean your doc thinks there is SOME psychosomatic component. Fibro is an auto-immune disorder, and we deserve to be treated like medical patients and not psych patients.NO NSAID will help you. Be persistent. Search for fibro suppot groups for more help and advice.