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Saw the Rheumy dr today
      #239131 - 01/17/06 09:57 AM
michele

Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan

and I must say, I am not at all impressed or overly happy with his course of so called treatment! I spent 3 hours yesterday typing out my medical history and questions. Biggest complaints right now are pain, especially in hips, back, knees, wrists, hands and feet-my hands and feet are super swollen-memory problems-continued iritis-did I mention PAIN-generally feeling like crap. He seems to think its all fibro and its all caused by lack of rem sleep. I take Xanax and two ambein at night time and snore like a champ according to my hubby but the dr says I'm not getting enough restorative sleep and thats what is causing all my pain??!!! He prescribe a drug called zanaflex, its a muscle relaxant that I'm supposed to take an hour before bedtime in addition to the sleeping pills. The dr asked if I had restless leg syndrome and I told him no. Will says though that my legs do twicth and jump a lot in the night.

He said that he doesn't think I have connective tissue disease but I may have rheumatoid arthritis because of the swelling. He x-rayed my hands and feet and I got another 8 vials of blood drawn and got to wee in a cup. He says he doesn't see any reason for the miscarriages although he admitted it all very well could be connected but that they just can't find the connection.

I begged him to do something else for the pain. I told him its pretty darned hard to get a good nights sleep when I can't lay down because my hips hurt so bad! I've been sleeping in the recliner a lot of nights. My hands are so swollen and hurt so bad, I can hardly type and can't make a fist at all. He then said that a lot of my pain is probably caused by my depression??!!! I told him if he was in so much pain, he'd be depressed too!! Not to mention that I just lost twins a month again! I told him I was seeing a shrink but that this pain started BEFORE I even got pregnant this last time. He just kept saying try this Zanaflex and come back in a month! I was crying when I left his office. The first time I saw this dr, last November, I really liked him. Don't know if he was having an off day or what but I feel like I was handed a cookie, patted on the head and sent out the door!

Linz and other fibromites, have you heard of this drug? Was I expecting too much? Is there something else he can do and isn't? I asked him about placquenil and he said I don't have Lupus so don't need it. Argh.

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Taking it one day at a time.....

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Re: Saw the Rheumy dr today new
      #239157 - 01/17/06 10:43 AM
bamagirl

Reged: 04/02/04
Posts: 1407
Loc: Alabama

Sorry your appointment wasn't very helpful. It does sound like you might be dealing with more than fibro though if there is all of that swelling. I hope you will be able to find relief. I think the Dr. is a bit pill happy though to add another "before bedtime" med to two others he knows you are already taking. And how can he know about your REM sleep without a sleep study? I don't know ANYTHING about rheumatologists, but that just sounded odd to me. I think I would have cried too.

I know this doesn't help, but just sounded odd to me. I am still remembering you in prayer. Hang in there! Answers can't be far away!! Hugs to you and DH!!!

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God is Faithful!

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Re: Saw the Rheumy dr today new
      #239171 - 01/17/06 11:06 AM
lj

Reged: 09/24/04
Posts: 179


Michele,

I was surprised that your doctor brushed off the plaquenil so easily. My rheumatologist was not sure if I have lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis. He said it can take a long time to actually sort these things out since the symptoms overlap so much, but he said that plaquenil is an excellent drug for any of these conditions and is almost always the first line of defense when treating auto immune disease because it tends to have low side effects. Are you thinking of getting a second opinion? I wouldn't blame you if you wanted another.

It can take a long time even for an experienced specialist to figure out which disease is actually causing the problems, so I wonder why he's so closed about the lupus diagnosis? You do have UV sensitivity right? I don't know what to tell you Michele, but if you feel like you have lost confidence in this doctor, you should probably find another one. It also irks me when doctors want to pass off real pain by just telling us it's depression. I've been there before too. GRRRRR!

Let us know what you decide to do.

LAura

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Re: Saw the Rheumy dr today new
      #239174 - 01/17/06 11:13 AM
Snow for Sarala

Reged: 03/12/03
Posts: 5430
Loc: West Coast, USA

UGH!!!!

Well, my rheumy wasn't any better. I never went back (never got a 2nd opinion either). He diagnosed me with fibro and gave me elavil and that was that.

I think you should go for a 2nd dx. ESP since you have swelling. And NO DOC EVER should tell us we are just depressed!!!!!! SOOO MAD!!!!

My urologist told me that my IC pain can cause depression. Not ALL Docs are bad...

I am SOOOOOOOOO sorry you just went through this! It makes me mad and sad...

E-mail me if you like...I'm here for you!

Sending you hugs, and lots of love....

Ruchie

P.S. Sorry if this made no sense. Major brain fog atm. Please just know I'm here for you and I care!! *hugs*


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Formerly known as Ruchie

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Re: Saw the Rheumy dr today new
      #239176 - 01/17/06 11:23 AM
michele

Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan

Thanks Bamagirl! It sounded funny to me too. I guess sleep problems and fibro go hand in hand but I agree, how does he know without the sleep study? I'm on so many "bedtime" pills I'm afraid if the house caught fire, I wouldn't wake up! I'll give his pill a week or so but if the swelling doesn't go down and I don't start to fele better, I'll be calling him back! My hands are so swollen, I can barely type and forget about holding a pen or even tying my own shoes!!! My fingers look like little sausages!

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Taking it one day at a time.....

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Re: Saw the Rheumy dr today new
      #239177 - 01/17/06 11:29 AM
michele

Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan

Thanks Lauara. I figure I'll give this new drug a week or so and when I call for todays test results, if things aren't improved, I'll ask, now, I'll INSIST he does something more or I will see someone else. I have been told this is the guy to see and it took 4 months to get my first appt with him but I totally felt like I got the brush off today. Yes, I'm totally light sensative and noise sensative and told him that. Arg. I'm so tired of seeing so many different dr's and no one helping me. I feel like they are all looking at certain parts of me and not my whole body and when I mentioned this to him, he brought up the depression thing again!!!

Thanks for the support and listening to be vent! I'll keep you posted. I thought for sure he would at least give me a short course of steriods or something.....grr!

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Taking it one day at a time.....

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Re: Saw the Rheumy dr today new
      #239178 - 01/17/06 11:31 AM
michele

Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan

Thanks Ruchie!! I have the brain fog too so it all made perfect sense! Lots of love and hugs! Can't type any more right now, my hands hurt too much

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Taking it one day at a time.....

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Darn! new
      #239179 - 01/17/06 11:37 AM
epa_ginger

Reged: 02/23/05
Posts: 1158
Loc: Chicago, IL

It's so disappointing when you have expectations of something and it falls short. I don't know much about arthritis or fibro, so I hope some of the other girls can help you on that. Otherwise, maybe try his treatment for a month, and if that doesn't help, keep looking!

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Re: Saw the Rheumy dr today new
      #239184 - 01/17/06 11:51 AM
lj

Reged: 09/24/04
Posts: 179


Michele,

Something you said just really jumped out at me. You said your fingers look like little sausages. This is one of the first things that my rheumatologist noted was my "sausage digits". He said it is common in psoriatic arthritis. The info he gave me on PA used the term sausage digits over and over again. Did your rheumatoligist say anything about that symptom?

I'm not trying to play doctor on the internet but just thought it might help you.

Laura

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Re: Saw the Rheumy dr today new
      #239190 - 01/17/06 12:03 PM
michele

Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan

I didn't think the sausage fingers and toes were a part of fibro. He did look at them and comment on how swollen they were and said maybe rheumatoid arthritis but he never mentioned psoriatic arthritis. I'll have to google it as I've never heard of that particular arthritis. Thanks for the suggestion!! I just wish they could tell me whats wrong with me. If one more person says I'm just too depressed, I'm going to scream!!!! How can depression make your body swell and hurt so bad??? Grr! Ok, sorry, got off on a vent again!

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Taking it one day at a time.....

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