Fibromyalgia

Rena RN 2003, RN · Mar 19, 2004

i believe the symptoms are there. i believe the pain is real to the patient. afterall, who am i to say otherwise? but i believe that labeling the 'muscle fiber pain' as fibromyalgia and tossing some neurontin at the patient isn't the right approach to dealing with it.

after a 12 hour shift, my muscle fibers ache. happens after every shift and since i'm full time, that would mean that more than 50% of the time i have 'muscle fiber pain'. FM? no. lack of rest and excercise and improper diet.

but instead of having the patient start a regimen of proper exercise, sleep patterns, and improved diet it is easier to throw a pill at it and call it cured.

JMO.

mattsmom81 · Mar 19, 2004

I agree, Tom. There is an incredibly high coorelation to depression. It makes most of us in anesthesia as well.
KM

Well, guess if you hurt all over every day you might get depressed too.....

mattsmom81 · Mar 19, 2004

I agree, Tom. There is an incredibly high coorelation to depression. It makes most of us in anesthesia as well.
KM

Well, guess if you hurt all over every day you might get depressed too.....

veetach · Mar 19, 2004

Well, guess if you hurt all over every day you might get depressed too.....

I am 46 years old, and have been a nurse for 10 years, I hurt all over frequently. Especially after a particularly horrible shift. I dont have fibromyalgia. :nurse: hey! wait! Maybe I do!! :rotfl: :rotfl:

I cant believe we are ALL agreeing! YAY! I totally agree with Tom, our ER docs say it is a basket term, lots of docs use it to their advantage. I am now seeing many of these patients taking Oxycontin routinely. Scary. I have also noted the association with depression. Unfortunately many of these patients are in the 35-55 age group, and they arent working for a living.

We have a "pain clinic" in our area and they are virtually getting rich.

veetach · Mar 19, 2004

Well, guess if you hurt all over every day you might get depressed too.....

I am 46 years old, and have been a nurse for 10 years, I hurt all over frequently. Especially after a particularly horrible shift. I dont have fibromyalgia. :nurse: hey! wait! Maybe I do!! :rotfl: :rotfl:

I cant believe we are ALL agreeing! YAY! I totally agree with Tom, our ER docs say it is a basket term, lots of docs use it to their advantage. I am now seeing many of these patients taking Oxycontin routinely. Scary. I have also noted the association with depression. Unfortunately many of these patients are in the 35-55 age group, and they arent working for a living.

We have a "pain clinic" in our area and they are virtually getting rich.

BabyRN2Be · Mar 19, 2004

I am 46 years old, and have been a nurse for 10 years, I hurt all over frequently. Especially after a particularly horrible shift. I dont have fibromyalgia. hey! wait! Maybe I do!! :rotfl: :rotfl: .

Veetach, if that's the case, run, not walk to your nearest physician and join the gang of the rest of us who have muscle pain after working long hours. It seems as if a doc can't find another diagnosis, they tack "fibromyalgia" on the sheet in order to get reimbursed. I know that's a harsh thing to say, but that's what I see a lot.

I know that some people who have auto-immune disorders (SLE, RA, scleroderma) have fibromyalgia as one of the symptoms and in that case I don't feel that it's a "catch-all" dx. It's when someone comes in with some pains, who is a little down, and doc writes the whole dx as "fibromyalgia" instead of it being a symptom.

BTW, I do fall into the group with the auto-immune disorders who have fibromyalgia as a symptom; however, I don't have any problems with depression.

BabyRN2Be · Mar 19, 2004

I am 46 years old, and have been a nurse for 10 years, I hurt all over frequently. Especially after a particularly horrible shift. I dont have fibromyalgia. hey! wait! Maybe I do!! :rotfl: :rotfl: .

Veetach, if that's the case, run, not walk to your nearest physician and join the gang of the rest of us who have muscle pain after working long hours. It seems as if a doc can't find another diagnosis, they tack "fibromyalgia" on the sheet in order to get reimbursed. I know that's a harsh thing to say, but that's what I see a lot.

I know that some people who have auto-immune disorders (SLE, RA, scleroderma) have fibromyalgia as one of the symptoms and in that case I don't feel that it's a "catch-all" dx. It's when someone comes in with some pains, who is a little down, and doc writes the whole dx as "fibromyalgia" instead of it being a symptom.

BTW, I do fall into the group with the auto-immune disorders who have fibromyalgia as a symptom; however, I don't have any problems with depression.

veetach · Mar 19, 2004

Veetach, if that's the case, run, not walk to your nearest physician and join the gang of the rest of us who have muscle pain after working long hours. It seems as if a doc can't find another diagnosis, they tack "fibromyalgia" on the sheet in order to get reimbursed. I know that's a harsh thing to say, but that's what I see a lot.

I see it too, and sadly enough I think it is becoming a diagnosis that will qualify people for SS disability. This is a scary thought. 20 years ago we called it "aches and pains" and got up and went to work anyway. Times are a'changin...... :rolleyes:

veetach · Mar 19, 2004

Veetach, if that's the case, run, not walk to your nearest physician and join the gang of the rest of us who have muscle pain after working long hours. It seems as if a doc can't find another diagnosis, they tack "fibromyalgia" on the sheet in order to get reimbursed. I know that's a harsh thing to say, but that's what I see a lot.

I see it too, and sadly enough I think it is becoming a diagnosis that will qualify people for SS disability. This is a scary thought. 20 years ago we called it "aches and pains" and got up and went to work anyway. Times are a'changin...... :rolleyes:

Silkybo · Mar 19, 2004

Everyone I know with fibromyalgia is A. A hypochondriac B. Clinically depressed or C. a drug seeker. I dont believe in this diagnosis. Throwing oxycontin at aches and pains is like killing mosquitos with a sledgehammer. I am not against appropriate pain meds, especially in the terminal patient....dose 'em up, I say, but not for people who are just not facing life square on...I hurt too after lifting obese geriatrics all night, but Im not going to whine for narcs!

Silkybo · Mar 19, 2004

Everyone I know with fibromyalgia is A. A hypochondriac B. Clinically depressed or C. a drug seeker. I dont believe in this diagnosis. Throwing oxycontin at aches and pains is like killing mosquitos with a sledgehammer. I am not against appropriate pain meds, especially in the terminal patient....dose 'em up, I say, but not for people who are just not facing life square on...I hurt too after lifting obese geriatrics all night, but Im not going to whine for narcs!

veetach · Mar 20, 2004

Everyone I know with fibromyalgia is A. A hypochondriac B. Clinically depressed or C. a drug seeker. I dont believe in this diagnosis. Throwing oxycontin at aches and pains is like killing mosquitos with a sledgehammer. I am not against appropriate pain meds, especially in the terminal patient....dose 'em up, I say, but not for people who are just not facing life square on...I hurt too after lifting obese geriatrics all night, but Im not going to whine for narcs!

You have summed it up in such a short paragraph! way to go!!! We all hurt, but we go on.... :)