VA keeps calling it Chronic Pain Syndrome

[stheurer123]

New here.. I have been dealing with pain for years .. after getting out of the Army it got even worse. I didn’t understand because I was still young (28) but I just kept pushing forward! It got so worse I self medicated just to be able to work. Finally went to the VA however they called it fatigue, then depression then chronic pain symptom. When I finally said enough was enough they sent me to see a specialist. After all the medicine and injections with no relief I said something and said the word fibromyalgia.. much to my surprise the doctor said “well we don’t like to give that diagnosis “ we look for other things . Now it makes sense why the VA referred me to this doctor.
I decided to seek my own doctor to get down to my pain and relief.

 

[sunkacola]

Seems sort of silly for the VA in your area to refuse to call it fibromyalgia and instead call it something else that essentially means the same thing, but whatever. Who can understand them.

Just a little word of caution, however: Getting a diagnosis of fibromyalgia doesn't mean that you will get pain relief, unfortunately. Most people who have fibromyalgia do not have an effective way to control the pain or get relief. Many of us here, myself included, are many years past the day we got an "official" diagnosis of fibromyalgia, but getting that diagnosis really didn't change anything. It is something to write down on an insurance form or to (maybe, possibly) help you to get disability (if you are lucky), but since there is no medication that actually works to give relief to the majority of fibromyalgia patients, that's about all it does.

Now, for some people with fibro one or another medication does help. The thing is, you have to try the medications yourself to find out if they will work for you. And there are a lot of other things that go along with medication in the managing of fibromyalgia.

Wishing you the best of luck.

 

[grim1]

The VA itself will avoid the fibromyalgia 'diagnosis' because it's now a presumptive claim for those of us exposed to chemical agents; that doesn't make it easier to accept, but you're not alone. I've had this issue since it was called 'toxic shock exposure' and I'm not much closer to a clear diagnosis, or clear VA claim, myself. Keep the faith...

 

[Drjoysan]

Has anyone EVER, ANYWHERE actually been helped? It seems not. I felt moderately better twice which made it almost bearable, but both times it returned even worse. I’m afraid to feel even slightly better because it’s a prelude to disaster. Why is this so difficult to get a handle on? As a scientist I find it unbelievable and unacceptable. I’ll listen to any ideas. Going to try energy healing in a couple of weeks. You can watch this on Bliss Up-Energy the Ultimate Healer. I welcome all opinions. Thanks and Prayers.

 

[sunkacola]

@Drjoysan .....Well, yes, people have been helped. But "helped" is a relative term, isn't it? If what you really mean is, has anyone been cured permanently....I think the answer is no. At least, not if what a person has is fibromyalgia. I think there are people who thought they had fibro, but it turns out they don't, and something they do or take gives them back their life. I don't know of anyone who has actually had fibromyalgia and then....doesn't.

I agree that it's discouraging. I do my best with it, just as we all do, and some days are better than others. I also deal with serious chronic depression and fatigue, again as many of us do.

There are many things we can do for ourselves in terms of simply boosting our general health. Being as healthy overall as possible will help at least a little bit, because then at least we won't be suffering from other health issues that can be made better by things like a good diet and exercise and stress reduction and so on.

And there are medications that help some people for some periods of time. But, while I dearly wish i could tell people who come to this forum what they can do to feel better permanently, none of us can do that. All we can do is tell each other how we are, what seems to help us, what things to try next that might give some relief. I wish so much that I could be more help to you.