If you have already been diagnosed with fibro, you should have a doctor who is knowledgeable about fibro to treat you.  If you'd like free personalized help finding an excellent patient recommended fibro doctor, email:FibroBetsy

Since1991, Fibrobetsy has been helping FM patients find patient recommended doctors who will treat them with respect, kindness and knowledge.  She takes no self referrals, doctor recommendations or 3rd party recommendations.  She only accepts doctors' names from satisfied patients.

When you email her for help, tell her exactly where you live so that she can scan the atlas and find the closest doctors to you.  If your city or town is small, help her by giving her names of larger cities near you.  Betsy will also send you a 7 page informational email that includes resources, a partial list of treatments, advice about how to deal with doctors, and more and  if you have doctors to recommend -- she'd be thrilled to learn about them.

There are other "Doctor Finders" online but none are a superior personal service such as Betsy provides.  She has been doing this for many years and is well known and respected in the fibro-community.

More about Betsy
Fibro Specialists~ Providers List

Other sites with information about doctors:

Contact the Fibromyalgia Network at

1-800-853-2929.  They have a list of providers in each state.

Click on the link to visit their new website.

Fibromyalgia Network

Rate MD's 

Welcome to DoctorDirectory.com

American College of Rheumatology

AMA Online Doctor Finder

DrScore :: improving patient care

About Your Medications

Fibro sufferers are all shapes and sizes, men, women and kids.  Everyone is different and what works for me, may not work for you.  The process is often trial and error, for you to work out with your own medical team. It can range from over the counter remedies to pain killers,  anti-depressant medications and alternative therapies.  The most exciting development is below:

It was announced on June 21, 2007 that Lyrica (Pfizer Pharmaceuticals) has become the first medication to receive FDA approval for the treatment of Fibromyalgia.  Many other approvals are expected to soon follow.

Informational link below:

FDA Approves First Drug for Treating Fibromyalgia

Soon to be approved:

MIRAPEX (PRAMIPEXOLE)

National Fibromyalgia Research Association

First trial of pramipexole for the treatment of fibromyalgia

Mirapex (pramipexole): Fibromyalgia pain relieved by Parkinson's disease drug

You may go to a doctor and have an antidepressant medication prescribed for you.  This does not mean the doctor thinks that you are depressed or that fibro is "all in your head."  Tricyclic antidepressants are often prescribed to treat fibro.  They help to regulate sleep cycles in people with fibromyalgia, and increase the serotonin levels of the brain, which helps to control pain.  They will also help to relax painful muscles.

Other medications that may help:

Fibromyalgia - Medications; Augusta Georgia GA

Fibromyalgia Medications - How Is Fibromyalgia Treated?

Fibromyalgia-Medications

Fibromyalgia (FM) - Treatment Options - Conditions & Treatments - DrugDigest

Fibromyalgia Treatment~Immune support.com

Know Your Medications

Read the Pharmacy insert included with every medication make sure you fill all prescriptions at the same pharmacy if possible to avoid interactions.  If you go to more than one doctor, make sure they ALL know ALL the medications you are taking.

It was announced on June 21, 2007 that Lyrica (Pfizer Pharmaceuticals) has become the first medication to receive FDA approval for the treatment of Fibromyalgia.  Many other approvals are expected to 
soon follow.

We would like to remind you, that as with any drug, and especially new ones, there can be potentially harmful side effects. Always talk to your doctor first about any new medication and read the precribing information thoroughly.


                        Check For Side Effects Or Interactions

                           drugstore.com - Drug Interaction Checker

                                                     Medscape

Note: On the MedScape site above, you would need to register with them, then go to the Interaction Checker, otherwise it is unavailable.

                                    InteliHealth: InteliHealth Home

                          HealthSquare: Prescription Drug Reference


                            Need Help Paying For Medications?

Most people don't realize that pharmaceutical companies produce a great deal of written information about disease and treatment.  They are required by law to provide detailed descriptions about the drugs that they manufacture, but most also produce more general information for the public about the diseases that their drugs treat.  In addition to this free material, almost all pharmaceutical companies also have an "Indigent Drug Program", which provides medications to people who cannot afford them.  Your physician must apply to these programs on your behalf, but you can call and obtain the applications and information yourself.  Amounts and eligibility will vary greatly from program to program.  More information on these types of programs can be found here.

Micki's Prescription Drug and medical resources

NeedyMeds

Welcome to PPARx.org

Free and Low Cost Prescription Drugs

RxAssist

Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) Program
(New York State Dept of Health)

Indigent Prescription Programs

Accessing Free Medication - The Patient's Advocate

If you do not have prescription drug coverage you should always shop around for the best price.  Several low cost med programs are provided at the following stores:

                          Wal-Mart Stores—$4 generic Drug Program

                                            Costco drug pricing

And if you are medicare eligible check out:

Medicare.gov - Information on the Medicare Prescription Drug

Understanding the New Medicare Prescription Drug Plan --

familydoctor.org  

Information For Your Health Care Providers

(Note: If you have a non supportive doctor or one who is ignorant about this condition, while this information may be helpful, it may be in YOUR best interest to consider changing doctors so you can get the help you need immediately.  There are MANY excellent doctors out there.  You deserve the best!)

This information is for everyone on your health care team.

Information for Physician's sheets

This is a definition of the physical capabilities of a person with FMS in the workplace from the American Journal of Physical Rehabilitative Medicine.

A PROFILE OF FIBROMYALGIA IN OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

This is a collection of 4 very informative articles written by Leon Chaitow N.D., D.O., MRO Senior Lecturer, University of Westminster

Fibromyalgia: The Muscle Pain Epidemic  Is it ME by Another Name?

Understanding and Treating Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia

Chronic Fatigue/Fibromyalgia: The Brain/Sleep Connection

What Treatment Seems Most Effective in Treatment of Fibromyalgia

Devin's Diagnostic: a brief guide to arriving at a likely diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome


Be Sure To Eat Well

While there is no one specific "Fibro Diet" good nutrition should be followed, IF you post on Public Fibro message boards, you may receive emails about diets, vitamins and supplements that are said to "cure" fibro.  While it is good to maintain a healthy diet and that might include vitamins and supplements, there is no dietary cure and if someone says they have one -- avoid it like the plague.  These people are known in the fibro world as "snake oil salesmen".  Do not fall into their trap.  If there were a cure, everyone would know about it!

Also having Fibro does not make you FAT, as some people often believe.  Many fibro sufferers are very small framed and petite.  Those that are overweight or who gain weight after diagnosis do so because of the side effects of medications and because people in pain tend not to move around to sufficiently burn calories.  It is important to keep moving as MUCH as possible.  Even if it is a ten minute walk a day, it is important to exercise GENTLY.  Weight bearing and high impact exercise are generally NOT recommended, but walking, yoga, stretching, swimming and tai-chi and similar exercises are often helpful for weight and pain control.

While there is no fibro diet, we all have to eat, and most of us have to cook.  If you want to read a cookbook that is not only hilarious, but has some very great EASY recipes and good advice about cooking and other household hints for people with chronic pain conditions, I think you may enjoy:

The Abnormal Cookbook, written by Betsy Jacobson, is a 250 page stunner.  The recipes are fabulous, but this book doesn't just include easy recipes for people with chronic illnesses so they don't have to stand too long in the kitchen -- or for people who don't have the time to spend in the kitchen.  It also includes all kinds of cooking and non-cooking advice and information plus a chapter on household hints and lots of humor.  Normal it's not.  Betsy says it's like her -- abnormal and funny.  Why not?

The book is $14.95, plus shipping and sales tax.  Email her at Fibrobetsy@Abnormalcookbook.com for shipping costs and ordering instructions.  Tell her you saw her book in THE FIBRO WELCOME PACAKGE. She will tell you the actual cost of shipping plus her handling fee ($.50 big deal) so that you don't have to guess how much it REALLY costs to ship.  She doesn't mess around!

If you want to raise some money for your support group, church, synagogue or other not-for-profit, discuss with Betsy about receiving deep discounts for multiple orders.

Betsy has been serving the FM community gratis since 1991, and for her the prospect of making some money actually helping people -- in the kitchen this time -- is weird, so of course, to help allay her guilt, she is offering deep discounts to not-for-profits.  Normal she isn't.

And, if you do feel depressed....
From the 'Fibromyalgia Network Newsletter'
article "Teaming Up"

"Why are they depressed?" asked Dr. Silverman.  They are depressed because they have lost their roles at home and in the work place.  They are anxious because their symptoms are unpredictable and they have tremendous financial strain.  Many have had to sell their home or some of their property in order to continue living.  They are angry at a lot of things.  They are angry that they have not received compensation for what happened to them in the workplace.  They are angry about the fact that there wasn't appropriate safety in the workplace.  They are angry at their lawyers who don't return their phone calls and they are angry at the Workers' Comp. system who took years or more to get them into our program.

What to do about depression?

Visit the American Psychological Association APA HelpCenter website, get involved with other people who have fibro, talk, learn and heal!