NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/sci/med/23341

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-03 | 1.6 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!zazen!uwec.edu!nyeda
From: [e-mail] (David Nye)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Reporting Symptoms
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 2 Jan 93 23:46:09 -0600
Organization: University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
Lines: 26

[reply to [e-mail]]

>I have a question about reporting symptoms. How do I know what I need
>to report for my doctor? I often end up leaving the doctor's office with
>the feeling that I've forgotten to mention something which might be
>important. [Description of symptoms omitted].

Tell her you think you have fibromyalgia.  I'll send you some stuff on
it.  Also consider joining [e-mail].  In general, when
seeing a doctor, it is not a good idea to take in a list of symptoms.
The doctor will often take this to mean that your symptoms are so vague
that you can't remember them without the list.  The best way to get your
story straight is to do just what you have done:  tell it to someone
else first.  In the case of fibromyalgia, the problem is that the
manifestations are so protean that many patients resist mentioning all
their symptoms for fear that they will be labeled a hypochondriac.
Your doctor will be able to confirm the diagnosis by finding multiple
tender points in characteristic locations.

One note of caution:  despite fibromyalgia's frequency, the majority of
physicians know little about it and deal with it poorly.  If you find
that you are getting nowhere, see an expert.  A university clinic near
you probably has a fibromyalgia clinic.

David Nye
[e-mail]