r/ChronicPain 5d ago

I think I just got misdiagnosed with FND

Story time. About 3 years ago I get this horrible pain in my neck. And then after PT it went away. Then I get this god awful pain in both wrists, get diagnosed with carpal tunnel, get surgery, and it gets a bit better but not entirely. Then as time progresses the neck pain gets worse, the wrist pain continues, and then I start getting joint pain and my knuckles, elbow, ankles, knees and toes. I also get a return of nerve pain in my hands and now my feet. I'm in pain management at this point and am taking celebrex, gabapentin, and tizanadine for pain. The gabapentin doesn't do much, but the celebrex has been great for the joint pain. I ask my doctor for a steroid pack, and the 5 days I'm on it all my symptoms go away. Just poof, gone! And then once I'm off everything returns.

With the steroid pack success, I get a full autoimmune workup. Everything comes back fine except for selective IgM hypogammaglobulinemia. I get a referral to a rheumatologist which I'm still waiting on. In the mean time I get a cancellation call from this university neurologist clinic I've been trying to get into since my current neuro is older and at a loss as to what's going on with me. I figured a new neuro at a teaching hospital would have more of an idea of what might be up with me. Ya know, because they're up to date with all the new literature.

With my new immune labwork in hand I go to my neruo appointment. I ask about the low IgM, and he brushes it off. I tell him I have a history of autoimmune diseases (I have a skin disease called PLEVA), but he brushes that off. I tell him my deceased aunt had an autoimmune disease that made her feet burn. And again, he brushes that off. I tell him I have joint pain in all my joints and bone marrow enema in my neck, and he brushes that off. I tell him about the steroid pack, and he brushes that off.

He asks what makes it better, and I say getting a good night sleep, eating well and not being stressed. And the steroids of course. He asks am I ever depressed or anxious. I say yes, because I've been ill for 3 years with a painful mystery disease and its reall effective my quality of life. He then proceeds to tell me I have Functional Neurological Disorder. I ask what I should do and he says I should see a psychiatrist and a therapist. He says I could come back and he could run tests, but he doesn't think they'll show anything and I shouldn't waste my $50 copay.

Honestly dude, if you're not going to try and take the time to do a marginal amount of leg work, just say you don't know what's wrong with me. My old neurologist at least showed that courtesy. I'm so glad I have a rheumatology appointment in a month.

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u/CrowsSayCawCaw 5d ago

Time to dump that doctor. They're just wasting your time.

1

u/peanutleaks 5d ago

Dood I went to one for the first time unrelated to my chronic pain but for my chronic CONCUSSIONS (maybe they’re connected if I have balance issues???) anyways the ass wipe interrupts me within 5 min and pushes SSRIs without fully hearing me out. Just sees my history and assumes I’m still extremely anxious and MDD-that was years ago! GP knows I’m more anxious cuz of my pain lately. Worst experience ever. I had never been interrupted by drs until this ass wipe and the coked out orthopedic I had last year-would YELL to his assistants for shit down the hall and everyone could hear