Re: Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Center...for sharon

March 19, 2008

hi sharon,

thanks for your thots on my other questions.

about these fibro centers, i have no financial interest in them, and

i think they are thieves by what they charge, but i may need to go as

a last resort myself, don't want to, but may.

if you go to www.vitality101.com, there is a link on there to the

fibro center website. when you get to that site, there is a link for

fees/schedules...something like that. it read last time i looked,

$390.00 per consult, separate $390.00 for hormone balance consult, no

insurances accepted for office visits/consults, but i guess we could

always send in a form to our insurance company for reimbursement,

these centers do not send bills and only charge us a copay, like most

docs. if you can't find the links and info, let me know, i am a PC

MORON but could try to paste the links.

my big concern and question to whoever goes or has gone there...do

they truely follow all of dr.teitlebaum's recommendations and

protocol as far as writing scripts? for sleep meds, for stimulants

for fatigue, he doesn't believe in alot of pain meds mostly because

our pain is not inflammatory, so he recommends nutritional

supplements and herbal supplements for pain, which i do not totally

agree with. but i will seriously consider paying the money if these

docs will actually write the scripts for sleep meds and stimulants,

especially.

these places do alot of IV vitamin/mineral/supplementing, which some

people get alot of benefit from, some don't. i would be interested in

trying these, too. i have not had any before. these clinics should do

all dr.teitelbaum's recommended bloodwork for clotting problems and

infectious agents which he believes are triggers for alot of fibro

people. actually, the clotting issue is for when antibiotics aren't

working like they should be working, so thinning the blood has helped

resolve infections.

let us know if you end up going. but i think his book mentioned that

when beginning treatment under his protocol, it would be frequent

visits for bloodwork and IV treatments. must be nice to make so much

money off of really sick people like us, but very few conventional

docs with do all the bloodwork and write the scripts.

take care,

marg

>

> hi just saw this post and am curious about Fibro Center. Do

they not take insurance?, or do you just not have it?, as this last

visit to my Dr. she suggests, that I try going to the one near me

3hrs!, though when in my other home, 45mins, it is in Boston. But I

am seeing you say it cost alot?, and no real help?, I wonder if you

could breif me on what I would expect, have already been to a Pain

Management Center, they wanted me to be able to drive the anxiety

driven drive to the center and give up working then which was FT. to

be in the center 4-5 days a wk from 8a-4:30! I would be doing what I

have already tried over and over only all day long all at once PT,OT,

exercise, ultra sound etc. I could not put my life on hold at the

time, could not see me driving the stressfull drive as I explained

that I woud probably have anxiety attacks getting there and back if

could do it, they just taboo'd that. But now wonder what these Fibro

centers are?, do they stop you off the

> med's you may be on? Take Care, Hope lighter

days.

Sharon

March 19, 2008

Hi Marg,

It is $390 for the first 2 appt., but then it's $199 which is still a lot. The

first 2 appt.'s the Dr. spends about an hour with you to determine a treatment

plan for your needs based on your symtoms and blood work results.

They do follow Dr. Tietlebaum's Theory for the most part.....my Dr. has not had

success with the supplements for pain relief, so she does not suggest them (they

are expensive). I wanted to try them anyway and they did not work for me. They

do very extensive bloodwork at your first appt which your insurance company

should cover, if not they will work with you on the cost. Also, after going the

first time, you can follow up your appt on the phone. I also live 3 hours away.

This is only a problem if they want you to do the IV treatments. I did them a

couple of times, but I can't afford it so I stopped going. Yes, they really do

prescribe stimulants. My Dr. is fighting with my insurance company right now to

get me on Provigil, which really helps me. I can only speak for the Center I go

to, but I do NOT feel they are trying to take advantage of sick people. I did

hear one horror story from someone else in this group from the F & F Center. My

advice would be to research out the one you would be going to. Google the Dr.'s

name and see what comes up. Look for support groups near that center and ask if

anyone there has been to that one. Go under the general section on Craig's

List in that city and ask if anyone has been to that center. It is expensive,

so you definitly don't want to go to one that is run by a horrible Dr. Or call

the center and ask them for numbers of people who have had success with them

that would be willing to talk. Just their reaction to that question might tell

you a lot. Also, I did have a hormone imbalance, and mine was taken care of

with all the other issues. It was not a seperate fee for some reason. Not that

I'm complaining. They will not ask you to go off your pain meds. They do hope

to help you enough that you can stop taking them, but they do realize how much

pain we are in and will not make you feel like a drug addict. The proceeds from

the supplements go to charity. You do NOT have to buy their supplements. If

you want to buy all the recommended supplements elsewhere, that is fine. But I

can't imagine it would be cheaper that way. Hope this helps. Let me know if

you have any other questions.

Jill