Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS)

Hi @kariulrich and everyone else who knows a little about my history. I am hoping someone can give me some guidance/advice on how to handle, or what to do on something. I thought going to Mayo, all the different drs. were suppose to meet and discuss your individual case. Mine don't. I love my vascular surgeon, I am not to happy with the GI dept. I have a 'fellow' and my vascular surgeon said I should ask for the attending dr instead. He is not happy with that dept either. Then my primary wants me to see a cardiologist. she also thought I could maybe have POTS, like you had mentioned Kari. I have the light headedness, tingling in feet and hands, and low blood pressure besides the constant fatigue. I can't get in to the cardiologist at Mayo until end of May, so maybe my surgeon can do something on that. I don't want to be disrespectful or hurt feelings, but I need answers and want to know why aren't drs talking to each other. I feel like I am the one to do the research and bring the information, and then I feel like they may think I am 'looking for something wrong' or something. If tests are ok then I am okay, well not if I don't feel right. Anyway, I am frustrated and just afraid when I go next week to the follow up surgeon visit for imaging from the balloon in celiac artery in Oct. I am not going to ask what I need and get any answers and leave in pain with nothing new. Believe me, I don't want anything wrong or any procedure, but some answers or something, you know what I mean.....
Tired of being in pain, and tired all the time and feel like I find so many connecting things, but why don't they you know. ???
Oh well, Kari I hope you are doing better on the Cymbalta. I am doing the pharmalogoical testing. My dr. just got the kit in, but since I have moved, it takes me 1 1/2 hrs to get to her, so not sure when I will get there again. She is awesome and I don't want to loose her....
Well if anyone has any advice or has felt this way, please let me know. Thanks

Thanks again for the info. I did watch Dr. Claw you tube video. There were a few but I did watch the 1 hour plus: Chronic Pain Is it all in their heads? It made a lot of sense. It seems related to Visceral Hypersensitivity. I believe that is the correct term. Where pain becomes even more painful due to the hypersensitivity. I will look at the other site as well. Thanks again.

Dr Dan Claw from University Michigan...good video is the first one I spoke about but like I stated...he never felt pain...even had a headache! He has grey-white hair. Chronic Pain. Is it all in their heads? He has a few of them.

A great doctor I also watched who really explains pain and especially fibromyalgia is Dr Andrew Gross the Director of the mini Medical School UCSF. The web address is http://www.osher.ucsf.edu and he has a wonderful YouTube video on fibromyalgia from 2011 and even stated people could email him at andrew.gross@ucsf.edu. The way he explains how pain works is easy for most people without any medical background to understand and why certain drug classes work for certain pain. A very compassionate doctor! Hope this is finding you better.

Hi, I am looking up his you tube video and there are many of them. Is there one in particular you recommend or saw, or just any in general. They all say chronic pain and fibromyalgia......

@jlfisher56 thank you so much for this information. I am going to definitely look into this. I am taking Cymbalta, but have been for 20 years and think I have become 'immune' to it. I was thinking of switching to savella. I just get overwhelmed because I feel I have so many things going on, what is related to what and don't know what dr to ask about what. My primary is great, but she can only do so much. I have an appointment with my vascular surgeon on the 31st. I guess I can start there. I am going to watch the video you suggested. Thanks again for your help. This site has been wonderful for me because of people like you and @kariulrich and others, so thank you all.

jmmb I found a Dr that I have occasionally watched. Last night he spoke on fibromyalgia (I have but not bad anymore). If you pull up his YouTube video Dr Dan Claw the head of Chronic Pain Fatigue Center of the University of Michigan, he addressed medication and brain chemicals.He is very informative but "never" felt any pain in his life and I am not 100% agreeable about what he states. Anyway, Tramadol is like I stated but he said, he dislikes opioids but uses Tramadol in the fact it acts as a weak anti-depressant like Savella/Cymbalta? He also stated it works on gamma hydroxybutyrate receptors (?) and the other ones work on serotonin and norepinephrine. A few years ago the FDA was going to take synthetic Tramadol off market because it was addicting and has side effects. It still is but you should research it. I don't know when they decided to use as an anti-depressant but as I stated he is against opioids but not Tramadol??? Strange. A friend of mine took it for pain at that time and had relief (I never did) and was also told non- addicting but IS. Was afraid when was going to be taken off market but wasn't, then her dosage had to be lowered. It is the side-effects of opioids he does not like and not effective in "brain" pain. That is why research is so important. Hope you are getting the assistance you need and are feeling much better. I still would question your doctor what they used. Don't know any doctors using it around my area or any medical associates I know

Interesting, thank you for your input. I will ask.

Tramadol is for moderate to severe pain. Also called Ultram. There are many muscle relaxants out there and one with a T (Tabradol). Not an anti-depressant like used in chronic pain but can act chemically like one and help with the pain and spasms. I would ask and find out. Tramadol is used in the ER but is a pain medicine not muscle relaxant. They could have given it to you if you had pain but I would ask, even your family doctor as I would hope he gets your records.

I have a question about the Tramadol. I think when I was in er yesterday, they gave me Tramadol but it was muscle relaxer type pain reliever. Is that correct? I could have heard the name wrong. It sounded familiar to me and when I just read this I thought it could be this????