Confused

[Lizzie57]

Hi everyone

I'm a newby I'm a bit confused I read some of the posts and they say something about flare up am I wrong to think that when you have fibro that the symptoms are there all the time.? Or do they come and go ?

Granny crochet

[Betty67]

They come and go a lot, some days you can feel nearly normal and then you do too much and suffer for it later and maybe not until the next day. That is why you need to learn to pace so you never use up all your fuel. Like a car we have a lot of sludge in the bottom of the tank and if you use that the engine needs to recover.

[Hidden in reply to Betty67]

Good description Betty

xxx sian

[fenbadger in reply to Hidden]

Almost better than spoon theory.

I cant improve on those replies so I'll just say welcome to this friendly loopy site

[Fibrofoggiest]

Hi there I have had Fibro for over 30 years and have had times when it has been much easier to cope with and times when it has crippled me completely. We all tend to use the term "flare" when we are having a bad time with pain etc. So in answer to your question, the pain isn't necessarily at the forefront all of the time, some people have periods of almost complete remission, but in my opinion there has not been a cure for Fibro (though many on the web pop up thinking they have) and therefore it will be with you all the times, but the degree to which it affects you on a day to day basis can easily change !

Sending lots of pain busting, positive vibes your way

Foggy x

[vixen49]

Hi granny crochet its like foggy says flare up is having a tough time with the pain we have bad days and there times when we have good days my cats no.When I'm not well they tend target the hot spot and lay there till you feel better bless them,I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia last September, sending gentle hugs. Ros

[Hidden]

Hi there Granniescrochet

We are all different from one another with varying levels of symptoms etc and personally for me my pain never goes away I can only subdue it. If I do more than I should then my pain, stiffness and spasms all increase in capacity in response to it and I also end up very fatigued.

I do think there is a difference between a flare and what happens if you overdo it but pacing is important in order to kinda prevent a flare-up from happening.

I believe my flares are when everything attacks me at once making things difficult, my pain increases, my sensitivities heighten such as smell, temperature, taste and the chemical sensitivities - mine are triggered by airfresheners, deodrant aerosols even the smell of petrol and deisel I go weak and feel very sick and feel weird when sensitivities kick in that's how I know a flare is starting. It is usually accompanied by flu-like symtoms for me but we are all different.

Overdoing it is more like muscle pain and stiffness as well as the regular fibro tenderness and intolerances to pain and mostly a build up of fatigue due to little sleep and doing too much, more than you can cope with

I was instructed that it was good idea to put together control measures in the form of a chart or something as a reminder for what to do if a flare occurs and have a seperate one for what to do if you have just overdone it! coping strategies for instance!

Pacing requires a degree of self discipline as we would, usually, try to get to the end of an activity/job/chore and then rest before starting the next task, which burns us of our energy. However, it is said to be more beneficial for us to take things steadily rather than continuing with an activity to the point of exhaustion and then being forced to rest which may end up with you spending a few days flat on your back not being able to do anything.

Speaking from personal experience I was advised to map out my daily chores across the week spreading out the differing types of activities to prevent repetition of movements and to perform them more slowly and to also take regular breaks as it would help to stop the fatigue from building up. As a result I was preserving more energy so that I could enjoy more of the day too

Pursuing activities as a series of shorter chunks of activity with set periods of rest was better than working straight through until fatigue dropped me to the floor.

Therefore, Pacing involves taking planned breaks or rests within or between activities.

I am a strong advocate of Relaxation since the pain programme too.

A break is different from sleep I personally find that a nap in the afternoon for a set period helps me to preserve some energy for the evening. I have included 30minutes of relaxation or a short period of minimal activity every day as we don't tend to get restorative sleep so it's the next best thing really................... personally speaking of course!!

I like guided imagery here's one of my posts

healthunlocked.com/fibroact...!

Please remember that I am not a medical professional just a fellow fibromite sharing experiences and info with you

Sorry for waffling on so much but I do hope it is helpful for you. I think we all have our own personal triggers for flares and with time we begin to recognise what they are

Healing fluffies and smiles for you sorry if I digressed a little

xxxsianxxx

[dinkic in reply to Hidden]

Good description of how it is, well done.

[Shazzzy]

Hi granniescrochet, i find that the symptoms are there all the time but the extent to which they affect you goes up and down. Some days they can be mild and you can do housework etc, leave the house, enjoy time with others. Then again it can flare up and be too painful to walk, move, dress etc, when this goes on for a while, it is called a flare.i have been using deep breathing and relaxation cds to stay calm, and find this helps me cope mentally much better with these ups and downs and the pain is a bit easier to bare. Hope this helps,

Shazzzy

[rosewine]

Welcome to the forum.

Yes the others have given marvellous descriptions of what a flare is. Sometimes you can do all the right things and have rested sufficiently and eaten sensibly but a flare will still happen. If it does try to hold onto the thought that you have had these bad periods before and always got through them. It is hard but gives you the hope that it will end soonx

[TheAuthor]

Hi Granny crochet

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today? I think everybody else has pretty much summed up what a flare up is! I think as you go no you will know when you are having a flare up as everything will feel worse and nothing will seem to work for you!

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken x

[Mammy-F]

I've had fibro since 2001 and I have learned to pace myself or risk a flare. In fact I'm currently struggling through a particularly bad one which was triggered by a urine infection and too many hours at work. Best advice I can give is listen to your body and never exert yourself to your limit. X

[Lizzie57]

Thanks to everyone for your help, at the moment I'm suffering quite badly with my shoulders,back,neck,arms,and also a very fuzzy head I don't know if it's fibro fog or the Gabapentine I'm on I have just been increased to 2 x 100mg three times daily. I hope your all feeling good and not in too much pain, hugs granny crochet

[Shazzzy]

Hi Granniescrochet, i found the gabapentin very good for the pain once i had been tsking it a while unfortunately it left me confused and in a daze all the time. I found it to difficult to deal with life in a permanent daze and have changed to amitriptyline, now my head is clearer but pain levels have increased, but still prefer it this way, at least i can think. Hope you find some relief soon,

Shazzzy

[mitziblue]

Hi Granny crochet, You can have better days than others. A flare up usually means a very bad day, or days. This disease seems to have a mind of it's own and sometimes it doesn't let up for months at a time. Then when it feels like it or you find a pain med that helps you may see some days much better than others. Just know life with Fibro is like a box of chocolates you never know from day to day what you are going to get. Hope this helped explain life as we know it. xxxx Mitzi

[dinkic]

Welcome to the forum, think we all have underlying pain all the time, then it hits a flare up is more than usual, then we notice it.