I'm thinking of buying a new mattress but because of my Fibro & Osteoarthritis, I'm unsure as to which type of mattress would be best. I currently have an Orthopedic mattress but for the last couple of years, have found it getting more uncomfortable as the time goes on.
I have been told that Memory Foam mattresses are a big 'no-no' for anyone with Rheumatic/Arthritic conditions but that Latex are very good. I really don't want to spend the money & find the mattress is the same or worse than the one I have! I can't really find any specific advice for Fibro sufferers.. mainly because we seem to be invisible to the rest of the world!
I've looked online for answers but get differing views, so wondered if anyone out there has any advice.. Thank you in advance...
Written by
Rainbow_Chaser
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Hi there, I'm interested to hear about memory foam not being recommended for arthritis, I have had one shoulder replaced and am waiting for the other one to be done. I have a memory foam mattress with a memory foam topper and if anything I think has helped me, but I suppose each person finds things which suit them. The company I got my topper from I can't recommend highly enough and I have looked for you and they do do a latex topped mattress. The benefit is firstly that you have a 30 day money back guarantee so if you don't like it, it can go back, also they come flat rather than some which are vacuum packed. If you would like info, do drop me a pm and I can give you the details.
Thank you for the reply Foggy.. I should've been more specific about the Memory Foam! My Mum suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis & Osteoporosis - her Rheumatologist advised against Memory Foam for any 'Arthritic' condition but I suppose the Rheumatologist's opinions will differ from one to another! You won't actually know till you buy one & see, which can be expensive if you're not sure that it will suit!
I'm really interested in the 'toppers' though, that would at least be a better idea before getting a new mattress - that way I could test both if necessary. I will send you a pm for the info..
Hi Debs, oh dear, I'm sorry for your Mum, I too have osteoporosis and have had several spinal compression fractures so I know to a degree, how your Mum might feel. I think you might be wise to start off with a topper and see how you get on, again if you don't feel it's right for you it can go back, I'll await your pm
Hope you aren't too bad today and that the sun is shining on you
A memory foam topper sitting on top of the mattress that your using is a cheaper option finding what works or not without such a big cost. A relatively thin one inch topper works for me, deeper and I feel like I am stuck in mud with getting out of bed a bigger problem and the overheating appeared more frequently - no sooner were my feet warm than they were too hot when I could not move.
Thanks for the advice Ian.. A 'topper' seems to be the best idea from everyone & does make the most sense. I've had a look at the Latex mattresses & they are by far the most expensive, so really didn't want to make the mistake of buying if they weren't the best thing for Fibro. If I have the best nights sleep ever & won't wake up feeling as though I've been ten rounds with Mike Tyson, then I won't mind paying it! I'm glad that yours works well for you & hopefully will for me too...
Thanks for the reply Jilly.. it seems like the vote is for Memory Foam one. I'm going to try a 'topper' though before I spend a fortune on a mattress. My own mattress is topped with a thick soft padding BUT even that can be painful - when lying down, just resting my heels, elbows, base of spine, hips etc can be excruciatingly painful!
I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today? I do not really know much at all about memory foam beds. However, I had a memory foam pillow and after two nights with this I stuck it in the dustbin as it was horrid! It gave me neck pains, headaches, shoulders, you name it! I also have Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
I genuinely hope that you can find the answers that you are looking for?
have you tried one of those orthopaedic neck cushions? I have one. It took me a week to get used to it but know I won't do without it. I have osteoarthritis in my spine and a partial dislocation on a vertebrae in my neck.
Thank you so much for that. Yes, I have one of those now. I find it very good for my arthritis in my neck.
That sounds awful what you must be suffering with your neck and spine, I am really sorry to hear that. I hope that you get some really good days as well?
Thank you so much for that. I did wonder if it was just me? I thought it was horrid and it really made my arthritis painful. The mattress sounds good though?
Hi Ken.. Thank you so much for your reply. I too bought 2 very expensive memory foam pillows about 7 years ago, tried them & was in absolute agony! I didn't even get through the full night with the pillow.. got to say they were the worst things I've ever bought too. It was after this experience that my Mum told me that memory foam was not advised for Rheumatoid Arthritis & hoped I wasn't following in her footsteps (slightly ironic!), hence my apprehension due to my Fibro & Osteoarthritis. I must say though, that I had not been diagnosed 7 years ago but looking back I honestly think I'd had my conditions for a number of years but just 'soldiered on'.. as you do!
Glad to say I've been given the 'all clear' up until now for RA but my poor Mum has suffered since diagnosed in her late 30's & I know how difficult life has been for her.
Any advice is greatly appreciated & I know that a mattress probably seems like a minor issue but I can't take pain medication due to serious heart arrhythmia, so any 'natural' pain relief is a blessing!
I think that there is a clear consensus that the memory foam pillows aren't too good but the mattresses work well. It is a very interesting post as I will be looking for a new bed later this year when I move into my new bungalow. So I have something to go on now?
Ive currently got a very firm bed but its agony! So using 2 matress toppers on top of that which is still bad! I to am looking for a decent matress good for fibro as only recently been diagnosed despite the pain for almost 2 1/2 years! Hope you find one to suit you x
Hopefully we'll both get some good advice from 'experts' who have tried & tested! I've been debating on getting one for about 3 years but can't seem to find any advice from Doctors for Fibro sufferers. Best advice is from the sufferers who really understand what the condition is like to live with & I've been given lots here. It's fabulous.. x
I have bought myself a Memory Foam Mattress and have found it to be very comforting for my fibro which is mostly in my lower back and hips as it keeps your shape as you lay on it to sleep. So the best advice I could say to you, is if you could try one out first before you buy it would be best. I hope this will help you Rainbow-Chaser. All the best for your future good nights sleep with gentle hugs from me. mindful597 x
I used to have an orthopaedic mattress but I always woke up feeling I had been run over by a truck. I changed to memory foam and it has been great, much easier on my sore body. Now i only feel run ovrr on bad days due to weather, overexertion etc not from my bed!
Hi. My mattress is a pocket sprung mattress with integrated memory foam layer on top. I find it very comfortable and supportive. It's made by a local company in NI called Starplan. They were really helpful. We found this particular one the most comfortable even tho its not their most expensive one Not sure if they deliver to mainland UK. Hope you find the right one for you. If you want the name of my mattress let me know and I'll have a look for you.
Back specialist told me some time ago that the orthopaedic mattresses are not now recommended for skeleton problems as they are too hard and therefore put pressure on bone structures. Of course there are always different opinions amongst .
I have CFS/ME & FM, slight c spine stenosis and degenerative spinal discs.
A few years ago the decision was taken that the mattress had to go! Tried out so many beds in shops, made a note of the best, slept in it (ha ha), before deciding.
Chose the bet could afford (well made myself afford..wasn't cheap). Chosen one was a high quality sprung mattress with a good quality upper 'sunk to body shape' type.
It's the best purchase ever made... worth every single penny. A pleasure to sleep in, so supportive without being soggy.
Tip... when shopping for make sure you lay on mattress for at least ten minutes, just how you sleep.
Take your partner to do the same. The varying weight on both sides makes a difference too.
Mattress chosen offered two sides soft/firm options. So if partner is heavier his side can be a firmer grade, without compromising the other side.
hi, i too have fibro and ostioarthritis. my partner and i have just bought a new bed, and its been wonderful. whilst i still get a lot of pain all over at least the sleepless nights have eased a wee bit. we bought a pocket spring bed with the rating of 1,ooo pocket springs. we have a layer of memory phone on it and its lovely. i wasnt keen on memory phone but it really is nice. my son makes the mattresses so gave us advice. i quite agree, we invisible to the rest of the world, but thinking about it, its the same reaction as people with m.e got once it was first heard of, so we need to be patient i guess..
I've had a Tempur mattress for over 10yrs now and was the best investment I've ever made.
Before when I woke in the mornings, I couldn't even turn over, let alone sit up without help and now I wake with less pain and able to move. In fact I'm often sitting on my bed during the day, because of the relief it gives me, as of late I can't sit in chairs for long.
You can have a 60 day free trial and they're guaranteed for 15yrs.
I just bought a king size memory foam mattress with over 200 pounds off from a famous high St catalogue store its on top of my pocket sprung 1000 pocket mattress which has a thin memory foam overlay. It brings the bed to a much more manageable height for me. I'm truly the Princess and the pea now as my previous mattress , even thought it was only three years old, had become very uncomfortable.
New mattress had originally been £ 389 and I paid £143!
Just hope this one is the last for a long time as don't fancy climbing a stepladder to bed!
Hi everyone... Just a quick update on the 'mattress' saga!
My parents bought me a Memory Foam Mattress Topper to try for Christmas (thanks Mum & Dad!). I must say, I am quite impressed! Although I still wake with my general Fibro pain when I move BUT it has really helped with the pressure on my joints. Sometimes just the pressure of my elbow resting on my mattress was excruciating but not now!! Much more comfortable.. not a cure but for me, anything that provides a little help/comfort/support is a blessing!
I will give the topper some more time before I splash out on a Tempur but it's looking good. Might have to see if they make a 'cooling' version though, as they topper can get a little hot - or is that just me!! :))
Thanks to all that replied & any more tips/advice will be greatly received...
Can anyone help or tell me if these igel mattresses are any good for my back and neck pain.???? My back give out on me yesterday the 19/9/2017. I have a Sealy bed but it has made my back worse, I have a bed aid to help me up but even then it took me 1full hour to get up, so I am going to sleep on my recliner chair tonight. It's just these bed's are so expensive and when I went to a shop there very pushy about a sale. Please help. Thanks big hugs everyone. Xx
Hi yes memory foam can get hot.that's how it works by your body heat,I asked this mattress question myself after months if debating myself as to what. New mattress to get,a lot of people told me memory foam can make you feel stuck an is hard to turn over on etc.I'd quite like one of the new high grid mattresses like the. Eve or the Emma but can't afford that at the mo so iv gone fr a sprung base with some memory foam. I hope you find a good one : o )
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Best mattress
Anyone found a comfy mattress?
Mattress recommendations 
