Am I having a fibro flare

[lefraorchard]

Hi all, i think I'm having a fb flare, which I haven't had this bad before. I'm waiting for results from my blood test, really feeling unwell, like I've got an infection. I'm having like nerve pains in my head and very strong pains in legs arms etc, tingling on legs and face, very tired, feeling very clammy. Doctors thinks I may have an infection as my pulse is fast and slightly raised temp. On reading on this site, which is great, it seems a lot of people are suffering with this illness. I feel I'm just left to get on with it, how can you convince people how bad the pain and disability is, as a lot of people will say, oh yes I'm in pain today, but fb pain is very hard to explain......xxxxx

[kauto]

you never said a truea word how do you explain the pain because we all have different pain levels so when they askabout levels 1 to 10 what level is 10, sorry that sounds to profound but I too have a job to explain how much it hurts in fact i cant remember being pain free, all i know some days are light pain some days are bad pain,thank God for painkillers, i have been in pain when i broke my leg ouch when i had toothache,earache and headache, they all got better no pain but Fb pain just goes on and on maybe that is the difference it`s worse because we know w wake with it every day no cure just stronger pain killers to look forward to, hope this makes sense ....xxxx

[lefraorchard in reply to kauto]

Thanks Kauto, it helps to chat on this site because we are all in the same boat xxxxxx

[clare_hart in reply to lefraorchard]

That how is your pain on a 1-10 scale always throws me. Do they mean the highest pain I ever experienced or the worst I can imagine? I have always based it on the worst I imagine and now I think it must be the worst I have ever had. I guess I will have to ask and get that clarified next time I am asked that about pain, depression, etc.

[lefraorchard in reply to clare_hart]

Hi, the pain seems to be never ending you Carnt put a score on it, because we suffer with fibro we understand this xx

[Kerryjess]

I just think it is a totally irrelevant question. My Physio once told me that I had a high pain threshold so it was more helpful for him to describe how I had been since he last saw me and tell him about the pain etc. he said the 1-10 thing didn't help at all, but it is something they are obliged to ask when working for the NHS. I don't know if that is totally accurate, I'm just relating what he said( he came out of NHS to start his own practice)

If you are used to pain all the time, then you could say one figure and someone who is unused to pain could give a much higher one. Surely they could come up with a better way of gauging how the pain affects the individual. I had a battle to stay on stronger meds after my last major surgery-the nurse decided I had been on them long enough and dropped them down. I was reduced to tears by the pain. I kept pointing out that it was written on my notes that I had Fibro, but even so, I has to insist on seeing my consultant before they gave in and let me have meds which actually controlled the pain. Again, it's ignorance on their part as to the way Fibro patients are affected by surgery.

[lefraorchard in reply to Kerryjess]

Thanks, I Agee with you, we know when the pain is bad so they should listen to us, although I feel as though I'm left to just get on with it, if my tests come back ok, I'm going to discuss with my GP other options for me, I've never been referred to the pain clinic or physio, I'm sure they would help, thanks for your reply xxxxxxx

[TheAuthor]

Hi lefaorchard

I am so sorry to read that you are in so much pain and I genuinely hope that you start to feel more like your usual self soon. It is not easy at all to describe how bad a pain feels as we are all unique individuals with differing tolerances and resistances to pain.

I always tend to use the score analogy out of 10 for pain as it can work as a guideline, after all, a kind of pain that is easily overcome such as a bang on your elbow or stubbing your toe would have a low score and yet, a major Fibro related pain instigated by your brain would score high as it is a substantial part of Fibro? It really helps when trying to ascertain pain medication from a GP or Specialist?

I always keep a pain and activity diary everyday for my many Consultants, and without any doubt my greatest pains are my Migraines and they have given me blackouts.

However, I do agree with you as it is one of the hardest things to do to try and describe a pain?

Take care and I hope that your flare doesn't last too long.

Ken

[lefraorchard in reply to TheAuthor]

Thank you for your reply, through this site I am realising how many people suffer with this illness, nothing at the moment seems to take the pain away, it's difficult to sleep a bed feels so hard, I'm sure it will pass many thanks ....

[TheAuthor in reply to lefraorchard]

I was just saying to somebody earlier to day that most of the members that I have discussed pain with have said that their pain medications don't actually work? It is something that we really need to have a long hard look at?

Take care

Ken