Fibro/ Fatigue Flare!

[mcglada0]

Having yet another fatigue episode that seems to come out of nowhere. For a few weeks I seem to be able to lead a fairly normal life despite continual pain. I keep active, look after grand kids and socialise. Then - wham! Here I am feeling like sh-- and complete lack of energy and motivation. Pain levels have also gone up to almost screaming point! Does anyone have any advice on how to avoid these episodes? They are really debilitating! Thanks.

[Creativeness1]

At times like this keep sharing it is not an easy place to be it is always best just doing the little things you can manage. Keeping positive takes energy but even if thats all you can manage please share while your helping others you will be helping yourself.

Good luck and thankyou sending hugs

[mcglada0 in reply to Creativeness1]

Thanks. You are right. We must keep positive. Just think of something that you were able to do last week or last month or last year. We all have good times as well as challenging times.

[Creativeness1 in reply to mcglada0]

We are here to support you i admire that your sharing that in itself is a very big achievement

[BlueMermaid3]

Hi there

I have lived with Fibro & ME (plus other conditions) for 36 years.

What you are describing is classic Fibro.

Overdoing things or going through a lot of stress will definitely have a detrimental affect on your Fibro.

Obviously it is not possible for us to avoid stress, but it is possible to learn to pace ourselves.

Learning to pace ourselves can be incredibly hard. Have you ever read up about The Spoon Theory? If not, if you Google it, you may find it useful in learning to pace.

It is very important that we take care of ourselves and not do more than we can manage. Unfortunately it's very tempting to do too much when we feel we are managing our symptoms ok.

Don't forget that it is not selfish to take care of ourselves - it is very important.

Wishing you much peace

Lu xx

[mcglada0 in reply to BlueMermaid3]

Thank you so much for your reply. You are correct - I do overdo things when I feel well and yes I have heard of the spoon theory. It has been the best way of helping me to understand pacing. Now I need to put it into practice. I hope that you are going through a good period and are managing to pace yourself. It is so comforting to know that I am not alone with this horrible illness. Thank you for your kind words and advice.

[Maya23]

I'm getting used to the fact that my Fibro seems to do the very same thing. It seems to flare up with worse pain and fatigue regularly. Mine seems to follow the pattern of my monthly cycle - I get some better days in the middle of my cycle and my worst weeks are at the end and at the start of the new cycle. I try to make the most of the good days, but try to pace myself then too. And then on the bad days at least I can rest and tell myself to stay positive - better days will come again.

[mcglada0 in reply to Maya23]

I try to say exactly the same to myself. It's just so frustrating that we can't do normal things without being penalised! Lol! Anyway, thank you for replying. I am sorry that you have to go through the same flare ups of pain and fatigue but it is comforting to know that there are others out there who care. I hope that the summer brings less pain for you and more energy.

[ukmsmi4]

Hi there

I was going to say it sounds to me like you need to pace yourself. But Lu (BlueMermaid3 ) has already explained this to you brilliantly, so I will just say . . .

what Lu said!!

Take it easy, one step at a time.

Gentle hugs, Margaret.xxx

[mcglada0 in reply to ukmsmi4]

Thank you. I am going to really try to get to grips with the pacing. Any tips will be gladly received.

[ukmsmi4 in reply to mcglada0]

Well the first thing I would say is if you do something and start to feel your symptoms getting worse then you have already done too much. Keep that in mind for reference and next time you're active do a bit less then rest. Keep doing less until you reach a point where you can be active, stop and rest without your symptoms getting worse.

Hope that makes sense.xxx

[bluebell99]

Yes, up and down, up and down is how most of us would describe fibro.

When you are at your very worst, try to think of the little reward you will give yourself when you feel well. It could be a coffee with friends, a bit of retail therapy, whatever is a treat to you.

I find it helps me.

Xx

[mcglada0 in reply to bluebell99]

Good idea! Thank you for sharing and caring.

[TheAuthor]

Hi mcglada0

I am so genuinely sorry to read this my friend and I am exactly the same as you, as I overdo things when I feel well. I do not know if this could help you but the *EveryDayHealth website says:

*How to deal with fibromyalgia flare ups?

.

When a flare is upon you, experts say you need to:

Give yourself a break. As Murphy's Law predicts, flares often strike at the worst possible times. ...

Just say no. ...

Get your ZZZ's. ...

Play mind games. ...

Pace yourself. ...

Medicate proactively. ...

Consider your alternatives. ...

Drink water.

.

I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck, and please take care of yourself my friend.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

[mcglada0 in reply to TheAuthor]

Thank you for your kind words of advice. Once again I wake up after a full night's sleep feeling exhausted and soo achy and sore. I will try to follow your tips. A few days and I'll be back on track. I do hope that you are managing to pace yourself and have a good day.

[TheAuthor in reply to mcglada0]

Thanks, and good luck my friend.

[carol789]

Hi mcglada

Thank you for sharing your experiences of Fibro. This forum is really helpful as not only can we get useful information, the shared experiences help (me and I would think others on here) to understand that I am not alone. I would not wish Fibro on anyone,but it is somewhat comforting to know others experience the same symptoms I do, helps to deal with some negative comments from people who do not really believe or accept what we have and the pain and discomfort we go through. I was so convinced by others that it was in my head that I went to a counsellor and to MIND. It has taken me a while to get used to it. The fatigue is overbearing when it comes and nothing I try will prevent it coming so far. Lots of people say keep active or don't do too much, I've tried both but fatigue keeps coming.

I wish you well and you should be so proud of yourself for doing all you do.

Best wishes

Carol

[mcglada0 in reply to carol789]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. It is comforting to know that there are people who understand what we are going through. I think this sight is amazing- everyone is so kind and supportive. I think it is the feeling of being so unwell during a flare that is almost worse than the pain. I hope that you are having a reasonable time and that you work out how to manage your flares. I'm still working on that one! As you say , we are told to keep active and then when we do, CRASH! Thank you again for responding to my text.