Fibromyalgia

[Smally1]

Diagnosed about a year ago. Feel at a loss as to what I can do each time I have flare ups I feel more deflated. Any suggestion please.

[rosewine]

I don't know what your flares consist of as everyone is different. Mine tend to be really bad pain in one or two areas. Pain but not so bad in others, general heightened aches and pains in muscles and bad fatigue. If you have a bath try a real long soak with a few handfuls of Epsom salts or a good hot shower. I use a Tens machine on the worse patches. Musselflex gently massaged into my muscles. I up my medication as I don't usually take the full allowable dose so I have somewhere to go when having a flare. I rest and keep myself warm. I use music or a good book as a distraction, others might do crafts. Do try to keep gently moving ever so often.

I can commiserate as I am day 3 of a flare. Watching my favourite footie team on the Tv which isn't helping the flare, ha ha.

[SW_Inc]

I do my upper and lower body stretches and nerve sliders for my shoulders. I get in water if I can, like Pool or the Ocean, getting gravity off my body is amazing. I utilise my heat and ice packs. I use distraction by doing my Pottery and anything tactile with my hands and other senses. I think they call it 'grounding'.

Keep my spirits up by watching favourite happy funny TV shows while my brain zones out and my body rests.I Eat some delicous food I love. I Talk to a positive person or two on the phone if I have the energy. I utilise hot showers/baths twice a day before my stretches. I find smells grounding so I use an essential oil stress roll on and a diffuser in my house and smells help distract me from pain for bits of time.

Music and singing helps me as I natually start ti diaphramatically breath when I sing, which calms me down. Good sleep hygiene and figuring out whyyou can't sleep is paramount. For me, turns out I need to take melatonin every night as my brain doesn't make enough and it's why i couldn't sleep my whole life!!

Also some days I take hour by hour. other days I just try and make it to the next minute and try my best remind myself THIS IS TEMPORARY.