Fibromyalgia Support Group

How often do people with fibro get flares? I just had a really bad one a month ago, and I am feeling those pains again. How do you deal with the flares?

Mine are mostly whebn I over-do. I just take my pain meds and call a time out until I feel better (at least a day or two later, usually).

Hey Purduegirl,

Welcome to the group. Fibromyalgia is as varied as we are. Some of us are lucky to have remissions between flares and others seem to be in flares all the time. I've had several bad ones over the years, the worst being the one that led to my diagnosis last spring.

Coping methods vary but medication seems to be the key. Most of us are on antidepressants and various painblockers and/or narcotic painkillers. It's really a matter of treating the most immediate symptoms. Sleep is of the utmost importance, if you don't sleep, you can't heal so most of us take something for insomnia.

A lot of us (OK, most) have strange reactions to medications so we really count on our PCPs and rheumatologists to get us through.

This website has been invaluable to me. I can write about how I feel or if I'm having a bad day or a good day and I always get positive feedback. It's a terrible club to join, but we're in good company here.

Again, welcome. I'm really sorry to hear you're flaring so often. My flares are almost always brought on by stress. Is there something in your life that's got you stressed out?

How rude of me. I just got back from rehearsal and I'm so wiped out I didn't even realize who was posting. Welcome to the group, purdue girl.

Rayne did such a nice job of explaining things, that there's not much for me to add, except, yes....stress is a major factor for my falres, as well. Even moreso that over-doing it.

Well, I'm a CPS worker and I investigate allegations of aqbuse and neglect. I've been doing that for almost 5 years and it wears on you. I have one kiddo all the time and 3 step kiddos every other week and that is certainly stressful. My husband's ex has a history of VERY unpredictable behavior and we never know what she's going to do or acuse us of next (even our kiddo's therapist thinks she has a personality disorder!).

I'm currently on Cymbalta and Lyrica. I took hydrocodone for my last flare. I feel anxious about calling my doc again and asking for pain meds for this new flare. I'm afraid he'll think I'm an addict. I work with addicts everyday, and it may be an abnormal fear, I'm not sure.

I'll check this tomorrow, because I need to sleep.

Wow Purdue, you really are under stress. Your job alone...I can't even imagine. Then the kids & I've been there with the steps every other week and is there really anything more stressful than trying to raise someone else's kids?

If you were an addict, you would have been on the phone with your doc a week before you ran out of pain meds. He/she knows that.

There's a difference between being addicted to a drug and being dependent on it. We depend on our Cymbalta but we're not addicted to it. Relax, you're not an addict! If Cymbalta and Lyrica combined aren't controlling your pain, you need something else. If a single antibiotic didn't control an infection, would you consider yourself an addict for asking for a different one?

I hope you slept well and that tomorrow (or today, if you're reading this tomrrow) is a better day.

Everyone else here has said such great things already so I'll just add my welcome. You do certainly sound like you have a lot of stress in your life. Have you tried any stress management techniques? I have a book to suggest but I can't get to it right now. It's a workbook with a lot of stress reduction techniques. PM me if you want the title. Then I'll remember tomorrow to send it to you.

I too am one of those who feels like I'm flaring all the time. If I wake up feeling pretty OK (which has not been the case lately as I have been waking up very stiff and in lots of pain) I know that there's a good chance that it won't stay OK for long. Every activity increases my pain level and it would only make sense that stress would also add to it. You might be able to head some of the flares off at the pass if you can identify any of your triggers.

Welcome Purduegirl. I can see where your stress levels contribute to your pain. I hope you find relief soon and from my experience, you can get some awesome tips from many of the members here.

Mid

here's the book I mentioned before. I was PM'd by another friend asking about it, so I've been reminded and now have it handy.

The book is called The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, 6th ed, by Martha Davis, PhD, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, MSW and Matthew McKay PhD. The cover reads "simple concise step-by-step directions for mindfulness, breathing, progressive relaxation, meditation, acceptance, focusing, self-hypnosis, visualization, refuting irrational ideas, worry control, coping skills, exercise, nutrition, anger management, time management, assertivenes, work-stress management and quick relaxers.

Maybe this will help!

Thank you Jeerie. I will check it out.