I’m still in a fibromyalgia flare at the moment and some days can’t function at all. Some days I feel improved and am desperate to get out and about only to feel very unwell again the next day. Fluctuation is the theme here. I’m hoping this flare will pass soon.
Yesterday I went to the pain clinic. I was referred to get acupunture which is good because it has helped in the past. I was also advised that Lyrica might help but I’m not particularly keen to go on any more drugs, I’m already on three and they don’t really know how they all interact let alone four. Plus I’ve had terrible weight gain from the ones I’m on and don’t want to add to it. The doctor didn’t really give me much of an idea as to what else they’re going to try if anything, and it was a bit confusing. It’s also becoming clear that not very much is known about Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. So I suppose I shouldn’t expect too much in the way of help.
I’m working on trying to stop pushing myself too much when I’m feeling good, because if I do I then crash and my Fibromyalgia symptoms flare up and then my mood dips too. I’m learning (slowly) that pacing is definitely the way forward. The problem I have is that when I start to feel better I want to get on with all the stuff I haven’t been able to do and I get over-exited, do too much and end up sore and exhausted. I need to realise that when I’m feeling good/better I need to save some of that energy and then I can more consistently do the things I would like to do.
I’ve been in a cycle of doing too much then crashing into a heap of pain and fatigue. Apparently there is another way, which is to pace oneself. As a chaotic and impulsive person this should prove to be an interesting approach. I’m going to try and live within my limits and not keep expecting to be able to do things just because I used to be able to.
I need to learn to enjoy the things that I do have and can do. If I can manage to take it easier and not push beyond my limits I should in the long run, feel better and be able to do a bit more.
I’ve been having a lot of fibromyalgia pain recently and it’s wearing me down. It’s impacting on my moods and quality of life. I’m getting frustrated and depressed because I’m so sore and stiff. Also I’m unable to do all the things I used to do and would like to do. I used to be a very active person, but now I’m struggling to walk short distances due to the pain and tightness in my legs. My hobbies of painting and playing the bass are restricted and gardening is out of the question at the moment. I am managing to paint at the moment but it is making me so sore. I would also love to do more than I can, I suppose I should just be grateful that I can do it at all but it’s not as easy as it sounds. I’m having larger and longer periods of the day when I don’t actually have anything to do because I’m in too much pain to paint or play my bass. I’m not good at being bored and un-occupied (who is?), and I’ve been racking my brain for gentle things to do when I’m unable to do much more than sit uncomfortably in a chair, but so far (after 9 or so years) I can only think of TV, which is pretty boring and not really an activity (if there’s even anything on). I sometimes read but only when I can concentrate. I would love to have a job but I can barely function as it is at the moment.
Moan over…
4.30am this morning and I had to get up, I was in to much pain to stay in bed. it’s 6.10am now and I would really like to go back to bed because I’m exhausted. Luckily I don’t have much on today but that’s not the point. I’ve been having really vivid dreams when I am sleeping and keep waking up in between each dream, it’s exhausting. When I wake up I feel like I’ve been beaten up in a fight, my muscles ache and I’m really stiff and sore. This Fibromyalgia business is really beginning to pi** me off. It’s very changeable and wears you down. I’ve been getting very frustrated with it recently, which I actually see as a good sign because it’s better than losing hope.
I’m struggling with finding stuff to do. I’m having a fibromyalgia flare up at the moment which means I’m too sore and tired to do much. It’s deeply frustrating and rather tedious. My mind is awake but my body is not able.
I’ve been doing some reading and internet surfing and discovered a few things I didn’t know about Fibromyalgia, which are very interesting. It would seem the current thinking is now that Fibro is caused by trauma to the Central Nervous System (CNS) which could be for example a knock on the head, a neck injury, a virus or severe stress. Now that there are much more precise imaging techniques (qEEG, fMRI, PET scans etc) for looking at the brain they have found abnormalities there in people with Fibro. There is a technique called brain mapping where a qEEG(quantitative Electroencaphalogram) is used to map abnormal activity in the brain, this information is then used to apply the most appropriate treatments.
Here are some links to what I found if you’re interested-
http://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900%2808%2900650-0/abstract
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_brain.html
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005224
I’ve just been doing some reading on the internet about fibromyalgia and came across a doctor who thinks the muscle pain involved is due to inactivity….aaarrggghhhh…that fills me with furious anger! When I first became ill I had been a very active person, going for an hour and a half hill walk most days and I was very fit, how dare he suggest it’s due to inactivity? I’m usually quite laid back (well at least I like to think so!} but that attitude and ignorance fills me with rage. There are so many people with fibro who were previously very active and fit, it’s insulting to be told it’s because you didn’t do enough exercise and if that were the case there would be a sh** load more people with fibro.
Rant over!
I’m currently in the midst of a fibromyalgia flare up. My neck, shoulders and back are seized up and very sore, my hands and ankles are sore and I’m, to be frank, absolutely knackered. Sleep doesn’t help and it’s frustrating to wake up more tired than I was when I went to sleep. I even know why I’m in this state, it’s because a few days ago I was high and totally overdid it. Instead of pacing myself I scampered about town up and down hills, knowing at the back of my mind that “I shouldn’t be doing this” and that I was hurting but I did it anyway. My rebellious streak was a mile wide that day! Now I’m suffering the consequences. Still a part of me thinks “it’s not fair” and that why should I not do “normal” things when I’m feeling good? Because I feel like S*** for many days afterwards that’s why! The moral of the story….take it easy!!