So your Fibromyalgia is flaring and kicking your butt. What now? Part 2: Dealing with a Fibromyalgia flare.

When symptoms temporarily increase in number or intensity, it is called a flare or flare-up. Flare-ups can happen without warning and are mostly likely to occur if a person with fibromyalgia is stressed or under a lot of pressure. A flare-up can last anywhere from a few days to weeks at a time. www.medicalnewstoday.com 

Right now I am the right person to be talking about this. I have been suffering and I mean really, really suffering since Saturday a week ago. Remember how I told you I went to the pain management clinic? Remember how I told you I went to E.R to break the pain. That massive morphine shot and painkillers in the I.V that left me cross eyed? Alas it didn’t break the pain. I had imagined that I would wake up in the morning feeling better. They had even given me a fentanyl patch for good measure, which lasts for 72 hours. Well all it did was temper it down a bit to dull pain. I was still taking my other meds. I wanted to be pain free! Not oh it’s a dull pain. No. Pain FREE. It’s actually cruel to not give people the meds they need because of damn drug addicts. Look at my file. I don’t come here for fun…because it’s not! To give you an idea of what a Fibromyalgia flare can do and affect here is a graphic:

I’m currently suffering with myofascial pain, headaches, dizziness, cognitive impairment, sore eyes,extreme sensory sensitivity, pelvic pain, extreme fatigue and my muscles. Oh my GOD my muscles. They’re in such stiff knots I just can’t deal. So much for those 10 steroid injections! They should have taken by now. So what symptoms can you experience during a pain flare? Let’s have a look!

• Widespread muscle pain
• Fatigue that makes completing daily activities difficult
• Stiffness, especially in the morning or after a long period of inactivity
• Cognitive difficulties, also known as fibro fog, including problems with memory, concentration and organization
• Emotional issues, such as anxiety, sadness or depression
• Sleep problems, such as taking a long time to fall or sleep, frequent waking or waking up and still not feeling rested
• Pain, Pain, Pain. Everywhere. In a previous blog I wrote about how even my hair hurt when I had a flare sometimes.

There are alot more symptoms attached to fibromyalgia. The biggest one will always be the pain. I love how this pic accurately describes the exact pain areas I deal with!

This perfectly describes the chronic pain I live with in these areas! Every single day. I never get a break from this pain. These muscles are always sore, it’s just the level that varies. I cannot explain to you how debilitating this pain is. It’s partly why I am on disability. Overuse of the “Jackass” area leaves me in such extreme pain. The only way to get through it is with copious amounts of medication. If they’re giving me strong stuff now what are they going to give me in 5 years? I don’t want to become resistant to any pain killers. You will find me treating those muscles constantly. Right now I have my heated wheat bag on my neck. I spend alot of time trying to get the knots out which is dumb anyway because they just come back. Ask my physiotherapist….

Today I saw my Reflexologist for some head and feet reflexology as well as detox and cleansing. She has the most amazing energy and always checks up on me. She cares for me and it shows in her treatment. It left me feeling alot better. My soul was more settled. I had been crying earlier in the day when I was speaking to my alternative healthcare professional. I sent her a voice note and just became a blubbery mess. I’ve said it before. I’m not a crier so if I do you know it’s bad. I wish there was someone I could negotiate with. Yes we pray etc but what if we could negotiate? Oh I would be right in there! How about a whole cake for yourself in exchange for being pain free for an hour? Oh, you want a dog instead. Stay right here, a dog is on it’s way! Don’t give the hour to someone else please because I am really desperate for this. It has gone on at such a terrible level that I’m losing the will to fight. I just can’t. My body is too tired.

Besides being robbed of time on my vacation, the assault on myself continues. The Lupus flare is under control but we can’t get this fibro flare under control. This is where I get pissed off with addicts who have caused laws to be passed to make it difficult for someone like me to get the actual help I need. To get the super strong meds that could break this pain, but no, I am treated like a druggie. That upsets me so badly. I don’t come to E.R for fun. It’s the furthest thing from fun! Add the fact that I might need to go more than once a week it definitely looks like we have a druggie coming to get a fix. I hate this. I hate having to justify my pain. To insist that it is real and that it’s extreme.

So what’s the latest? I’ve been in touch with the pain management clinic. Unfortunately at this point there is nothing stronger she can prescribe. Utter nonsense. She doesn’t admit anyone to hospital for pain. So the Prof at the pain clinic now wants me to to E.R where my doctor is at and have them admit me for pain management. Oh bloody hell. Not this again! I am however at the point where I am just saying “Do with me what you will as long as you get this pain gone”. My rheumatologist will be have some trepidation. He doesn’t want me in hospital because there are too many superbugs I can pick up. It’s even dangerous going to hospital for me. Go figure.

I’ve decided that I will see what the morning brings. If I wake up and I’m in pain I’m just going to give in and be admitted, unless my doctor has another plan for me. Better pain patches or whatever. It needs to stop. I’m on this carousel and I can hear the circus music. The scary clowns are the pain areas. Jumping around like Jack in the Boxes. It’s crazy and I want to get off this ride. Like immediately.

So again I implore you to send your positive vibes, energy, prayers, duahs or whatever you do to help me. To give me the strength. To open the doctors eyes and let them forget about opiod policies for just a week and treat me with stuff that will smack the living daylights out of me. Relief. That’s all I want. Some relief. It’s been too long. I’ve been sick for so long that I’m beyond being able to fight back… but then I get an amazing comment from one or more of you and you give me a little bit more resolve to continue fighting.

I will continue trying my best. I am going to take time out. Problem is that even with all these meds I can’t have a nap! How frustrating! A nap is not going to fix the fatigue but it might at least be a restorative sleep.

Something’s got to give. I can’t live like this. My brother had backache and whimpered like a baby. I showed him some yoga stretches and then I did some of the stuff physio does on me. My niece thought I was killing him. I told him he was a big baby. His response was “but you’re used to it“. Oh my dear boy I said, if I had gotten used to it I wouldn’t be on the crazy medication I am for pain that I am. You never get used to this level of pain. Ever. I just hide it well. I have found that the facade is slipping. I realised that today. I looked good/beautiful as per the people who saw me but when you got up close you could see. I was tired. I am barely holding on.

I will keep you updated. This is a realtime Fibromyalgia flare happening and I want you to understand what it can be like.

ONE LOVE