Personal Fibromyalgia Symptoms & Flare-Up Management

nal fibromyalgia, as I define it, is the unique courseOptions with Your Physician:
of the fibromyalgia sufferer, with his or her own* Eliminate snoring spouses, loud pets, crying
mix and intensity of symptoms and responses tobabies, playing television and radios, etc. at
those symptoms that are either chronic or acute,bedtime. In other words, improve your sleep
as compared to others with FM.environment.
Please note that many of the observations and* If you are taking medication [for the most part,
recommendations I will be touching upon are nota silly question if you are already being treated for
new. I firmly believe that we need to be remindedfibromyalgia] trying a different medication may be
of them every so often and use the opportunityhelpful, or the dosage of a current medication
to share this knowledge with those newlymay be adjusted.
succumbed to fibromyalgia and who are just* A medication for aiding sleep may be added. A
starting their journey and feel alone in their illness.good over the counter supplement that can be
The course of the fibromyalgia sufferer isused occasionally is melatonin. As with any other
characterized by the remission and flare-up ofover the counter supplement do not take for
symptoms. Remissions of varying degrees canmore than a day or two without consulting your
last for any period of time [days, weeks, monthsphysician or other fibromyalgia medical specialist.
and, yes, even years]. Depression, interruptedNote: If in the past you were tested as having
sleep patterns, changes in weather, physical andborderline sleep apnea, check with your
emotional stress, and other illnesses, canfibromyalgia medical specialist if it may be time to
contribute to a flare-up of personal fibromyalgiabe tested once again. Sleep apnea reduces the
symptoms. We can become very frustratedproper amount of oxygen that is entering our
because many times we are not able to identifysystem and does affect our energy levels during
the triggering entity that initiates these flare-ups,the hours we are awake.
leading to a feeling of lack of control over ourHas There Been A Change In Your Eating Habits?:
health.* Have you changed your eating habits recently?
It is of vital importance for the fibromyalgiaIt may be time to pay better attention to any
sufferer to feel in control of these flare-ups andfibromyalgia diet protocol as recommended to
his or hers more chronic symptoms. Not doing soyou by your fibromyalgia medical specialist.
can end up developing into a vicious cycle ofBe Gentle To Yourself and Rest:
depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. Thus the* During activity take more frequent breaks.
need for the person with fibromyalgia to practice* Take a nap during the day or try, if you can, to
“Personal Fibromyalgia Symptomsget more sleep at night.
Treatment and Flare-Up Management.” It* If you have any unnecessary
is much better to have a plan ahead of time toappointments....cancel them.
deal with flare-ups, so that his or hers* Think of ways to make your daily living
“Personal Fibromyalgia Symptomsactivities as easy as possible, and then apply
Treatment Flare-Up Management” [ herethem.
after referred to as the "Management Plan" ] can* Learn to say "NO!"
be initiated immediately at the onset.Physical Therapy/Massage/Acupressure:
I would recommend that the sufferer consult with* See a massage therapist.
his or her physician or fibromyalgia medical* Check with your physician if some sessions of
specialist and map out his or herphysical therapy may be in order and prescribed:
“Management Plan.” This planGentle Stretching/Change Intensity and Duration
should take into consideration the variations inof Exercise:
each patient’s course of illness and range* In order to ease kinks and knots, increase
of symptoms. The following is a list of helpstretching exercises.
options and a short description of those options* Be aware of signals from your body, now is not
that have helped me, and other fellow sufferersa time to increase exercise activity.
of FMS symptoms, as have been experienced byPositive Messages:
and conveyed to me over the years.* A person can easily get discouraged, so try to
Reduce One's Stress Level:keep repeating self-affirming messages.
* Whether they are emotional or physical, you* "Yes I Can...Yes I Can!"
need to alter your perception of the stress. Try* "I am taking positive action to feel better!"
to identify the major areas of your stress and* And quoting Mr. Joe Raff, with whom I had the
modify it where ever you can and if at allpleasure of working with many years ago while at
possible, eliminate them.Hub Truck Rental Corp., when things went bad,
If Possible, Change or Remove a Contributingsaid "And this too shall pass!"
Factor:Get Extra Support:
* Treat other illnesses as they occur. Be sure to* During the times of flare-ups, make sure to get
consult with your fibromyalgia medical specialist.extra support. You can get it from a friend, an
Not all symptoms can be attributed toexperienced counselor or even by participating in
fibromyalgia.a fibromyalgia message board or fibromyalgia chat
* Reduce or eliminate repetitive stress [foron the Internet.
example: what I'm doing right now...typing at aI sincerely hope that you will find a few of these
keyboard, sitting and/or standing in one positionrecommendations to be helpful when attempting
for long periods of time, and continuous repetitionto manage your fibromyalgia, both the chronic
of muscular movement].symptoms and those times when your
Evaluate Your Sleep. Discuss Other Medicationsymptoms become more acute.