Hi , I would like to ask what type of pain is Fibro pain ...?
Like is it all over pain ? or just in one or two places ? sharp pain or achy pain ? is it pain from an injury that never seems to heal ? If someone lightly pokes you does it hurt ? is that part of this ? I went around poking my sister and daughter and friend and it didnt hurt them ... I'm not saying drop to the ground hurt but I feel a small pain everywhere when I poke me ... is that part of this ?
I'm trying to understand what this all is ...does anyone mind describing their pain to me ? I guess even though I have been diagnosed I still am not sure what it all is ....what is Fibro and what is pain that I have from an old accident ..... feeling frustrated ...and tired so very tired .....any help if greatly appreciated
Hi Willow, sorry you are going thru this also. The pain that I have is a lot like what you described above. It is an all over achy burning pain like when you have the flu. And yes it does really hurt if someone pokes you, or if you have a small little doggie that likes to walk all over you like mine does :)
I had a really bad flare yesterday that had me in tears many times. I just started back on Lyrica and so far it isn't helping very much. Nice hot showers or baths are very soothing, especially with some lavender epsom salts in the hot bath.
I will do my best to explain my pain. Last winter for 4 months, I had severe pain in my jaw and up into my head and down my neck. I thought it was my ear, docs found nothing. It affected my hearing and it was intense throbbing like a really bad tooth ache. When the weather started to get warmer, it slowly disappeared. That type of thing happens periodically with FM, but my daily pain is - wake up stiff. I'm 47 and can't straighten up completely for half hour. My hands and feet are also stiff. When I am cooking, using my hands, I get zaps of pain, like there is a pinched nerve somewhere. You cannot hug me tight, because my upper arms, across my chest and under my breasts is tender all the time, like a huge bruise. If someone pokes me, it is excruciating. My neck doesn't turn all the way, worse turning left than right, the pain i get when i try, starts in the back of my head and goes down my back to about the shoulder blade, about 10 inches i suppose. My shoulders and upper back are really bad.. they are weak and sometimes it feels like my head is too heavy for me to hold up. Last year I went to physio for my upper back and shoulders, it did help, but at first it was brutal. I can't lift my arms above my head to do my hair.. kills my shoulders and back. My right elbow doesn't straighten without pain. I had physio on that too and it did improve because i could not use it at all a year ago. I cannot bed from my knees but my worst pain of all is at night in my legs and arms - that pain seems to start at the core of my body and throws some weird stream of pain out to my arms and down my legs.. it feels electric it is intense but lasts only a minute or so. It comes and goes all night
Pain can be sharp and take your breath away
Pain can feel like you're bruised.
Pain can prevent you from wearing clothing or having anything touch your skin
Pain can be sparks and misfiring
Pain can be stabbing.
They say with Fibro, we all have different symptoms, and based on the wonderful people I've met on this site, there are varying degrees of pain intensity. One thing is certain, it is very complex and unforgiving. I am now getting physio on my lower back because I have a slipped disc and scoliosis (curved spine). FM patients feel more pain than others dealing with the same type of issues/injuries. Fibro hurts, and it travels.. and it keeps you up at night and sucks the life out of you. It's a battle.
Hope this helps a bit. Let me know if you want me to clarify any points.
Each one of us are different, each of our pain is different, Just like snowflakes!!! For me my flares happen to be at where I have injured or broken myself, in my past. & the pain is a different for each site as with any other. Which doesn't give you a helpful answer!!!
Let me try to explain my right wrist...... Have you ever popped a knuckle & then later you have the feeling that you HAVE TO pop it again? This is the feeling I have with my wrist, although I have NEVER popped my wrist. & it doesn't want to bend or twist & then it throbs & no matter what I do it doesn't work, raise the wrist above the heart, alternate every 15min w/cold & then no cold & then heat & then no heat, wrap it, put on a wrist brace, nothing, nothing works. So I just lay there & cry. I have pain Meds & muscle relaxers & Savella & sometimes they work & sometimes they don't.
This is the time to start a food diary & a pain diary. You are your physical bodys' 1st responder, you know how you feel & you need to start writing down exactly what you are feeling describe it as best that you can, see what hurts, what you were doing before the pain came, what works to ease or get rid of the pain, how long does the pain last. Because you are gonna have to tell your PCP all of this for him/her to be able to 'script for you or recommend PT, or what-ever. Don't hold anything back. Your MD needs to know your fears, your concerns & your troubles in order for him/her to help you. If you cannot be honest w/your MD you are screwing your own self over!!!
Boy, this is long, but I hope that I have helped you in some way!!! M
Hi Willow, as you can see by the responses Fibro pain is different for everyone. For me, my skin is often really sensitive and I seem to bruise easier. Along with other symptoms. Anytime you have a question, feel free to ask here and also discuss with your doctor. Do you have a doctor you are comfortable with? What types of things are you doing to try and manage the symptoms? If you haven't already, please take a look at the Fibro 101 guide, it offers useful information. Please keep us updated on how you are doing. Hugs!!!
I just read your "description of pain" statement to willow from yesterday. That was awesome. I had never seen that detailed of a description of pain before. You put it in a way that was concise, thorough and yet easy to read and understand. Thank you!!!
Ticklefrom said:
Hi Willow,
I will do my best to explain my pain. Last winter for 4 months, I had severe pain in my jaw and up into my head and down my neck. I thought it was my ear, docs found nothing. It affected my hearing and it was intense throbbing like a really bad tooth ache. When the weather started to get warmer, it slowly disappeared. That type of thing happens periodically with FM, but my daily pain is - wake up stiff. I'm 47 and can't straighten up completely for half hour. My hands and feet are also stiff. When I am cooking, using my hands, I get zaps of pain, like there is a pinched nerve somewhere. You cannot hug me tight, because my upper arms, across my chest and under my breasts is tender all the time, like a huge bruise. If someone pokes me, it is excruciating. My neck doesn't turn all the way, worse turning left than right, the pain i get when i try, starts in the back of my head and goes down my back to about the shoulder blade, about 10 inches i suppose. My shoulders and upper back are really bad.. they are weak and sometimes it feels like my head is too heavy for me to hold up. Last year I went to physio for my upper back and shoulders, it did help, but at first it was brutal. I can't lift my arms above my head to do my hair.. kills my shoulders and back. My right elbow doesn't straighten without pain. I had physio on that too and it did improve because i could not use it at all a year ago. I cannot bed from my knees but my worst pain of all is at night in my legs and arms - that pain seems to start at the core of my body and throws some weird stream of pain out to my arms and down my legs.. it feels electric it is intense but lasts only a minute or so. It comes and goes all night
Pain can be sharp and take your breath away
Pain can feel like you're bruised.
Pain can prevent you from wearing clothing or having anything touch your skin
Pain can be sparks and misfiring
Pain can be stabbing.
They say with Fibro, we all have different symptoms, and based on the wonderful people I've met on this site, there are varying degrees of pain intensity. One thing is certain, it is very complex and unforgiving. I am now getting physio on my lower back because I have a slipped disc and scoliosis (curved spine). FM patients feel more pain than others dealing with the same type of issues/injuries. Fibro hurts, and it travels.. and it keeps you up at night and sucks the life out of you. It's a battle.
Hope this helps a bit. Let me know if you want me to clarify any points.
Wow thank you everyone , it does really help hearing about all the different types of pain that everyone has , I appreciate all the answers ...For years I thought all my pain was from a car accident I was in when I was 14 , but things just never got better and it seemed like I had so many new pains all the time when no one could figure out why ...I wish someone could have thought of it years ago lol but .... at least now I have a reason .. and it helps with my guilt ..
Hi,
I have to agree with everything that everyone has posted, Fibro pain seems to come in so many different ways and under so many different reasons (maybe thats what makes it even harder for doctors to understand). The one thing I know is I cannot stand to have anything tight on or certain types of fabrics. Bras are my worse enemy and so is stress. Once I changed how I dressed it did really help me with the skin sensitivity though. Hugs Madison13
Hi everyone , I am still trying to read everything I can about this Fibro stuff lol , I have been reading as much as possible and it is difficult as I seem to have a hard time getting things through this thick scull of mine , but the more I read I start to wonder again if this is what I have ... the one symptom that keeps coming up is that a persons skin hurts ? Now my skin doesnt hurt ...my body hurts and I have flare ups over pretty well all my body parts at different times ,I get very uncomfortable with tight clothing , bad headaches , joint pain , brain fog ... if that means I have a hard time concentrating and even figuring things out that used to be easy ...pretty well all the other symptoms that I have read about but.... my skin doesnt hurt , I sometimes get numbness and tingling in my hands and feet and have a real problem with my ankle going numb and sore at the same time .... but does that sound right for Fibro ? ugh I hate always questioning but I doubt myself a lot ...This might sound weird but I wanted it to be Fribro so I could finally have an answer , makes me wonder if I pushed my doctor to the diagnosis since reading about a persons skin hurting doesn't sound like me ...I feel like someone has beat me all night long when I get up in the morning .. always so tired .. but again my skin doesn hurt lol please someone tell me their skin doesnt hurt either ........
Fibro can affect everyone differently and people will have different symptoms. My skin doesnt hurt but I have had times where it is very dry and itchy. Their is some good info in fibro 101 if you haven't read it yet.
Thank you , i just read in fibro 101 (i thought i had read it already , apparently not ) makes me understand it better , my doc has had me get a whole bunch of other tests to rule other things out so I guess i should accept the diagnoses ... thanks
purplebutterfly said:
Hi Willow
Fibro can affect everyone differently and people will have different symptoms. My skin doesnt hurt but I have had times where it is very dry and itchy. Their is some good info in fibro 101 if you haven't read it yet.
Hi Willow, I am sorry you are going through this as I am so sorry for all Fibro sufferers. It is a very lonely disease as no one can really understand something they can't see in you. My husband struggles to take me seriously. For me, I have very bad insomnia sometimes and leaves me feeling like I've been hit by a truck. Pain for me is joint pain and deep muscle pain especially in my thighs. Feels like I'm bruised but I'm not. Hurts to lay on. I am going to get tested for Gout as this feels a lot like those symptoms. I am tired all the time. I also have bad RLS at night which keeps me awake. Hands and ankles and heels are very painful. Weird thing is that exercise really does help but now my heel hurts too bad. I was reading on this forum yesterday about trying Pot for pain but can't get it in Texas.
I hope you find your way through this. It is frustrating and I feel like a Hypochondriac because no one in my family gets it. I'm just a complainer. A glass of wine helps me most as I refuse to go on a lot of meds. I tried Lyrica and I gained 10 lbs in 2 weeks and it made me loopy. Find what's good for you and don't let others affect what you need for your self.
Hi Willow, I am sorry you are going through this as I am so sorry for all Fibro sufferers. It is a very lonely disease as no one can really understand something they can't see in you. My husband struggles to take me seriously. For me, I have very bad insomnia sometimes and leaves me feeling like I've been hit by a truck. Pain for me is joint pain and deep muscle pain especially in my thighs. Feels like I'm bruised but I'm not. Hurts to lay on. I am going to get tested for Gout as this feels a lot like those symptoms. I am tired all the time. I also have bad RLS at night which keeps me awake. Hands and ankles and heels are very painful. Weird thing is that exercise really does help but now my heel hurts too bad. I was reading on this forum yesterday about trying Pot for pain but can't get it in Texas.
I hope you find your way through this. It is frustrating and I feel like a Hypochondriac because no one in my family gets it. I'm just a complainer. A glass of wine helps me most as I refuse to go on a lot of meds. I tried Lyrica and I gained 10 lbs in 2 weeks and it made me loopy. Find what's good for you and don't let others affect what you need for your self.