Thank you and flares

I have what seems like endless questions. I will start out with 2 that have been bugging me the last few days.

 1. When you are having a flare, what the longest it has lasted?? ( I am going on my second week )

 2.The last month or so I have been having tailbone pain (something new) I have a hard time getting up after sitting. OUCH!! Anyone else experience this?

flares......I had one last from last October of 2007 until early spring of 2008. Months. Horrible awful. I had just a few good days then. At least 6 months. I went to a different Dr. almost every week and came down with every illnesss imaginable then. (my immune system went crazy and does when flaring) I lived through it and there were days I truly thought I was going to die. I made myself get up and do my usual daily routine and it either prolonged the flare or made me feel normal. (i'm still trying to figure that out) lol I was on a lot of meds to help me through it and they worked but the flare was my 1st big-time one. I  had previously had a few but not any like the big one.

Tailbone hurts like crazy if I sit on my rear in a certain position for too long. (I thought I had kidney problems or something when this 1st started happening to me but my husband reassured me that the kidneys are up quite a bit higher) I now sit on a pillow or switch positions and I sit on my legs a lot. I'm a floor-sitter so this probably adds to my problem. Not too smart on my part, I know.

I have had fibro forever but was diagnosed a couple of years ago. (maybe 3) sorry for my memory lapse, there. darn. Might be going on 4 years with an official diagnosis...I'm foggy.

Best of luck to you!!

I had my first real bad flare about 4 years ago . i was real healthy then bam, everything hit me at once, and was winter, i used to walk 3 miles in our woods evry day. ANd one day i just couldnt walk at all, it was cold , but that never stopped me before, I also have DDD, so its hard to tell,I think the arthritus threw me into a flare. I went to many different doctors, finally a rheum said i had fibro, however infectious disiease doctor disagreed becasue i didnt reactto the tender points, so i dont know, i have periods where things hurt for know reason a all. I have severe arthris is my knees. I will be 40 in Jan and was hoping I would be in better shape. I went form a 125 in the best shape of my life to almost 200 lbs, and im only 5.3, so the weight needs to come off.  My sister is sending me a pilates dvd. I hope I can do it. I trying to walk the woods again and eat more sensibley, i have been up and down on my weight. Last summer i was very sick and lost 40 lbs looked great felt terrible, found out i had gastroparisis( a parlyzation of the stomach).

I am finally feeling better from that hence the double wiehgt gain back.

Oh you asked about the tailbone, while at the moment it doesnt not hurt to bad, when i was 30 nearly 10 yrs ago, 6months after my daughter was born so i was almost 31, anyway, eveytime i would get up from  a seated position didnt matter what i was sitting on, the pain upon getting up was excrutiating, i went ot my pcp and he said your just getting old, i was 30, qnd that is not and still is not an exceptbale answer. I t went away about 6 month later, it still hurts form time to time, but not like that.

Ice seemed to help that so it was probably not fibro reltated for me. Although heat sometimes helps my knees ands arthritus, so its hard to tell, ice helps my knees to so i switch off and have many knee exercises.

Even though i enjoy the cooler weather becouse i feel like i want to walk ans stuff becasue its not so hot I thinks its the worst for my fibro and and arthritus, it seems to hurt more. Even small weather changes can feel a differenece in how your body reacts. I used not care about being in the sun but now it maks me feel sick mainlly in summer, winter sun not so bad, summer sun so bad i wont go swimmg, even though its the best if not only esxercise for me, i wish i had more money and gas would go to y year round may try to this winter the y closest to me finally got a pool, so i would love to take the aerobic water classes, i wish our pool was indoors.

Ok thats my story hopefully as time goes by it will see a better me, I hope enjoy our forum and post plenty

Hi everyone.  I'm new to the forum, although I've had FM for about 15 years.  I've really enjoyed reading your posts and have gotten some good info.

I'm not on any medication, other than OTC supplements and tylenol.  When first diagnosed I tried everything that I'm sure you all did...anti-depressants, muscle relaxants, sleeping pills, etc., for many years.  I finally took matters into my own hands, and although it wouldn't work for everyone, it did for me.  I simplified my lifestyle to the bare minimum; I take some me time every day (something I know that most people can't do); I try to exercise every day; and I keep a positive outlook on life.  I mean I'm still here...kicking and screaming maybe, but hey that's better than the alternative, right??!!

Anyway, that's just to give you a bit of background on me.  My point of posting this message is that right now I'm experiencing a pretty bad flare up, going on since March actually, and it's getting to the point where I'm having a really hard time functioning.  I get up in the morning, exhausted, and push myself to go to work.  I could easily fall asleep driving to work and have actually dozed off in my office.  Someone tellls me something and I need to go back to them because I can't remember what they've said (so I've been getting them to send anything to me via email).  The brain fog is terrible and I am definitely not performing at full capacity.  What I've been doing for the past while obviously isn't working right now and I'm trying to find something to get me through this flare up.  I'm going to try the malic acid / magnasium to see what difference that might make, and I read something about some pancreatic enzymes (to help with the bloating/swelling).  Do any of you have any other suggestions? 

I know I should see my doctor, and I may if I don't find some relief on my own soon.  I'm hoping that I will pull out of it before I need to do that.  But I know that might be a bit unrealistic.  I'm sorry to write a book.  Next time I'll try to keep it short and sweet.