What do you consider to be the worst part of Fibro?
Is it the bottomless pit of fatigue?
The sensory overload?
Maybe it’s those soul-sucking flares.
If you’re in one of those flares now, keep reading to learn how long you can expect it to last.
I’ve also included 3 ways to help you cope with your flare(s) at the end of this post.
How long does a Fibromyalgia flare last?
A Fibromyalgia flare can last for a few hours to a few days. They can also last for weeks to months.
Your flare’s severity and length depend on your stress level, your environment, and how you respond to your pain.
If things in your life are hectic, your body will feel it.
(Conversely, even if you’re in a good phase of life, your body may still feel the Fibro).
If you punish yourself in your head (I can’t believe I did that and now I’ve brought this flare upon myself), you’re not doing yourself any favors either.
Many factors go into how long a flare may last and those factors are different for everybody.
What is a flare?
A flare is when you feel like you are at your rock bottom, physically, emotionally, and mentally. During a flare, you hurt the most.
During a flare, it feels like you have the flu.
During a flare, all you probably want to do is sleep to get away from the pain.
Your flares might feel different. It’s common for flares to not be the same every time you have one.
That’s the tricky part of Fibromyalgia. It is so inconsistent.
The most consistent part of Fibromyalgia is how inconsistent it is – even when you think you have a handle on things.
What helps a Fibromyalgia flare?
The good news is that many things can help ease discomfort during a flare. Sometimes your body may not be receptive to them; other times it will.
Here are a few things that help that can help you when you’re in a Fibromyalgia flare:
1. Take a nap
In my experience naps are the number one way to escape the pain, especially if you do not want to take medication.
Some flares you might wake up feeling better after the nap other times you might feel worse after the nap but in my experience, it’s always worth a shot.
Even lying down and being still helps calm your body.
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2. Cupping
I use a cupping set on my legs and back. For back pain, an at-home cupping set is a godsend.
I first talked about the set I use in this post on the best gifts for Fibro moms.
Lure Essentials is what I use.
It’s super easy.
You stick the cups to your back with a little coconut oil or lotion.
Once they’re on your body, the cups begin to pull skin up into the cup, encouraging blood flow. More blood flow equals decreased pain.
Moreover, dry brushing works very well at increasing blood circulation. I’ve written about how much I love dry brushing in the morning to wake up my achy legs.
During a flare that may be too much on your skin, but worth keeping as an idea if you haven’t tried it yet.
3. Accept it
Accepting where you are right now may be the hardest part of having Fibromyalgia. You must realize this is a part of your life.
You are just not the same person that you used to be and that hurts.
That hurts more than the physical sometimes, doesn’t it?
Acceptance takes time.
Ask anyone who has had Fibromyalgia for 5+ or so years; they’ll say yeah, I fought this shit so hard for the longest time and it got me nowhere. Now I work with what I’ve got. I had to stop denying and start tweaking. Start living.
Okay, maybe that’s what I say. But I bet my PillowCube that they’d say that.
It is so hard to accept that you have to go slow now.
Your takeaway
So how long does a Fibromyalgia flare last?
A flare can move through you as quickly as a few hours to a few days.
Conversely, they can also last much longer – upwards to weeks or months.
No one flare fits all.
Flare length depends on factors like your stress level, environment, and how you support yourself during the pain.
Go slow.
Accept that you have to be nice to yourself and go slow.
How long does a typical flare last for you?
