do your symptoms get worse on vacations?

[Maryam]

Hi
I used to feel the worst during weekends. I'd call it (weekend depression) because I felt so tired no matter how many hours of sleep I got. I felt so worn out that I couldn't enjoy anything during the weekend.
now I'm in a long vacation, and its getting worse and worse by the day until at last I diagnosed myself with fibromyalgia. someone told me its worse because you're on vacation and that made a lot of sense to me, because that's exactly when I feel it the worst, even though I always have a full schedule, I keep myself busy even on vacations and I workout and do a lot of things.
do any of you feel worse on vacations? is this common?

 

[Jemima]

Hi Maryam,

I often find that when I get really overtired and then stop trying to push through it, my symptoms flare up like crazy. Perhaps that's what you're experiencing? Like people getting the flu on vacation - their bodies register that they can stop working so hard, and it all goes wrong! That said, if you are self diagnosed, it might be worth getting checked over by a doctor to make sure there isn't something else going on. I hope you feel better soon, and get to enjoy some of your downtime at least a little bit!

 

[aclarkwhitman]

I’m so sorry. That’s awful. Obviously, you need to see a doctor when you get home. I do wonder about where you’re vacationing. Personally, I can’t take the heat for very long. I love the beach, and my parents live on the beach, so the heat thing is an issue, but I just do small doses outside, try to sit under an umbrella, and go in as soon as I start to feel strangely. Just a random thought.

 

[User Requested Deletion 36696]

I'm quite worried that you self diagnosed yourself. There could be any number of reasons for the tiredness. Tick bites could be one (depending on where you're holidaying) Please keep your mind open to other possibilities, but definitely go see a doc when you get a chance.

 

[Sibergirl]

I recently went on two trips. The first was in June, to get together with my 2 best pals, for 5 days. The second was in July, with my family, to spend 4 days at the beach. Neither was good, physically. I’m new to this stuff. So, to have vacations obliterated by pain is new to me. Both times, after about 2 days, I wanted to come back home. The traveling itself was really hard, too. The first was a 2 hour flight. The second was a 6 hour drive. That drive was hard. My husband drove, but sitting in the car for that long really hurt. I used to love getting together with my oldest pals, and going to the beach with my family.
There’s a local trip coming up at the end of this month, a fan convention (my husband’s an author) in Atlanta. We live about 40 minutes away but we always stay at a hotel, for the 4 days of the Con. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it. I may stay home, which sucks.

Whatever the heck I have, which has been termed Myalgia, for the time being, while they continue to do tests, has put me on the sidelines of what used to be an active life. It’s weird. I don’t like it. I’m trying to come to grips with what this might mean for my future. I’m trying to come to grips with what this might mean for my future.

 

[NailPolishFan]

Yes, but part of it IMO is the bed. The beds we stay in on vacation are as hard as the Flintstones bed.

 

[JayCS]

I'm wondering if vacation here was just meant not having a work schedule, not necessarily leaving home?
In my case I'm quite a bit better off when I can decide myself when to do what. Christmas was impressive that way, sudden energy.
My other problem may be that I love doing things, some say hyperactive or addictive, well after filling up "fibro-work" I'm now "addicted" to getting the kitchen cleaned up, esp. the fridge. But doing that I forget to eat... fibro-work is OK, as that's resting at the same time, but cleaning cd cause a flare, so luckily I thought I'd just put in this additional experience...

But I don't do at all well when I have to leave home. Never used to like it and never needed it - I'm a rare specimen that way .
Partly because I prefer to enjoy all the many things there are to do at home (including improving it) and in and around my home town.
Partly because of my back, gut and bladder: not having the right food (take everything with me now, no experiments), not having my specific mattress with me and not being able to pee regularly can all get excruciating for me, pre-fibro.
From travelling, esp. car, I often get a very sore throat, esp. thru the air in the summer, which last time 2 years ago spawned a flu and I think the fibro full flare for the first time.
Now whilst my gut is under control if no experiments, sleep has got much more of a problem and outdoors is not good long, due esp. to the wind, but also cold and heat, and not being able to walk too well - OK, I spose there's nothing that I can do well for stints of over an hour, not even cycling, definitely don't enjoy car, train's probly least bad, not sitting, not standing, lying down only in certain ways... So like Ashley/ @aclarkwhitman I have to keep all doses small, similar to when I had the flu, meaning 1-2h stints. It's strange, I never feel the need to complain about the weather like normal people do, I enjoy it all, including rain, storm, snow, the light. Just that my body can't take much of anything that isn't moderate.
May be having to go soon - my wife desperately needs it, and "unfortunately" only wants to go with me instead of with friends, but may however be too knackered to, let's see...

 

[sunkacola]

Hi
I used to feel the worst during weekends. I'd call it (weekend depression) because I felt so tired no matter how many hours of sleep I got. I felt so worn out that I couldn't enjoy anything during the weekend.
now I'm in a long vacation, and its getting worse and worse by the day until at last I diagnosed myself with fibromyalgia. someone told me its worse because you're on vacation and that made a lot of sense to me, because that's exactly when I feel it the worst, even though I always have a full schedule, I keep myself busy even on vacations and I workout and do a lot of things.
do any of you feel worse on vacations? is this common?

Hi Maryam,

First I need to say that you cannot diagnose yourself with fibromyalgia. FM, like anything else, has to be diagnosed by a doctor, or by a series of doctors and by having tests for all of the many other things which can cause the very same symptoms that FM has. If you try to self diagnose you will not know what it really is, and you could have something which can actually be cured or made significantly better with treatment and if you think you already know what you have you are short-changing yourself from getting treatment. Please see a doctor and get tested.

As for symptoms getting worse, often while on vacation we have added stress that we may not have at home, or at the least the stresses are different. Catching a flight, having to sit on an airplane or bus or train or car, keeping track of luggage, driving long hours, sleeping in unfamiliar places or beds, eating differently, spending time doing things that are not in your routine even if you really enjoy them. All these things and many others can influence our health.