Slightest Activity causes Muscle Pain

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cjd

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Just lifting groceries from the car.
Chopping vegetables.
Any type of repetition type motion.
Stepping up on a step stool, just a couple of times.
Just to name a few..
The muscles that are involved scream in pain AND stiffness.
Then to make mattes worse..theres the INACTIVITY....
Sitting...buttocks (huge pain) and I'm not a heavy person..lol
Lying down...if I should by some miracle actually sleep....can't get up..shoulders are horrible...
Sorry, just had to vent here..
Don't know if this is even Fibro.
But, just wondered if anyone else has experienced any of this..Thanks
 
Hi cjd,

Yep, all of it sounds very familiar, I'm afraid. Definitely reflects my experiences of fibromyalgia.

I just went back and read your first message here - I'm so, so deeply sorry for your loss 🌷

If your doctor's hunch was right, and it is fibromyalgia that you're experiencing, then such an immense emotional trauma is certain to be triggering. I'd also suggest that grief can play out in all manner of ways within the body, so without a diagnosis, I'd perhaps consider that this could be something that will pass - and of course, if your symptoms change or become more severe in the future, it may be worth thinking again about whether diagnosis would be worth pursuing. I can understand that you might not feel like you have the emotional resources to do that right now, but don't suffer unnecessarily.

Coming back to what you describe above, that physical fatigue is known as post exertional malaise, and it is a fibromyalgia symptom. The pain that comes with pressure from staying still is also something we've talked about here in the forum before too. Back when I was experiencing a lot of flares, I had a pretty desperate time with that. Staying still for any length of time seemed impossible, but I felt so exhausted. Lying in bed was excruciating! I found that ice packs were soothing and a memory foam mattress topper helped quite a bit, but ultimately, it was getting a handle on bringing all of my symptoms down through a variety of management strategies that ultimately improved it all.

I found that supplements targeting mitochondrial support improved post exertional malaise and general fog/fatigue - I listed what helped me in your other thread this morning. For the rest - and I'd say actually as a first place to start - it came with adopting daily habits very similar to those in Sunkacola's fibromyalgia advice post, and gradually working on bringing down my stress levels, and learning to accept the presence of my symptoms - letting them come and go without worrying as far as I was able. I found it really helpful to read up on psychologist Paul Gilbert's theory of the three emotional regulation systems and learning to harness self-compassion. Perhaps Google that and have a read if it resonates.

Of course, these are only one person's experiences - others may make different recommendations and have different stories to tell. What I would hope you take away is that while fibro has no cure, there are things we can do to feel more empowered, and often symptoms will ease with self-care. I hope you feel able to take your time to grieve and to be as kind to yourself as you possibly can be. Some things in life can't be pushed through. I truly hope you feel better soon ⛅
 
Just lifting groceries from the car.
Chopping vegetables.
Any type of repetition type motion.
Stepping up on a step stool, just a couple of times.
Just to name a few..
The muscles that are involved scream in pain AND stiffness.
Then to make mattes worse..theres the INACTIVITY....
Sitting...buttocks (huge pain) and I'm not a heavy person..lol
Lying down...if I should by some miracle actually sleep....can't get up..shoulders are horrible...
Sorry, just had to vent here..
Don't know if this is even Fibro.
But, just wondered if anyone else has experienced any of this..Thanks
All the time same here!
 
Hi cjd (& @Geordielass2575) - my best bet is expert physio to improve these, 2nd finding 'your' supps. Other'd say meds...
In my case it wasn't the repetitiveness that caused the pain, it was the length.
Whatever, task-switching can help, keeping everything under 3 mins in my case, some things less.
Also analyzing the motion sequence to hunt the trigger - "when exactly does the pain start"....
 
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