When you lay down are you better?

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Sophieb33

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Since I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with me, because I’m still unsure if it’s fibro.
When I was working full time or would exercise and be on my feet, my body would get so sore and swollen. I remember I did a PT session, and for 3 weeks my body was aching, swollen and my fatigue was beyond.
Now I don’t work, spend a lot of time resting..I haven’t had pain like I used to. I’ve learnt to pace myself..but I’m still confused if it’s fibro or not. I just wondered if u have fibro, and u spent weeks laying down and resting, would u still have pain??
 
Hi Sophie, I'm so glad you can now pace yourself, as it's one of the main helps if you do have fibro.

Regards your question - the answer (definitely from my experience) would be yes - if I spent weeks laying down resting I would be in a lot of pain. I've been there and done this when I became too scared to move because of the initial pain, and it made things much much worse regards stiffness, pain, headaches etc, leading me right up to worse anxiety and even depression.

I think you're on the right track with pacing and gentle movement. Stretching can really help, even while sitting or lying down you can find stretches that gently get your muscles moving.

Moving around will definitely help you more in the long run. I usually do things that I enjoy, such as arts and crafts/ gardening etc that are mindful to help my body and mind. But then there are also times when your body does just have to rest - so never feel bad about this - rest is important.

It's all about finding your tolerance level and which other areas of self care you personally find useful.
It's trial and error for all of us and it's not easy, but you will find what works best for you eventually, it just takes time.

Hope that helps :)
 
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Thank you for your response. So when you lay down like let’s say on the couch all day, your pain gets worse? Or it gets better? Sorry u said yes..so I’m unsure if u meant u get more pain laying down resting.
 
Now I don’t work, spend a lot of time resting..I haven’t had pain like I used to. I’ve learnt to pace myself..but I’m still confused if it’s fibro or not. I just wondered if u have fibro, and u spent weeks laying down and resting, would u still have pain??
Hi Sophie - great question, great answer from fimi and great question back. Quick answer: Yes and No.
I can see how closely you're looking at details, and in my experience that's the way to improving.
And this is definitely one of the more contradictory, confusing details.
But actually it's almost never just one right thing, it's often about getting the balance between several rights, or sometimes we feel: several wrongs. So focusing this shows a general problem.

My symptoms are probably more extreme than most, but that may serve as an example.
Essentially they just detail fimi's "resting but stretching"...

On the one hand I have activities, which I could do for 1-2h on brilliant days, 5-30 minutes on "bad" - normal now. If I overdo them I get a severe overall whole body Ache, esp. in all my limbs. So after them I need a lot of rest, depending on how much I under- or overdid it (exponentially: 5' too long may be OK, but 30' too long can cost me hours or days).
On the other, staying in any posture or action for longer than 10 minutes causes local pains. This can be standing, sitting or lying. Walking, housework and esp. anything with arms up can be even less than 5 minutes, cycling can be 20 minutes. For all these I have found many workarounds - a swiveable adjustable bar stool if I have to sit at a table, but best in certain alternating twist-stretched positions on the floor, with back and sometimes head support. But essentially I am switching postures and actions all the time. Including at night: the many breaks may make my sleep less restorative, but being able to move and sit a bit is a relief and can make me feel better.
For both I need reminders incl. alarms, because if I realize it too late, there's a longer backlash, but I've also got better at feeling it, and also my wife helps, esp. cos she sees it in my face before I feel it.


Regarding your couch example: I did spend a lot of my first year on my couch, using pillows, to get the overall Ache down, but that causes local pains, plus doesn't allow twist-stretching much, plus alternating positions is difficult, plus the reclining may be good for my legs (blood vessels), but not for my total circulation.
Stretching (and actually all exercises, acupressure, gadgets): Try all kinds, via books, videos, own ideas, but very short, if necessary 2 or 3 seconds, and increase from there.
 
Thank you so much for some an informative response. So kind of you. I’m really asking these questions because I’m very unsure if it’s fibro, or hormonal issues or something completely different. All I know is that I had severe body swelling all over with fatigue and aches. Swelling was arms, legs, stomach, breasts etc. and when I rest I don’t have any pain..and in general I don’t have much pain. Like I’d say maybe a 2/10 and I just get some lower leg/calf aches if I feel really swollen weak and fatigued. That’s why I’m so confused. I don’t know how to get the swelling down. It’s been monthsssss and I’m sick of feeling like a fat cow who can’t fit into her clothes comfortably atm. :(
I’ve literally seen 3 rheumatologists. First one said yes to fibro the next two said prob not. But I’m unsure if my pain has gone coz I don’t have to work now and I can rest all the time. But it doesn’t explain the constant swelling. :(
 
I’m really asking these questions because I’m very unsure if it’s fibro, or hormonal issues or ...completely different.
Ah, sorry, I got carried away with the general question and forgot the angle you're coming from.
I won't delete the above as it might help someone else, but obviously it's not what you were asking.

So you're asking if it can be fibro altho your pain has gone down from resting. Answer: Yes, it can.
You're also implying if it is anasarca or hormones etc. it can't be fibro.
The 2016 ACR criteria say: It can. Others say: It can't. I'd recommend following both routes, like the first.

Essentially this resting question can't satisfy your quest.
I'd think you foremost need to find cause and treatments for the swelling, as said in your first thread.
Resting is apparently part of the answer, whether fibro or anasarca, but "stretching" etc. also.
Hormonal issues may also be part of it, but as you've had them checked that's not helping at the moment.
 
My answer is a definite yes. there is nothing that "fixes" the pain. I do lie down, sometimes several times a day, sometimes even all day but I always feel better if I get u p and move around as much as I can. If I spent sev eral weeks doing nothing but resting I wouldn't be able to move at all, I think.

When I lie down during the day it is to relieve fatigue, and gather a little energy for the next thing I have to do. If I am in pain, the pain stays the same whether I lie down or not, unless it is back pain (which in my case is mostly unrelated to fibro), in which case getting into the right position and resting will help.

Sophie, only you know how your body is, so take this advice with as many grains of salt as you wish. But resting all of the time is generally not a good idea no matter what. If you don't move your body, you will lose the ability to do so, and a little exercise every single day is the best thing for body, mind, and soul. Get outside and take a walk. Put on music and dance for 5 minutes in your living room. Stretch. Do 5 minutes of yoga. Whatever it is, but do it. Especially since you say you are sick of feeling like a fat cow....the antidote to that is movement! Don't think of it as "exercise" that you have to do a routine every day or something....just get up and move in any way that you want to. And after a week or so, try making it 5 minutes longer. You will find, I can pretty much guarantee, that it makes you feel better.

As for the swelling, I recommend you pursue the causes of that, because it sounds to me ( a non-doctor's opinion here!) as if that is your main problem and if you can nail that down the other things will improve.
 
Thank you for your response. So when you lay down like let’s say on the couch all day, your pain gets worse? Or it gets better? Sorry u said yes..so I’m unsure if u meant u get more pain laying down resting.
Basically I need to balance the two - movement and rest, which I do a lot better than I used to. And no days are the same, the pain can be there with rest or movement. But I'm with sunkacola, if I spent weeks lying down resting Sophie, I would probably be in a lot of trouble! 😭

I hope you work out the best approach for yourself soon. :)
 
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No is my simple answer to that.i may feel less in pain after a few hours ,but no your not better
 
Hi Sophie, I am new here and found your post. It's been a couple of months now and I am curious if things have improved? If it has, what did you end up doing?
 
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