Warning: This post is sure to fairly incoherent because I am under the influence of fibrofog today.
Out of the awful trio of categories of fibromyalgia symptoms (pain, fatigue and fibrofog), I'd have to say that the fibrofog is the one I hate the most. Even if I'm tired and/or in pain, I still feel like myself. Not so with the fibrofog. I feel totally disconnected from myself and everyone and everything else. Severe fog days are the worst days I have. I absolutely hate feeling this way. I find it hard to believe that people take drugs wanting to feel like they are drifting outside of themselves like this. I think it's an awful feeling, one I would go to great lengths to avoid if I knew how.
What makes it even worse is that I haven't found a single thing to help with it. Once I have it, the day is shot for me. Nothing I do seems to make it any better. Sometimes, it seems to lift a little bit after dark but maybe it just seems that way because by that time I've given up on trying to do anything. At least with pain I can take a pain reliever or sit on the heating pad. With fatigue, I can rest. Nothing seems to lessen the fog.
I've also been unable to figure out what triggers it, for the most part. Flareups with pain and fatigue usually follow a weather change, a day of overdoing it or a time of stress. Sometimes these flareups have fog and sometimes they don't.
Sadly, almost all advice for fighting fibrofog consists of tips on living with it and dealing with it, not preventing it or making it go away. A google search of "how to combat fibrofog" turned up a whole page of posts almost identical to this one: http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/memory_tips.html Sure, these are good tips for living with it but I don't want to live with it. I want it to go away. Something causes it, therefore something must cure it.
The only thing I've discovered that consistently causes my fibrofog is sleeping in. (Although it's not the only cause - I have plenty of fog days even when I get up early) Sometimes I can get away with sleeping after 8:00 but not usually. Sleeping until 9:00 or later always causes a bout of fibrofog for me. Cloudy days in summer are another thing that triggers fibrofog, which may be because I sleep later than I normally would because it's so dark out. I know, there's an easy fix for that - set my alarm clock! And that I will be doing more religiously for the remainder of the summer. I do not want another day like this one.
How about you? Have you discovered any triggers or helps for fibrofog?
5 comments:
I have to eat healthy snacks between meals, that seems to help somewhat.
Oh I can so relate. I am under the influence of fibro fog today..and most days..I'm with you, sleeping in definately makes my whole day bad. The lack of energy is horrid also. Lots of coffee dont even conquer it! It feels like a hangover. My memory gets so bad and I can't get my words out correctly either. That is sososo embarrasing :( I feel sometimes like I want to hide in corner or dissapear sometimes. Thansks for all your tips by the way :)
Unfortunately, I've never found out what triggers it OR makes it better. More often than not though mine runs hand in hand with the fibro pain and fatigue. The worse the pain and fatigue, the worse the fog will be. And it seems that I'm always having pain and fatigue, so I'm most always having fibro fog as well.
Ugh. The fog is such a mystery and so annoying that there doesn't seem to be a thing to help with it. Yet. I'm determined to find something!
I can see where healthy snacks in between meals would help some. For me, going too long without eating causes hypoglycemia which does trigger a foggy-like feeling, although it seems to be different than the kind of fog that I wake up with in the morning.
Do any of you have the problem of not being able to get your words out right when you are talking to someone? My words just get all jumbled up and i stop and have to think of what i'm saying again and again. Sometimes its in my head but wont come out of my mouth right. grrrr hate it!
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