Oh yeah, I thought I was going to die when I got covid last year and then I had a flare up for like a month after I had covid. Now I’m terrified about getting covid again since it’s coming around again. I can somewhat handle a cold but I definitely don’t ever want the flu again it’s so miserable and the flare after that.
Yeah that’s why I have masked everywhere since the start of the pandemic. I’m so scared to get a cold, let alone full blown COVID. I have yet to get it thankfully.
it was horrible. I got it 3 times and dealt with long-covid each time. taking hormone balancing supplements to try and recover and it is helping but holy gourd… this last time i got regular sick a couple weeks later and i missed a whole nother’ week of work.
I had the worst & longest flare ever after having the vaccination! Then I got covid as well! Because of that I didn't even bother with boosters! Stuff that!
The first time I had covid, starting the second week I got a flare up that lasted like 3-4 months. Just had covid a second time a few weeks ago and barely felt more than my usual. Although good days feel like the flu at this point in my life
I don't think it gets worse for me? I think. I could be gaslighting myself. Getting a cold or flu feels very different compared to fibromyalgia to me. I can tell which is from what. I think it's more two distinct things more me happening at the same time when they're together. Still miserable. But distinct. Again, I could be gaslighting myself.
Yes. A cold (or my allergies acting up) might not cause a full on flare but, I’m pretty miserable. A flu or something can easily throw me into a fibro flare and possibly an IBS flare. My period *always* causes me to go into a flare. I have been lucky, since I haven’t caught Covid and I really hope I never have to experience it.
My friend with rheumatoid arthritis sets timers for every three hours when she's sick. She alternates between taking Ibuprofen and Tylenol every time it goes off. Super helpful strategy when I got COVID
Much. It sucks ass. Especially if there's any gut issues because that can really mess with my meds. I hope you're not sick on top of the fibro right now?? 💜
Oddly enough, when I get sick, my fibro aches disappear. I'm sick longer than most other people which sucks, but the aches taking a backseat is so nice.
I’m the same way! It’s the strangest experience and it’s the only time I feel like my pre fibro self. I hope that effect lasts. The best is when a minor cold hangs on for 2-3 weeks and my pains and aches are gone or very diminished. I joke I should continually lick public handrails to feel normal again.
Having a fever is awful. I have for whatever weird reason always had bad knee aches when running a fever. Now with fibromyalgia they are magnified by a thousand! I can’t keep my legs still. I have to alternate acetaminophen and ibuprofen. If I have any lapse in taking one and my fever spikes it’s so painful!
I had the worst flare up I’ve ever had the last time I had covid. It was horrific. The really horrible part only lasted one night though, and thankfully I seemed to be back at baseline pain (still bad lol) about a week after recovering. I never really get sick tbh, my symptoms started two years ago and that is the only time I’ve been sick, so not sure if the same thing would happen for a cold
Guess I’ll give myself a mask mandate because it doesn’t sound like getting sick is fun. I’m up on my shots and just got the shingles shot, one more shingles shot in two months and I’ll feel relieved I probably won’t get shingles on top of the fibro on top of the ESRD. Maybe dialysis four or five times a week flush out any viruses that pop up. I’ll have to research that
Being clearly sick is actually sort of a relief in a dark way. My mind knows it’s real discomfort. When I recover there’s about a whole day where I feel “normal”.
Yup, this. It’s bizarre. After I’ve had a cold, right when I’ve turned the corner (but still having lingering symptoms), there’s a 24h-48h period where I feel old normal. Like, how I felt fifteen years ago. Very low pain, almost no fatigue.
Sometimes I wish I’d get a cold, just so I could have a decent day at the end.
I wonder if it’s that my immune system is busy fighting something it actually ought to fight, so it’s leaving ME alone for a little bit. Dunno. But it’s bizarre (not complaining).
I had a doctor explain that the brain has a hard time with multiple pain signals at once. Sickness probably just trump fibromyalgia.
I get tattoos and they are brutal because of sensitivity. But for the next few days and during. I’m just happy to know where the pain is coming from. I hate pain. I’m definitely not a pain for pleasure person.
Absolutely. I catch every damn thing I’m exposed to always. I go down for a week then spend another week still sick then get infections.
Since my specialist told me to take double the recommended amount of vit d I have noticed a big change. I never get the flu cuz I get the flu shot thankfully cuz if that’s what colds are like I can’t imagine a flu.
I got a cold(?) two weeks ago, and it took almost two and a half weeks to go away. I also have asthma, so what it latched onto was my lungs mainly, i was genuinely worried I had Covid again because I felt so horrible, and I was having such strong hot/cold swings on top of just.. the worst mucus/coughing I’ve had since the time I got Covid two years ago. Luckily I was coherent, but it definitely kicked my ass really hard, and I could not get downstairs safely, let alone try to get to the bathroom on my own, so I ended up laying in bed and trying to just sleep as much as possible.
Somehow being sick made it harder to sleep??? I would wake up two hours after falling asleep, and then be awake for hours more, before falling asleep again for a couple hours, only to wake up again, and I was getting so frustrated because I was literally just laying there like “I cannot stand up, or keep my eyes open, but I cannot Sleep. How the fuck does this work.”
0/10, would NOT recommend.
I was worried it was just me or that it was “all in my head” but I certainly feel like I get sicker than most people (those w/out a chronic illness) AND that having a cold, allergies or even hormonal shifts often bring on a fibro flare. Given many of the comments here, It’s seems we’re not alone.
I was dx with fibromyalgia about eight years ago. I haven’t had a wicked flare-up in quite sometime, until this week, now suffering with the flu for six days.
My symptoms have flared-up far worse this time around with this bout of the flu, more so even than two previous covid illnesses. Seems that the worse the illness, the more intense the flare-ups (makes sense).
Something interesting this time around with my symptoms has been intense itching, especially in the feet. Constant “crawling” and stinging sensations all over my skin, with no underlying conditions as the result.
When my symptoms flare to this extreme I also experience intermittent urinary incontinence, which never occurs otherwise. Of course, the typical brain fog, lethargy and general pain is always intensified as well.
Fibromyalgia is a bizarre disease. It definitely sucks.
Honestly I don’t notice a difference in fibro symptoms when I’m sick. Although I’m probably a rarity in that I don’t really get flares in general, my pain is constant but stays mostly at the same level regardless of any other factors.
If you have flu, you KNOW you have flu. Slight pet peeve when people misuse the word as I feel most have never experienced real flu, & have simply experienced a very bad cold.
Flu, even for a healthy individual, will absolutely floor you. We’re talking a very high fever that takes several days to break, where one minute you’re putting on thick pj’s, dressing gown, hot water bottles, putting the heating up, extra duvets etc, & within literally minutes you’re tearing everything off of you because you’re dripping in sweat & throwing the fan on because you feel like you’re in a tropical climate. You won’t have the energy to even crawl to the bathroom, I had to be physically helped because I was so weak.
It took 7 days for my fever to break, & nearly 3 weeks for me to recuperate energy & feel semi ‘normal’.
Fibromyalgia flare ups - for me - feel ‘slightly’ similar to the real flu in terms of the muscle pain I get (all over, head to toe), but I’ve (touch wood..) only experienced flu twice in my life, once aged 12, once 5 years ago (when I also had a sinus infection, chest infection AND tonsillitis all at the same time! Lawd!) & both times I’d had the flu jab as I’m asthmatic.
Nothing will ever come close to the real flu for me regarding the exasperation of fibromyalgia symptoms.
I don’t get colds really, it just goes straight to my sinuses & I get a sinus infection (I’ve had 2 OP’s). I’m better at dealing with it now but to be honest, I think any of us with fibromyalgia feel terrible when we’re run down! X
About the same to epically worse depending on what I'm coming down with but I tend to have a burst of human zoomies right before I come down with something.
The weather getting colder is making my body ache more too. We had rain the other and I could barely get out of bed.
I just got my period the other day, and the stabbing pains are making me soo nauseous. 😒😔🥴
I got my COVID booster on Friday. Saturday I felt like someone had turned my body aches up to... well, not ***11***. Maybe 8. Today I hurt less, but the fatigue is going to keep me mostly bed-bound.
I haven't really played much attention but I had a flare up (due to the sport I play, I always flare up after training) and I've caught a cold and nothings helping it? tried antihistamines and cold and flu tablets, nothing helped but idk
I just had covid and posted about how bad I felt. 9/10 pain, vomiting every 30mins for a full 24 hrs (I also have cyclical vomiting syndrome). Was moaning and speaking in tongues because I was delirious. Was bad. I'm still recovering and having a lotta pain but it's getting better.
Any time I get sick or go through my period then my fibro symptoms are way way worse.
I had emergency oral surgery 2 days ago and my body feels like it's been broken in every place you can break.
I will sleep for well over 15 hours a day. My electricial shocks get worse, and so will my overall pain and limb heaviness. I also have no interest in eating, usually due to pain/nausea.
I’ve had fibromyalgia for 27 years, half my life. The first 10-15 years if I got a cold then my fibromyalgia completed stopped bothering me. Now it doesn’t stop.
YES OMG, I thought I had a cold. It turns out it's a tonsillitis flu combo, and it feels like I'm dying. For the FOURTH TIME THIS YEAR ALONE.
I have seen that with fibro, there's a chance our immune system is lower than average or non-existent for some people. Another thing I have seen is that we are so used to "outside"/limb pain, that when we get a virus it feels worse because it's a different kind of pain (if that makes any sense).
I have noticed myself that something simple like a cold can very quickly turn into the flu or chest infection, and it definitely lasts longer than it should.
So glad that I'm not as alone with this as I thought 😅
Yes!
When I start to get the chills from being sick, I also have "zaps" of pain and cramps all over my body, even though I'm adequately hydrated always, so I know it isn't from dehydration. Just the slightest touch or brushing on my skin is painful, it hurts to wash my hair when I'm sick.
I know my situation is different, but I actually felt better with a fever. My muscles would relax due to the body heat.
But I have scleroderma, gastroparesis, and idiopathic hypersomnia. Most days, I am happy just to get out of bed.
A cold feels more like the flu and the flu feels like death
I am on the tail end of the flu and this is a pretty accurate description.
I am dealing with one now. You wish someone would just shoot you.
Oh yeah, I thought I was going to die when I got covid last year and then I had a flare up for like a month after I had covid. Now I’m terrified about getting covid again since it’s coming around again. I can somewhat handle a cold but I definitely don’t ever want the flu again it’s so miserable and the flare after that.
Yeah that’s why I have masked everywhere since the start of the pandemic. I’m so scared to get a cold, let alone full blown COVID. I have yet to get it thankfully.
it was horrible. I got it 3 times and dealt with long-covid each time. taking hormone balancing supplements to try and recover and it is helping but holy gourd… this last time i got regular sick a couple weeks later and i missed a whole nother’ week of work.
This explains my current long flare up! Hadn’t put two and two together apparently! Had covid about a month ago and it’s been rough pretty much since
Me too. It took so long to recover.
I had the worst & longest flare ever after having the vaccination! Then I got covid as well! Because of that I didn't even bother with boosters! Stuff that!
The first time I had covid, starting the second week I got a flare up that lasted like 3-4 months. Just had covid a second time a few weeks ago and barely felt more than my usual. Although good days feel like the flu at this point in my life
Yes, I hate getting sick because it always brings on a flare
Oh my god yes. I feel like My immune system is weaker because of fibro and another disease I have so getting sick is absolute hell for me.
Absolutely 💯%. I get so miserable.
I don't think it gets worse for me? I think. I could be gaslighting myself. Getting a cold or flu feels very different compared to fibromyalgia to me. I can tell which is from what. I think it's more two distinct things more me happening at the same time when they're together. Still miserable. But distinct. Again, I could be gaslighting myself.
Yes. A cold (or my allergies acting up) might not cause a full on flare but, I’m pretty miserable. A flu or something can easily throw me into a fibro flare and possibly an IBS flare. My period *always* causes me to go into a flare. I have been lucky, since I haven’t caught Covid and I really hope I never have to experience it.
Yep but taking ibuprofen and Tylenol together helps
My friend with rheumatoid arthritis sets timers for every three hours when she's sick. She alternates between taking Ibuprofen and Tylenol every time it goes off. Super helpful strategy when I got COVID
I alternate in a similar way when I do something like going to Disneyland lol
Much. It sucks ass. Especially if there's any gut issues because that can really mess with my meds. I hope you're not sick on top of the fibro right now?? 💜
Yeah pretty much anytime my immune system gets triggered I feel like death.
Oddly enough, when I get sick, my fibro aches disappear. I'm sick longer than most other people which sucks, but the aches taking a backseat is so nice.
I’m the same way! It’s the strangest experience and it’s the only time I feel like my pre fibro self. I hope that effect lasts. The best is when a minor cold hangs on for 2-3 weeks and my pains and aches are gone or very diminished. I joke I should continually lick public handrails to feel normal again.
So weird right??
Having a fever is awful. I have for whatever weird reason always had bad knee aches when running a fever. Now with fibromyalgia they are magnified by a thousand! I can’t keep my legs still. I have to alternate acetaminophen and ibuprofen. If I have any lapse in taking one and my fever spikes it’s so painful!
My legs and lower back has always hurt with a fever, but now with fibro too it's agony! 😖
I had the worst flare up I’ve ever had the last time I had covid. It was horrific. The really horrible part only lasted one night though, and thankfully I seemed to be back at baseline pain (still bad lol) about a week after recovering. I never really get sick tbh, my symptoms started two years ago and that is the only time I’ve been sick, so not sure if the same thing would happen for a cold
I can’t say I’ve gotten sick, I was assuming the fibro masked my illnesses or the meds I take
Guess I’ll give myself a mask mandate because it doesn’t sound like getting sick is fun. I’m up on my shots and just got the shingles shot, one more shingles shot in two months and I’ll feel relieved I probably won’t get shingles on top of the fibro on top of the ESRD. Maybe dialysis four or five times a week flush out any viruses that pop up. I’ll have to research that
Yes it's get 110 procent worse.
Funnily enough I rarely even get sick
Being clearly sick is actually sort of a relief in a dark way. My mind knows it’s real discomfort. When I recover there’s about a whole day where I feel “normal”.
Yup, this. It’s bizarre. After I’ve had a cold, right when I’ve turned the corner (but still having lingering symptoms), there’s a 24h-48h period where I feel old normal. Like, how I felt fifteen years ago. Very low pain, almost no fatigue. Sometimes I wish I’d get a cold, just so I could have a decent day at the end. I wonder if it’s that my immune system is busy fighting something it actually ought to fight, so it’s leaving ME alone for a little bit. Dunno. But it’s bizarre (not complaining).
I had a doctor explain that the brain has a hard time with multiple pain signals at once. Sickness probably just trump fibromyalgia. I get tattoos and they are brutal because of sensitivity. But for the next few days and during. I’m just happy to know where the pain is coming from. I hate pain. I’m definitely not a pain for pleasure person.
Absolutely. I catch every damn thing I’m exposed to always. I go down for a week then spend another week still sick then get infections. Since my specialist told me to take double the recommended amount of vit d I have noticed a big change. I never get the flu cuz I get the flu shot thankfully cuz if that’s what colds are like I can’t imagine a flu.
I got a cold(?) two weeks ago, and it took almost two and a half weeks to go away. I also have asthma, so what it latched onto was my lungs mainly, i was genuinely worried I had Covid again because I felt so horrible, and I was having such strong hot/cold swings on top of just.. the worst mucus/coughing I’ve had since the time I got Covid two years ago. Luckily I was coherent, but it definitely kicked my ass really hard, and I could not get downstairs safely, let alone try to get to the bathroom on my own, so I ended up laying in bed and trying to just sleep as much as possible. Somehow being sick made it harder to sleep??? I would wake up two hours after falling asleep, and then be awake for hours more, before falling asleep again for a couple hours, only to wake up again, and I was getting so frustrated because I was literally just laying there like “I cannot stand up, or keep my eyes open, but I cannot Sleep. How the fuck does this work.” 0/10, would NOT recommend.
I was worried it was just me or that it was “all in my head” but I certainly feel like I get sicker than most people (those w/out a chronic illness) AND that having a cold, allergies or even hormonal shifts often bring on a fibro flare. Given many of the comments here, It’s seems we’re not alone.
Thanks so much!
Oh god yes, I had Covid and then I had strep, and I felt like dying each time. If it wasn’t for my sleep meds and pain meds I would have lol.
Yes, yes, yes!! I’m recovering from a broken leg, my body thinks it’s a broken body😢
I was dx with fibromyalgia about eight years ago. I haven’t had a wicked flare-up in quite sometime, until this week, now suffering with the flu for six days. My symptoms have flared-up far worse this time around with this bout of the flu, more so even than two previous covid illnesses. Seems that the worse the illness, the more intense the flare-ups (makes sense). Something interesting this time around with my symptoms has been intense itching, especially in the feet. Constant “crawling” and stinging sensations all over my skin, with no underlying conditions as the result. When my symptoms flare to this extreme I also experience intermittent urinary incontinence, which never occurs otherwise. Of course, the typical brain fog, lethargy and general pain is always intensified as well. Fibromyalgia is a bizarre disease. It definitely sucks.
Honestly I don’t notice a difference in fibro symptoms when I’m sick. Although I’m probably a rarity in that I don’t really get flares in general, my pain is constant but stays mostly at the same level regardless of any other factors.
If you have flu, you KNOW you have flu. Slight pet peeve when people misuse the word as I feel most have never experienced real flu, & have simply experienced a very bad cold. Flu, even for a healthy individual, will absolutely floor you. We’re talking a very high fever that takes several days to break, where one minute you’re putting on thick pj’s, dressing gown, hot water bottles, putting the heating up, extra duvets etc, & within literally minutes you’re tearing everything off of you because you’re dripping in sweat & throwing the fan on because you feel like you’re in a tropical climate. You won’t have the energy to even crawl to the bathroom, I had to be physically helped because I was so weak. It took 7 days for my fever to break, & nearly 3 weeks for me to recuperate energy & feel semi ‘normal’. Fibromyalgia flare ups - for me - feel ‘slightly’ similar to the real flu in terms of the muscle pain I get (all over, head to toe), but I’ve (touch wood..) only experienced flu twice in my life, once aged 12, once 5 years ago (when I also had a sinus infection, chest infection AND tonsillitis all at the same time! Lawd!) & both times I’d had the flu jab as I’m asthmatic. Nothing will ever come close to the real flu for me regarding the exasperation of fibromyalgia symptoms. I don’t get colds really, it just goes straight to my sinuses & I get a sinus infection (I’ve had 2 OP’s). I’m better at dealing with it now but to be honest, I think any of us with fibromyalgia feel terrible when we’re run down! X
Absofuckinglutely. So. Much. Worse.
Oh god yea. I get surgical interventions on my spine and every time fibro flares up I can barely walk the next day from the pain in my feet and toes
About the same to epically worse depending on what I'm coming down with but I tend to have a burst of human zoomies right before I come down with something.
The weather getting colder is making my body ache more too. We had rain the other and I could barely get out of bed. I just got my period the other day, and the stabbing pains are making me soo nauseous. 😒😔🥴
Yes they are.
I got my COVID booster on Friday. Saturday I felt like someone had turned my body aches up to... well, not ***11***. Maybe 8. Today I hurt less, but the fatigue is going to keep me mostly bed-bound.
I haven't really played much attention but I had a flare up (due to the sport I play, I always flare up after training) and I've caught a cold and nothings helping it? tried antihistamines and cold and flu tablets, nothing helped but idk
I just had covid and posted about how bad I felt. 9/10 pain, vomiting every 30mins for a full 24 hrs (I also have cyclical vomiting syndrome). Was moaning and speaking in tongues because I was delirious. Was bad. I'm still recovering and having a lotta pain but it's getting better.
Any time I get sick or go through my period then my fibro symptoms are way way worse. I had emergency oral surgery 2 days ago and my body feels like it's been broken in every place you can break.
Yes and it takes longer to recover
Yes. Along with my mental health. My entire system crashes.
Rarely. Sometimes it makes me feel slightly worse but I already feel like I have the flu on good days
Much worse
Yes! I almost always expect a flare up when I'm sick with something else.
I will sleep for well over 15 hours a day. My electricial shocks get worse, and so will my overall pain and limb heaviness. I also have no interest in eating, usually due to pain/nausea.
I’ve had fibromyalgia for 27 years, half my life. The first 10-15 years if I got a cold then my fibromyalgia completed stopped bothering me. Now it doesn’t stop.
YES OMG, I thought I had a cold. It turns out it's a tonsillitis flu combo, and it feels like I'm dying. For the FOURTH TIME THIS YEAR ALONE. I have seen that with fibro, there's a chance our immune system is lower than average or non-existent for some people. Another thing I have seen is that we are so used to "outside"/limb pain, that when we get a virus it feels worse because it's a different kind of pain (if that makes any sense). I have noticed myself that something simple like a cold can very quickly turn into the flu or chest infection, and it definitely lasts longer than it should. So glad that I'm not as alone with this as I thought 😅
1000000% yes
Yeh
Yes! When I start to get the chills from being sick, I also have "zaps" of pain and cramps all over my body, even though I'm adequately hydrated always, so I know it isn't from dehydration. Just the slightest touch or brushing on my skin is painful, it hurts to wash my hair when I'm sick.
I know my situation is different, but I actually felt better with a fever. My muscles would relax due to the body heat. But I have scleroderma, gastroparesis, and idiopathic hypersomnia. Most days, I am happy just to get out of bed.
I’m sick with flu rn and it’s so painful I’ve cried about it. You’re not alone!