Spring time allergies as a trigger?

[Siderea]

So, as some of you may already know, I've managed to really minimize my fibro pain over the last 6 months. I've been fighting other issues, some which are symptoms of fibro, but the pain itself has been very minimal (unless I eat any sugar at all - sugar always gives me nasty flares.) My naturopathic doctors has done so very much for me in helping me learn how to prevent the pain and heal my body in general. I really thought I was mostly in control, finally.

Well, last night was HORRIBLE. I was crying it was so bad. I couldn't sleep, despite all the sleeping herbs I took (which normally knock me out cold.) I was up until 5:00 am, at least, but at some point after that I did manage to go into a really deep sleep and woke up at 10 am. The fibro pain radiated from my legs up to my arms. It was bad enough in my legs, but when it hit my arm I wanted to scream! The pain was so bad that it felt like my arm was on the verge of breaking. It's been 6 months since I've experienced this kind of pain.

The only thing that's changed in my life is the season. Here in ND, winter lasts about 6-8 months, and summer is the rest of the year. Spring and fall last for about a week or two each. So last week we FINALLY got warm weather, meaning it went from the 40's to 50's to the 80's and 90's within a few days. This alone could be the issue for me. But everything bloomed all at once, all within 2-3 days, so the pollen has been devastating.

Is it possible that my flare could just be a reaction to the sever weather change and/ or the pollen? If my pain was minimal, I'd guess this, but could it cause this severe of pain?

Any other ideas?

 

[JKerner59]

I certainly believe temperature changes can cause a flare...I dread the barometric pressure changes of the frequent thunder storms in Florida...I've been visiting my sister in Texas for the last few months and the high winds and pollen have caused some serious flares...as soon as the flare calmed down, I found myself with a severe sinus infection and tonsillitus (which I am now on my second antibiotic)....All this to say that I believe those of us with fibro are very susceptible to environmental changes of any kind.

Don't give up on the progress you've made to date...hang in there and remember with each new day there is hope to feel well again.

 

[Trellum]

I believe the change of seasons plays a role, to be exact the change in the temperature, but the pollen? Not sure! I always seem to get worse during the winter, of course not all the winters are the same. This one wasn't bad at all, but this darn spring is really killing me! I hope you find some relief soon, last night I could barely sleep as well... i was just rolling over the bed for hours and hours. No idea when I fell asleep. I know I did eventually because I had several dreams. Darn pain!

Have you seen your naturopath? I'm sure he can tell you for sure what's going on.

 

[katydid]

I would imagine it's more of the weather change / temperature change that is the culprit here... I mean, the allergies certainly don't help lol but I know for me personally, the weather is a huge problem for my body and pain levels... I'm in western new York, and right now our spring weather is so unpredictable it's not even funny... We're getting rain on and off and they keep referencing these 'super cells' a lot this spring, and the temperature is all over the place! We're still ranging from the high 40s - the low 80s during the day, and the 30s - the low 60s at night! Just this weekend we had a day where it was almost 80 during the day and 40/41 at night! And we had a rain storm that night with wind... It knocked me on my a$$! So I really think the weather could be your enemy right now.... Hang in there, hopefully your body will adjust quickly (sooner rather than later) and you can say goodbye to this nasty flare!

 

[Siderea]

I haven't experienced Fibromyalgia during such a sudden weather change before, since I've only experienced it just under a year. My pain was a lot worse during the "fall" (as if ND gets a fall season, ha!) last year, but that was before I found medical help and I was still relatively new to the pain. And before moving to ND I lived in a place where seasons very gradually changed and there wasn't a lot of harsh weather. I have, however, experienced arthritis pain during seasonal changes, and that's been painful. My arthritis is gone now. So I believe you all when you say it's most likely the weather, not necessarily the pollen.

In the couple days since this post the weather has continued to be crazy. Constant thunderstorms, constantly changing barometric pressure, lots of rain, very high winds, and even a tornado big enough to destroy 10 trailer homes somewhat nearby. I have been noticing that the pain flares more during the start of a storm. So you're probably right. This isn't fun! I want to summer to start so the weather will be stable again!

...And I used to really love watching the lightning storms...