Goal Setting Step 6: Identify what aggravates your symptoms

In this step, you analyze what causes a flare up or aggravates your symptoms. So "what is a Fibro Flare".

A Fibro Flare or flare-up of Fibromyalgia is an increase in the level of intensity of symptoms and/or an increase in the number of symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia and/or its coexisting conditions. The most common symptoms that are affected during FM flares are pain and fatigue.

In my personal case, other symptoms/conditions that increase during a flare can include, sleep and cognitive dysfunctions, digestive disturbances, numbness and tingling, itching, headaches, a spike in blood pressure, vertigo, stiffness, and weakness.

I have realized that, besides medication and bad support group experiences, certain things aggravate my FM. Some of these aggravators include (but are not limited to):

1. changes in weather and/or temperature

2. increased and/or prolonged physical activity

3. decreased activity after completing a round of physical therapy

4. poor diet

5. poor sleep

6. surgery

7. accident (car, fall, etc.)

8. stress

Now that I know what aggravates my Fibro and what does not really help as a treatment modality (by reviewing the form I completed in step 5), I can take informed actions to avoid these aggravators and ineffective treatment options.