Okay - quickly - I know what you're talking about. Horrible stuff. Trust me and this'll be more concise.

Part 1:

Make sure it's not this stuff BEFORE you are sure it's fibroburn - cause you can really save yourself a lot of pain and suffering if there is a quick fix to this. You probably have done this already but it's good in case you haven't - or others reading have not.

1. Make sure it's not your pills

Some people's fibroburn is caused by medication or a mix of medications. There are many medications that can make you photosensitive or thermosensitive. There are some medication that can also make you stop sweating or stop tolerating heat. Lots of fibro related stuff can cause much discomfort. Hormones really really suck for this, HRT and BCPills..

Go over it with a pharmacist, fine tooth comb it and when you rule that out - next.

2. Make sure it's not an underlaying condition!

I knew someone who assumed it was fibro that caused her symptoms but it ended up being a very rare disorder of the part of the brain that is your thermostat. There are also various illnesses that will cause these symptoms.  Hormonal imbalance is a biggie.

3. Make sure it's not a product you're using.

One of my friends was using a very strong skin creame with lots of acids - it made her skin so painful to heat and light, she'd get these peeling blisters and painful white pimples. Anything with alpha hydroxy in great amounts can do this. Fibro and multiple chemical sensitivity often are close friends - it's sometimes a severe allergic reaction.

Part 2: Fibro Burn Help

1. Aloe Vera: Lots of it! Awesome for the skin burns and the hot feeling. Great for the heat rash too. Get that green gel and feel its cool magic work.

2. Drink plenty of water, don't wait to get thirsty to drink. Dehydration can cause fibrofolk to heat up rather fast - especially on certain meds.

3. Cold Compress. This has been my pal for many years - tried, tested, and no side effects.. unless you fall asleep with it and it falls on your new hardwood floor. Drench a cloth, put it on the hottest parts one at a time as not to shock your body. Not ice cold either.

4. Take a break from physical exertion often. Try to take breaks whenever you start to get too hot. Don't cool down too fast, as that can cause some stiff muscles - just slow down then relax.

5. Cool bath w/Baking Soda- not cold enough to cause ANY discomfort. Good rule of thumb is - not hot, not cold - body temp. Take your temp, then take the temp of the water. Put in 1/4 cup of baking soda. Seriously.

Do this on the onset of burn.

6. Cucumbers. Slice them, put them on the burning areas. Some people use tea bags but I find the cool fridge cucumbers are great for the really pinchy-acidic burning areas. So is aloe.

7. De-Stress-as with anything in Fibrouniverse: stress will make the burning worse. Meditation in a laying down position (whatever is most comfortable.. sitting meditation can be impossible for us fibrofolk hmm?) and come up with 10 cute things. Cute works. Cuteoverload does wonders for me.

8. Take your medication on the onset of this pain - NOT in the full swing of the pain, it'll escalate and possibly sensitize neighboring nerves - spreading and making things much more annoying and tooth-grindingly frustrating. Of course this is a good fibrotip for any pain for the same reason.

9. Take off your clothing and lay in bed. Sometimes it is caused by the tiny fibres of clothes "tickling" the nerves into a dance of that burning feeling. Listen to music and breathe in slowly - count 4 in, breaths and 8 out breaths. Repeat. Soft breaths. Focus very very hard on the breathing, it'll help to relax those nerves a little. Also helps to distract the nerves with something pleasurable - chocolate, sex if possible, looking at photos of loved ones that don't stress you out, and I find that satin (the cloth not a mispelling of bz-bub) or any very silky fabric tickles less. If you're rich enough to afford such sheets - it can really help during these times.

I could go on but my hands hurt! :)

Hope this helps.

Anonymous

6/ 8/10 8:23am

Thank you very much!

Emluuuuucy

6/10/10 6:13pm

:) Hugs to you for thanking me, I indeed appreciate it more than words could express :)

 

I also forgot one really awesome Fibroburn Helper:

 

COLOUR - be sure NEVER to wear black or dark colours outside when it's hot or very sunny.. Black, Navy Blue, and Green will absorb the most sunlight - white is best and it'll keep you cooler. Thin cotton, egyptian cotton, and similar fabrics which are light in weight and filled with tiny holes will breathe better, it will also stop from weighing and "tickling" your nerves as I mentioned in the last post. The lighter the better. If you have multiple chem sensitivity - sometimes dyes will affect you - so white is a bonus in so many ways.

Can't find it in a local store? Buy some light cotton, egyptian cotton, or similar stuff from a fabric store, online like Ebay or fabric retailer, or go to a thrift store and find some in fabric isles - or even in other clothing that you can "edit". Many people can't sew, which is indeed a downer, so if you can't find anyone to help you - I would suggest looking harder online for stores that make items such as these.

 

I'm hoping you're all smiling today. :)