Now that is a good question because I feel pain throughout the day but when it comes time to relax and sleep my pain intensifies for whatever reason causing me to be up during the night. MAKE IT GO AWAY!

I definately hurt worse in the morning. Most nights I wake up at least twice after midnight to put icy hot on and go back to sleep. When I wake up my whole body is stiff and it usually takes me 15 minutes to get out of the bed. As long as I dont do anything too physical during the day it gradually gets less painful late afternoon. So i guess Im the opposite as you.
Hope youre able to sleep well.
*Hugs*

I'm stiff in the morning and then about 11am-3pm I'm as okay as I get. Then around 4pm on I have pain, agitation (from it), and fatigue.

I think late afternoon pain is related to just using the muscles one uses during the day--at least for me.

It takes me a bit to get going in the morning, but then I'm "ok" until about 3-4pm. My pain just starts to mount at that point. By the time bedtime rolls around, im done. My body is screaming at me at that point. One of the reasons I can't sleep at night. Impossible to relax. I found it interesting to read here how so many were worse in the morning but I was just the opposite. Thought it was just me. Even now after 1 in the morning, I'm dealing with so much pain I just can't find rest. Makes for tough days (and worse nights).

You don't say what you were doing on the days that your pain was worse at night. For many of us, staying out after 7 PM isn't even an option unless we've been able to hoard energy for a few days prior to doing it.

Think of FMS as electrical short. Even when you are sleeping it is always in the background busy depleting your energy and cognitive function. This is why pacing is key to living with this beast. I think of myself as a GPS. I am constantly reevaluating what I can accomplish in a day. Like everyone else, I usually have some sort of a plan. Whether I get any, some or all of it accomplished is a crap shoot. Rather than dwell on the things I did not get done, I am grateful for anything that I did accomplish on any given day. I've become emotionally flexible rather than a huge ball of frustration (which makes my symptoms worse) and just roll with the changes.

Increased discomfort at night isn't unusual. I have heating pads in several locations throughout my house. Some people like a heated throw. Barometric pressure changes also affect pain levels. Epsom salt baths can be helpful. Arnica gel (homeopathic muscle rub) can be purchased online through Amazon or at the Vitamin Shoppe. It is very effective and helps with that bruised feeling many of us experience.

I'd also recommend that you speak to your rheumy and get something for breakthrough pain at night. I went back and looked at your original post. You already take Gabapentin. Maybe switching to Gralise which is the time released version would work better. And/or, maybe add a muscle relaxer at night too. BTW- the three primary medications used to treat FMS are Cymbalta, Savella and Lyrica. You want to stay ahead of any increase in pain rather than try and treat it when it is already out of hand.

Even on "good" days maintaining a realistic pace is very important. There is no rhyme or reason to FMS. Which is why it is so difficult to manage. That is also the reason that we are all on different medication cocktails as well. See your rheumy and try to rethink your activities so you aren't being so hard on yourself. Take care and enjoy your weekend.

Fantod, you are such a blessing! Thank you for always taking such time to respond so thoroughly, and that you would even take the time to go back to read my original post almost makes me teary.

I do need to monitor what I'm doing in a day. I will admit, I'm having a very hard time admitting my limits. I'm a writer with contracts, book launches, etc., and I haven't yet told my editor of my struggles, so I'm always trying to perform. It seems it shouldn't tire me as I'm simply sitting at the computer, (I do stretch throughout the day) but reading everyone's responses, I may be pushing things. But my job is very much performance based. Every future contract is dependent on the success of my latest release. I'm in the middle of a book launch now, which means my stress is higher than normal. I imagine that could be why my pain level has been increasing.

I'll admit, the thought of that makes me very angry and very sad. I hate having fibro. To be honest, I hate the very word. I'm not sure if I'll ever get to the point where I accept it.

As far as what I'm doing during the day, I have often felt it's cumulative. I think I shared I went to yoga last Tuesday. During yoga, I could tell I was pushing it. (I was embarrassed I couldn't do what the others were doing, so I wanted to try to keep up. I can't get past this sense of embarrassment. Maybe it'd be best for me to not go and do my own things at home.) Anyway, I went to yoga, felt tired and achy, but was okay for the next, maybe hour. Then the pain came on all of a sudden, and it was fairly intense.

My pain can be different each day and night. I can feel shooting/stabbing pains running up and down my arms and sharp or throbbing pain in my joints. And I can handle that, usually, even when it's severe. I also will often feel as if my whole body is bruised, and I can normally handle that (though I will hate being touched!). But what I seem to have little tolerance for is when there's a scraping/constricting feel to my muscles.

I was talking to a friend yesterday. She doesn't understand fibro, though she was trying to reach out to me, offered to pray for me, etc. But by the end of the conversation, I felt worse than when I began. I ended the conversation with the thought: "This is why I don't tell people how I feel. They simply don't get it."

I'm glad I found this forum.

Sorry for the rant.

Hey JenS3 - Rant away! That's why we are all here. To lean on each other, learn and feel accepted.

It is always very difficult for other people to understand how we feel. A broken leg with a cast is a bit more defining than just you always feeling like cr*p. Many of us have problems with friends and family understanding or being supportive. They have the mistaken impression that taking a pill fixes everything. In the case of FMS, that is like putting glasses on a blind man and expecting them to see.

I'd encourage you to continue going to Yoga. Outside contact is important. This is a very isolating illness. Talk to the instructor and let them know that you are having some difficulty. They can suggest some modifications that will make things easier for you. If not, just sit it out during some portions or do something else and forget about what other people may think. It is none of their business. You and your health needs come first. Place yourself at the back of the class so you feel less obvious.

I am a genealogist (hobby for over 20 years). I understand sitting at the computer for long periods of time. When was the last time that you replaced your chair? Is your desk at a comfortable height?
Thinking/concentrating is very difficult/exhausting with pain always hovering in the background along with some degree of sleep deprivation. Anyway, get out of that chair more often. Repetitive motion is not our friend. Give your hands a regular break along with the rest of your body and brain. Walk away and do something completely different or lie down for a short rest and just chill.

Not wanting to be touched because pressure against your skin is painful is called Allydonia. I have it myself. I've had to adjust my wardrobe, give up wearing a watch and wave people off who want to hug me. If togas ever come back into fashion, I'll be thrilled.

Again, being proactive about pain management is very important. If you start to feel it coming on, do something before it really gets started. Some people like OTC Salon Pas pain patches - Walmart/CVS/Costco. If I am not going anywhere, I use Tiger Balm patches (stinky but work for me). Apply some muscle rub, try a heating pad or heated throw. Get thee to the rheumy and discuss a different medication regimen.

None of us want to be here. I've been a prisoner of FMS since 2009. I had to quit working in the film industry and apply for SSDI. My marriage ended after 21 years. I now use a cane, a rolling walker and/or a wheelchair as part of my ever evolving fashion statement. I've had a lot of changes. I got professional help to sort all of this out and find an even keel. My motto is (thank you Sir Winston Churchill) "If you are going through hell, keep going." Being angry and sad is all part of the process but if it is persistent, please give yourself permission to see a counselor.

And finally, many of our newbies arrive here proclaiming that they are going to beat this illness. I can testify that "it" will be beat you into the ground like a tent peg if you don't figure out ways to coexist with FMS. You can still live your life albeit at a much slower pace.

Keep your chin up and be good to yourself. You deserve it! Take care.

Great Coping Suggestions! Fantod, I don't think I'd wait on the fashion swing before wearing that toga...I may try that.

JenS3, your question was about hurting at night...me too. As the sun goes down, so do I. The pain intensifies for me no matter if I do much or not. Sometimes I will go out to dinner (with a lot of prep work beforehand) and just go with the pain that increases from the activity. Can't be changed. I have learned coping skills here though that help a lot. And like it was brought out, it is a lot better to learn to co-exist with this than to mentally struggle AND be in pain. It is still difficult.

For me, the pain will be different from day to day. It doesn't matter if I set on the sofa all day with heating pads or I actually do a little bit of activity. When the sun goes down so do I.

I too get up in the night a couple of times from pain. And in the mornings I can't hardly move until about 11 am. I don't know how people stay on a regular 8-5 job at all.

Still, if you do a bit of research on this forum, it would seem that there are a lot of different things a person can try that work for many which I think is wonderful.

Keep looking and asking questions!

My pain is always worse at night. Stiffness and some pain in the morning, not much for a few hours in the afternoon, and depending on whether I have a meeting or conference call in the evening, somewhere between 8 and 10 my body starts screaming at me.