If the water is to Warm..It Bothers my Nerves...Nerves Hate Heat..I also have Low Heat Tolerance anyway, so it will Kick up my Heart Rate...I Hate taking Showers anymore...I Used to Love them cause they made my Muscles Feel so Good..

Is it the heat or the pressure of the water droplets hitting you? Maybe a bath maybe more soothing.
I have no Idea what a branch block is. is it a a shot of some meds in the back? Maybe it's making you more sensitive?

This may sound weird, although I am sure someone will understand but it is the physical actions required to take a shower that hurts so much - taking the clothes off, washing yourself etc. I tried cooler water today and it just made me cold.

Oh, I completely understand! I dread taking a shower, even though the warm water does feel good to my neck and shoulders.

It's such an effort to do the whole routine, especially having to dry hair, use curling iron, etc. I have to do it all in stages.

I agree with Milly-It is such a pain and I mean "physical pain' to get ready for a shower,to take the shower and to dry off,dry hair,etc. I am exhausted just talking about it.

One thing I found helpful; is a shower head that you can make the water come out much slower and it doesnn't beat on you,but its' enough to get a good shower. It also has a longer coil where I can sit on my shower chair and I can wash off my back. I really like it. I think I bought it at Walmart; was around $40.

Something that might help some of you..don't get me wrong,it is terribly hard for me to take a shower,but I did find something to help and wanted to share.

Love and gentle hugs,
MaryKathryn

It is so much effort, when i think bout it I dread it! And i find myself washing my hair less, it still looks ok, but the drying of the hair, and the entire act of showering and afterwards, I am dreading it now. we have to keep clean i suppose. take care and hope you find so escape from the pain.

I totally get it, the whole routine of showering used to send me into a mini depression, "God I have to do this again", I have pain with taking the shower as well as the heat and the feeling of the water on my skin. So I made a deal with myself, I bathe every other night, I schedule my showers if I have something I have to look nice for, for example Thanksgiving, I will bathe today, then Monday then Wed nights. I never would have thought I would be scheduling showers, for years I took at least 2 a day.

I totally get this..it is such an effort. I am totally exhausted after a shower. I have to sit on my bed for 5 mins just to rest before I can even begin getting dressed. Wow I thought it was just me

I've definitely got to schedule energy for my shower. Some days I can handle the motions and energy required to wash and shave legs, some days I can barely get out of my clothes to get into the tub. Usually it's the water hitting my skin, then the warmth of the water that hurts most. I just hate shaving my legs because I have to bend and reach, then the feel of the razor on my skin...kinda like getting a tooth filled. The smooth skin makes it worth it tho.

Hate that with the colder weather I now have to blow dry my hair because that has always been difficult with fibro. The other part that is difficult is when I have those patches of body that feel bruised to touch and the water hits them.

What a blessing to hear you all relate your avoidance of showers/bathing. I kinda thought i was becoming a bag-lady! The initial water hitting my skin is almost torture, but I desensitize pretty quickly and then the warm water feels good. It's the after-shower routine that is so tough... toweling off, hair, skin... and exhaustion. I do find that if the water is too hot it tires me more, so temper it to just lukewarm, and air drying is fine if it requires too much energy to completely dry. Hair gets wrapped in a towel to deal with later. I love the "stages" suggestion. Thanks all!

Duckwife2 I have had the same feeling - thinking I was becoming a bag-lady LOL

It is "nice" to hear that others feel this way. I just find the whole idea exhausting although once I get into the shower the hot water feels good.

I have a seat in my shower if I need it, and I sit on the tub enclosure to get dressed, because it just all makes me tired.

Anybody else have extreme pain if they accidentally get hit with a blast of COLD water? Cold always goes right through to the bone for me and if I accidentally get the water going the wrong way it HURTS!

Just one more thing to make me hate getting in there.

I can relate....the entire procedure can be exhausting jus thinking about it. I work full time so I take a shower in the morning (I have to get up at 4:45am to make it to work by 6:30!) I wash and blow dry my hair 3 mornings during the work week. I find that the process of rinsing by rubbing my hands over my body hurts....it hurts just to rub the outside of my arms right now. I see a pain doc and just started back with my former rheumy....he put me on Mobic and it is NOT agreeing with me at all. Along with the fibro I have IC, IBS, osteoporisis, severe arthritis with DDD and mitral valve prolapse, which is the only one thing that so far hasn't caused problems.

I went through a series of facet injections in my neck and back and found them to be helpful, and will be doing epidurals next. I was sent for a sleep study and diagnosed with sleep apnea...and I don't even snore! I'm going back this Friday for fitting with a CPAP machine, which I've heard can help many issues a great deal, including better sleep.

I take Avinza 90mg once a day and recently quit Cymbalta because of weight gain and swelling. Now I'm back to good old prozac, but I don't think I will be able to tolerate the mobic. does anyone else take that one?

Meanwhile, back to showers...yes they hurt, but I feel so much better afterward and wouldn't be able to wake up enough to make it to work!

Happy Thankshiving everyone!!

Beth

I have found that since getting my sprite shower filter that filters out all of the chlorine from the water I don't get the pain and the dizziness that used to practically knock me out. I have hardly any pain, I can think clearly and breath in the shower now, Much better

I definitely identify.....with the pain, especially if I get hit with cold water, and the exhaustion. I can admit here that most weeks I only take 2 showers a week.....and I too have to do it in stages as showering completely exhausts me.