How Long Does a Fibromyalgia Flare Last?

Fibromyalgia flares can last anywhere between a few days to multiple months. The length of your flare is dependent on multiple factors including the cause and how you respond. This article will go through what fibromyalgia flares feel like, what can contribute to their length, how to cope through it and calm your fibromyalgia flare symptoms.

What does a fibromyalgia flare feel like?

When a fibromyalgia flare hits, it can feel like someone has taken all your symptoms and amped them up to their maximum. Life may have been ticking along nicely, then boom! Seemingly out of nowhere, your fibromyalgia symptoms (like widespread pain, brain fog, sleep disruptions and sensory sensitivity) are magnified.

A fibromyalgia flare can include other symptoms such as headaches and migraine, muscle stiffness, finding it hard to concentrate, decrease mood, increased sensitivity to light, noise, and temperature, numbness or tingling sensations, face or jaw pain and digestive troubles.

So with all this going on, who wouldn't want to desperately know how long it’s going to last?

How long does a fibromyalgia flare last?

The duration of a fibromyalgia flare can be quite variable, anywhere between a few days and a few months. This is an annoyingly vague answer mainly because people experience their symptoms differently. In fact, this is a key characteristic of the condition -  fluctuating symptoms¹. So, there are no hard and fast rules. Flares can be like the everchanging weather we experience, they can come and go over time.

When asked about the duration of their fibromyalgia flares, our online community said their fibromyalgia flares lasted 1-2 weeks on average. But, read on because there are some ways to shorten the length and severity of flares!!

Another reason it is really difficult to pinpoint an exact time frame for fibro flares is that there has been relatively little research on the presence and characteristics of flares in fibromyalgia. Studies tend to examine the causes of flares rather than the length and severity of them.

One study reported an average flare duration of 11 weeks among 92 fibromyalgia patients, but this was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic - so, understandably there were reported increases in reported triggers such as stress and insomnia².

What triggered my fibromyalgia flare-up?

Everyone’s fibromyalgia symptoms and experience can be different, but one thing they all have in common - is that during a flare-up, symptoms get worse.

Flares can be caused by:

• Stress
• Illness or injury
• Routine changes (including changes to medications or travelling)
• Hormones
• Diet
• Lack of sleep
• Overdoing it
• Excessive or inappropriate exercise
• Weather

It's good to identify anything that may have triggered your fibromyalgia flares so you can avoid them, minimize them or pace through them. Some things cannot be avoided (like family gatherings, work, or a global pandemic!) but if you know a situation has a chance of causing a flare - at least you can be prepared and maybe put some mitigation strategies in place, such as reducing the time you will be engaged and be clear about your boundaries.

The cause of the flare plays a significant role in its length. For example, flares triggered by specific foods may resolve more quickly, while those involving inflammation or nervous system sensitization can take longer to settle. We know that the most commonly reported cause of a fibromyalgia flare is stress³. If the source of stress cannot be controlled or eliminated, then flares can hang around for longer.

Now, here’s the good news, individuals who learn more about their condition and identify their triggers have shorter and less severe flare-ups. That has definitely been my experience. Now when the ugly head of a flare starts to rise, I immediately enact my flare-up plan and they can be thwarted pretty quickly - a day or two max! And I am not the only one - our MoreGoodDays® alumni and others that have learnt to manage their fibro successfully reported their flares typically only lasted 1-2 days.

"I've been able to figure out different flare triggers and they have different time frames and, after all this trial and error, I have had only 1 flare in the past 8 months which lasted 2 days and that's after 20 years of almost constant flares!" - Georgie C.

How can I cope during a fibromyalgia flare?

When you are in a flare, it's easy to become overwhelmed and spiral into an endless loop of thoughts. Ruminating about the past - ‘what did I do to cause this?’ or worrying about the future - like that all-consuming question that is the very focus of this article - ‘when will this end?’ or ‘I can't cope with this’ or that other trickster ‘What if…?’.

Coping through a fibro flare can also come back to stress. And here’s the kicker - stress can be the cause but it can also be the result (a vicious cycle, huh?). It's understandable that your threat system fires up when your symptoms do. The cause of stress has been referred to by Eckhart Tolle as being ‘here’ and wanting to be ‘there'⁴ (such as solely focusing on getting out of a flare when you are deep in one). It won't help (and may even prolong your flare) to get all worked up and rally against your reality because in this state, your brain reacts more sensitively to pain⁵. If it is possible, acknowledge strong emotions and that you are in a flare, offer yourself some self compassion and shift your mindset towards getting through the flare, one breath and one step at a time.

Now is the time to reach for things that are calming and soothing and make you feel safe. For example, maybe a hot bath, a restorative nap, making use of activities and props that help bring a sense of comfort and ease. And, perhaps most importantly, don't forget to breathe. A few deep, slow breaths can bring that rational brain back online by connecting to the parasympathetic nervous system⁶.

How do you calm a fibromyalgia flare?

Here at MoreGoodDays® we like to focus on the things you can do that are helpful and based on evidence. Here are a list of things you can do to help reduce the length and severity of your fibromyalgia flare:

• Understand your flare triggers
• Learn more about your condition
• Recognize and acknowledge the big emotions that can come along with a flare
• Give yourself permission and time to recover
• Calm your nervous system (reduce stress)
• Keep moving (even just a little)
• Pacing of daily activities
• Practice self-compassion
• Set boundaries
• Ask for help
• Drink water & eat clean
• Getting enough rest & sleep
• Take medication (as an enabler in the short-term)
• Be prepared - develop a fibro flare plan

You can read more about these ways to recover from your fibromyalgia flare and then, when things settle a bit, maybe make yourself a tailored plan, something you can quickly grab to guide you through next time. It’s like reaching for the lifejacket in a turbulent sea - something that will keep you afloat until the storm passes. Because…

This flare will pass

Fibromyalgia flares definitely suck and can have a big impact on your life but they do pass. Your job is to be kind and gentle with yourself and calmly work your way through it, however long it lasts.  

If you would like some help to identify your triggers and supportive tools to reduce the length and severity of flare-ups, that's exactly what the MoreGoodDays® program does. Download our app and join our program today!