How good are you at pacing yourself? Have you sussed it or do you still over do things?

*I don't have Fibro my mum does, and she's crap at pacing herself, she pushes herself and then feels crap for days after :(

*I try to pace myself, but sometimes I have a lot to do, and have to get it done.

*My problem is when I have a good day I go mad trying to do all I cant do on bad days, then have another bad days afterwards lol

*I'm rubbish at it, when I feel OK, I push myself into flare-mode and never, ever learn.

It's very difficult when you work. Luckily I work from home most days which helps, but it is not easy to judge as every day is different.

*I try to pace myself but some days when get started doing some housework, want to finish it all, but the pain hits, then do pace myself!

*I always overdo things, every week!

*I push myself to extreme during the winter months (that's when most of the work is) pay the price in the spring, enjoy the summer, then start all over again.

*Wow so good to see I'm not the only one who cannot (will not) learn to slow down . Those above said it all, me too, me too, me too. SO how do we do it? Making a list doesn't work because one task leads into another and another and so on.
Tomorrow I really need to do some yard work, however, yesterday I cleaned house, hung curtains, washed all the winter linens. Today, I went to the grocery store, the sun will come out tomorrow and there is so much I want to do!

*Yup agree, not learnt yet, spend "good days" doing stuff I cant normally do.

*I am better at pacing myself than I used to be but still overdo it sometimes.

*I'm rubbish at it when you have 2 kids and 5 pets pacing is just out of the question I'm the worlds greatest boom and buster.x I'm still trying to get a Fibro diagnosis they finally diagnosed ME 3 years ago but have never got on top of the pain thing.
Got hooked on tramadol then taken off them n all they give me is crappy ibuprofen. If anyone has any pain relief suggestions or how I go about pushing the g.p for a diagnosis please? I really need some help.

*Overdo it every time, what's pacing anyway LOL

*I think we are all in the same boat with household chores! I am a single Mum of 4 children and however much I nag there is only so much they can do to help or that I feel they should do. I don't want my children to turn into my carers that's what I should be doing for them!

*After many years of trial and error I have finally sussed it.

*It took me almost a year to realize it is better to pace than to overdo, but until 2 weeks ago was still trying to return full-time at school. Now finally reduced my hours to 14 hours a week (I know: am very lucky to still be able to work :o) but even that is sometimes a struggle !
House is not as clean or tidy as it used to be, but hey, who cares, I've learned to live with that. Time spent with my lovely partner and daughter is far more important.

*Despite having been on an intensive course to teach me how to pace. I still can't help myself.

*I still over do it. I tend to forget that on good days there has to be a halfway point so I can walk back.

*I can't seem to tell how much is too much. I do overdo it on the days I am able to do things.

*Pacing? what's pacing? or the spoon theory that's fine if you don't have young kids.

*Absolutely useless at pacing! I want to still have it all. A clean house, and visit with friends, and have hobbies, and have a life! Therefore some days I end up being of no use to man nor beast: it is so frustrating! I may yet learn to pace myself, but don't hold your breath!

*I do exactly the same, I can be fine one day then obviously over does it then useless for 2, but I say well 1 day out being a bit normal is worth 2 days indoors in agony.

*Over do it all the time. Can't pace myself with with work and house. Early shifts wreck me . Afternoon shift not so bad . Housework kills me never know when to stop and suffer for it after . Pain n fatigue not good :(

*It's so hard to when your used to being able to do everything, it's specially hard because in your head you can still do everything. I find it really hard to stop as I feel so useless when I can't do what I feel I should be.

*I push myself because I don't have a choice on certain days, then have a bad patch, then when I'm better I go through a patch of being scared to do anything at all in case it happens again. So frustrating! I'm either manic, ill or lazy with nothing in between.

*I'm better than I was but still a long way to go before I have it sussed :(

*Still overdo it now and again especially if I have got behind in housework or the garden is a mess, then I pay for it for a few weeks and back to square one, and other times I feel trapped in my bedroom and panic about the growing mess downstairs made by my girls.
I do not have a partner to rely on,but I do have 3 brilliant girls who pick up the slack. Its just not the same as doing it yourself!

*Over do it every time, I don't really have a choice with degree and part time job, mainly degree, Oh and obviously being at uni have to cook, clean etc. I also hate it because I can see everyone else doing it and I can't :(

*I am cautious, but I over do plenty as well! Time won't stand still for all the undone tasks!

*I don't think I will ever get the pacing yourself thing right, its hard when you work 30 hours a week to be able to pace yourself.

*Had FM for 14 years now and still cant pace myself, I do just like most others, on my good days I think its OK I'll be fine and do stuff then the next day do more n more until I push myself so far I have a bad crash and I'm ill for more days than I had good in the first place.
suppose one day I might actually get it into my head but I hate sitting around moping and being in bed so may take a long time to sink it in lol.
Been to pain management course's and psychologists and still cant get it right. Well we keep on the good fight and don't let it win and just try to live with it and maybe one day wake up to it gone as quick as it came :)

I do overdo things, but I think it's that I'm afraid to say no. Afraid people will think I'm shirking.

*I only have 2/3 good days a week if I'm lucky. I don't clean, I pay my god-daughter 2 do it which helps us both. I do go out on my good days which means bed days the other days. Do I pace, don't go there!

*I've pretty much learnt how to pace myself. However, some days I don't have a choice and end up over doing it.

*I am getting a lot better at it. And I have finally told my family that there are a lot of things I can't do,and they don't have to understand my condition, but from now on when I say I can't do it or go I mean it.
I really hurt myself physically because they just wouldn't take no for an answer. Told friends the same thing too No means NO, I stand my ground now and I feel great about myself for finally standing up for myself.

*I still tend to overdo.

*I still overdue it sometimes, but after 7 years I have learned to trust my body pretty well. I rarely make set plans unless I have to just because I don't know if I will be able to do it when the time comes. I know if I push myself too hard too often, I will end up really paying for it in the end!

*Dreadful!

*Not very good. I always have to finish what I am doing.

*Not good at all, only cleaned my very small toilet the other day couldn't walk for two days, when will I ever learn :-(

*I overdue exercise and pay after.

*I still over do it sometimes but I think I'm getting better at pacing.

*Not very good, I tend to overdo it & then suffer for it afterwards.

*Terrible at it and as my concentration is that of a gnat I start tidying part of a room then maybe put something in another and then I start on that one and then find the whole house a worse mess than when I started and I'm exhausted and suffer the next day. My hubby now understands more as I think he just thought I was being lazy so do need to learn to pace myself as the consultant I saw told me !

*Fibro Duck I was just wondering how good you are at pacing yourself? I very much hope you are and looking after yourselves :)

*still over do it all the time, today went grocery shopping this afternoon, enough. Then sons decided we needed to go to cinema. Know it'll be bad tomorrow, but today was Orange Wednesday.

II still overdo, how can I not over do with everything I have to do! I have things to do and no help so. I HAVE to do them hence the overdo, geez, what's a girl to do?

*Who does we ave 2 get every thing done on the days we are good.if I didn't nothing would get done as live on own well that's what I say my excuse is!

*Overdo it and pay big time after. I had fibro 5yrs but diagnosed only 7mths ago.

*No I still overdo things, there is no one else to do things for me.

*Better at pacing than I was but far from perfect, I still way over do it on the odd rare good day. Like others I spend good days in catch up mode, In fact I spend my whole life in catch up mode!

* have a difficult time pacing myself because when I get a "good" day i tend to play catch up.

*Over Do. I ALWAYS do to much.

*I have a good day and try to get as much done in that day as I possibly can when will I ever learn? I'm good for nothing for the next 3 days, but I think we are all the same to be honest. It is hard to just sit there when you can see things that want doing, things we could all have done several years ago, so frustrating!

*I suck at it. I try to cram in as much as I can on good days. there is no telling when I will have another good day.

*Every time I think I've got it down, I blow it again. My biggest problem is limiting activities outside the home - if I do something 3 days in a row, I need a week to recover!

*I always over do it and pay for days

*Not good I always over do it and pay for days

*Always over do things, trying to change but its hard!

I’ve been referred to a pain management course, what can I expect?

*so have I but still waiting for an appt after 5 months

*I've only been to a pain clinic at the hospital, I had about an hour with a pain consultant who explained to me in layman's terms what Fibro was, where it came from (as much as docs know right now anyway) and all of that business. Then I got a short physical examination, prodding my pain points and that was it. So as for this pain management thing tons of Fibro folk have been put on, I know nothing of it.

*I have my appointment in a couple of weeks, I am told the idea is to find out what you can and cant do and try to show you other ways to do things to make it easier for yourself, as to whether this is true watch this space, I will let you know when I get back, when is your appointment ?

*Oh and I was told I needed a shrink too, the psychology approach paid off way better than pills, which I agree with. This was all June last year and I'm still waiting.

*Guy I saw was really nice went through medical history and then my options and even too me off meds that made me put on weight, was examined so was painful but no more than usual prodding and poking.

*I done one of them last year. We had a physiotherapist and a physiologist running it. I really enjoyed the course, but admit I was very overwhelmed on the first session as I we discussed our day to day problems. It was only then I realised I wasn't alone. They gave loads of help on pacing and exercise. Well worth the weekly trip out if you can make it.

*I'm on a 8wk pain management course at the minute been to 5 up to now, as its been stated it is how to manage your pain and ways of limiting yourself to what you can and cant do.how to get others to understand what you are going through,it is very interesting and you get to know others who know what you are going through.

*I'm still waiting for my appointment to come through, also been referred to cog behaviour specialist. Again still waiting for that appointment. seems all we do is wait!

*I was denied a pain management course and CBT is non existent on the NHS in Wales!

*Well my experience was, first appointment doc says I'll see you in 3 months and see how you are. Second appointment Three months later doc says well there's nothing we can do, didn't try anything or even suggest anything.

*In the US (at least with my PM doc) we started with low dosage pain meds, physical therapy and exercise. We have tried many different approaches and medications. Now I'm on meds for sleep, Savella and several pain meds.

*I got "we can only really teach you an attitude and how to pace yourself. Your already doing both so there's nothing we can do for you, bye." On the other hand my dad went and they did a lot of group psychological stuff, taught him how to pace himself and gave him some exercises to do. Also taught him some relaxation techniques. He found it really helpful and is a totally different person to prior the treatment (wasn't treated for FM though)

*I was also turned down for a pain management course, however they did offer a place on there FM course instead. Pretty much the same thing just based more around FM. Helped in some ways, not in others, I think if you have access to the internet and love to surf, you could learn most of it on the web. Quick chat with a physiotherapist and then the course leader and that was that, I took the course Last sept/oct, 2 days a week for 6 weeks, went on a downward slide towards the end of the course and had a big old flare up. Would I go on one again? Nah

*I've only ever really had the pacing/exercise/diet stuff from doctors. In other words, all the stuff I could have worked out by myself. Oh, and Lodine, but that has it's limits.

*They did nothing for me. They won't even prescribe anything that will kill the pain. No heavy duty stuff.

*I went on one at a pain management clinic for 3 weeks residential course, and I have to admit it was great the 3 weeks I was there as I had no one else to look after except myself, but boy did reality hit hard when you get home and back into the real world. Whilst I was there they taught us how to meditate, we done exercises every morning and basically talked about our condition and medication. Not sure if this is going to help at all, so sending you gentle hugs.

*The only experience with a pain management doc was more with the office and paperwork. I had to sign a paper that said that this doc was the only doc I could get any pain scripts from and list all pharmacies I deal with. other than having a rude office staff, running at least 2 hours behind (the day of my 1st appointment) I didn't stay for the appointment because of the paper that said he was the only one that could give me pain meds.

*My Rhunny told me that "A pain management doctor would be a good idea" when I asked her about going to one. That was in January of this year. I only knew of one and he was close to home so I wanted to go to him. Well here it is almost April and I am still trying to get in. My rheuma's office finally faxed my records the end of February. So
the pain management doctor needs stuff from my PCP's office. My PCP also suggested I see a psychiatrist. I had an appointment on March 10th but I cancelled it and rescheduled it for April 6th. I just feel like going to a psychiatrist is admitting it is "ALL in my head". Am I depressed OH YES!!! But we live with pain on a daily basis. And all kinds of other strange symptoms our friends and family just don't understand. So between the pain and frustration is it any wonder we are depressed???

From what I have read what they do ranges from medication to meditation, acupuncture, massage, water therapy. Hopefully I will get in soon too. Until then gentle hugs and prayers of good wishes, whichever you believe in.

*I believe it depends on the clinic. The first one I went to was unhelpful sand insisted I came off my meds in order to go ahead with the alternative treatments. I have eventually got referred to a different clinic and they have been very understanding, I have had a referral for acupuncture (nhs) counselling and hydrotherapy They also offered me a ketamin infusion for the pain which according to my GP is "lucky," hope that helps

*The one I went to was very good,they do a short exercise session,gave coping strategies, pacing yourself talks,they had a session with close family and friends to help them understand the condition and what they could do to help you. Self help, physiotherapy etc. over at 2.5 hour session. It helped me a lot I made friends too.

*I cant help, I am still waiting for my pain management appointment 2 years later!

*Hi, the one I went to was and is fantastic. They put me on their pain management course which was one day a week for 8 weeks. During the sessions we had help, talks, coping strategies including the above mentioned pacing. All given by a psychologist, pain nurse who did relaxation techniques and a physiotherapist. I now know how to get in and out of a chair properly without hurting myself further, how to sort stuff in my home around to help myself, which little exercises I can do to strengthen muscles and how far to go, very important lol and various relaxation methods.
I still see the pain consultant who didn't take me off my meds but suggested changes such as tramadol to slow release tramadol etc. Meds are so much better now. Also have a TENS machine and instructions on how to use it on the points that are used in acupuncture and how it helps. I found and still find the pain clinic essential to me and very helpful. However, I do believe it's different all round the country.
Good luck!

*If you are in Southampton. bugger all! I went, had a talk about the importance of taking your mind of pain blah blah blah, did try some counselling there for a bit, but basically FMS is something my lot didn't agree to being physical really. I really do hope you have a better experience, but do expect to be patronized again!