How can you balance pain and physical intimacy with your partner after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia?
Balancing physical intimacy with fibromyalgia pain requires patience, communication, and creativity. Many people with fibromyalgia struggle with this because chronic pain, fatigue, and other symptoms can make physical Show Full Answer
I would describe my fibro as extreme due to constant flares with frequent hospital stays. With that said my husband and I have also struggled with intimacy. We've gone as long as 6 months without intimacy due to my fibro. First thing we did was talk about the what, why, how of it. We found showing each other affection and touching each other warmly during everyday life brought us closer. Then we figured out my daily pain cycles and fatigue cycles during the average day. We found mornings and some late afternoons work well. I do have to admit we miss some of the spontaneity we used to have but we are happy we're getting back into the swing of things.
Oh my gosh, this has been so hard for my husband and I! This is basically going to echo the AI answer, but a few things have helped. Changing when we’re intimate has really helped. I usually have the least pain in the morning, so we try to take advantage of that. Being together in the bath or shower is nice too - warm water soothes pain, but you’re still together. But when it’s just not possible, it can be nice to give each other a massage or just cuddle up for a while. Hang in there! 15 years of marriage is awesome - you’ve got this!