No matter how successfully you manage fibromyalgia symptoms, a flare is inevitable. Whether you lie in bed/on the couch and rest or you go about your typical day during a flare, these are must-have items to minimize fibromyalgia flares.

Why a Flare Kit?

When you’re experiencing a flare, it can be difficult to concentrate let alone remember what helps you through these increased pain levels and other symptoms. Having a list or a small container filled with these items will help with knowing what to do during these times.

Before moving on to the must-have items to have in a fibromyalgia flare kit, let’s remember to do the following:

Must-Have Items to Minimize Fibromyalgia Flares

Topical Creams

Topical creams are one of a few ways to manage fibromyalgia symptoms. It’s also beneficial to have an option to use when your other options aren’t enough to help with the pain and other symptoms.

Benefits of Topical Creams:

• Applied directly to the target area of pain
• Faster results
• Often last longer
• Can alleviate pain and also reduce inflammation
• Avoid creating a tolerance
• Fewer side effects

Hot and/or Cold Therapy

Heat therapy works for soothing tense muscles by promoting blood flow while cold therapy reduces inflammation by decreasing blood flow. Whichever works best for you (even if it’s both), be sure to include these items in your fibromyalgia flare kit. Read more about Heat and cold treatment: Which is best? from Medical News Today.

Here are some options for wearable ice packs, cold therapy socks, a heating pad, and a heating blanket.

Medicine

It’s important to ensure your medicine is refilled before you’ve either run out or only have a couple of doses left. This applies to prescription or over-the-counter medicine. Here are some pill organizers and reminders to keep better track.

Entertainment

It’s not always easy to rest when you’ve got things to do or your mind is jumbled with lots of tasks to be done. And it can certainly get boring while having to rest (been there!). Make the most of it by curling up with a good book through the mail (or with Kindle Unlimited Membership Plans), watching a movie, or healing through journaling/coloring. Check out some free coloring pages, too.

Teas/Smoothies

Staying hydrated is important, too. There are various, tasty ways to make sure you have plenty of fluids. You can make some smoothies (or even better – make-ahead smoothie packs) so you’re staying hydrated AND you’re getting the proper nourishment your body needs to feel better and get stronger. You could also sip on some warm tea for both hydration and nourishment. My favorite tea is Echinacea tea.

What about entertaining the kiddos?

If you have kids, make sure to have a kids’ fun box stocked for your flare days. Making a flare day list of special activities can be fun for the kids and a great way to make the flares a bit more manageable when caring for your kids. Special activities can be:

• special movies and snacks
• board games
• crayons with coloring books
• mystery box with little toys from Dollar Tree

When thinking of ideas for this box, ensure:

• activities do not require your every second watchful eye
• there is no mess to clean
• are special activities that are only done on flare days (it keeps them special and interested)
• quiet and peaceful

You can also have the items for these activities on hand so the kids can have fun (and quiet) time while you rest.

More Ideas for Flare Kits

• A Fibro Flare Up Survival Kit
• The Flare Survival Kit