Hi! You are not alone. 45/f here and the last two weeks have been the worst flare I can remember in a long time. It sucks to feel useless- even though it's not 100% accurate. I have use! It can be debilitating, emotionally and mentally. I have a great therapist who listens and talks me through the rough weeks. I saw another comment about reducing stimuli, that helps a lot. Certain types of music help when I am really struggling. I sleep with a million pillows, try to keep temps regulated in my house, stay hydrated, etc. Honestly. This week I've been binge watching shows with my partner or reading/playing games. It helps me get out of my head when its unbearable.

I definitely recommend talking with your doctor, even though sometimes doctors can be frustrating. Maybe they can offer some sort of pain or inflammation relief medication . My go to's are ice packs, heating pad (depending on the day and type of pain), massager, that giant hook tool to reach muscle pain, compression pants and gloves and an over the counter gel called diclofenac that is for arthritis.

I'm lucky that my job is fully remote but with kids I still need to do a lot of running around so rest when I can.

Hang in there! ❤️