The Effects of Fibromyalgia on Sexual Relationships

Fibromyalgia takes over every aspect of our lives including our sexual relationships. This often becomes a touchy subject within a relationship or marriage because often times our partners or spouses may feel like we’re just making excuses because we no longer find them sexually attractive and this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The fatigue, pain, medications and the negative self-image we obtain from the Fibromyalgia greatly affects our desires and ability to have sex.

FATIGUE

Those of us with Fibromyalgia don’t always get the kind of sleep we need and we often are left feeling exhausted. The thought of sex when we are this tired is incomprehensible. Sex takes a lot of energy and when we just don’t have it, we don’t want it.

ACHES AND PAINS

We are all aware of the horrible aches and pains we get with Fibromyalgia. When you’re hurting it’s hard to get into the mood, much less take on the physical task of having sex. Fibromyalgia also affects the pelvic muscles and this can make sex extremely painful and unbearable.

MEDICATION

The medication is never in short supply when you have Fibromyalgia. The medicine that helps us control our Fibromyalgia can also wreak havoc on our sex lives. Many medications can cause decreased libido and erectile dysfunction and well, it makes us just not want it even if we are feeling halfway decent. There’s not a whole lot we can do about this one either. We have to take our medicine.

NEGATIVE SELF-IMAGE

Fibromyalgia is an emotional bully. Our bodies can change greatly because of the Fibromyalgia. We may gain weight or lose too much weight, our skin can be blotchy and red and sometimes our hair falls out, so every time we look in the mirror we hate what we see. We just don’t feel sexy anymore and the thought of taking our clothes off for someone else to see is just not something we want to do.

All of these things turn a once pleasurable activity into an extremely negative experience but don’t let Fibromyalgia destroy your relationship. Talk to your partner about how you feel and make sure you listen to their concerns as well. Fibromyalgia doesn’t just effect us. It effects our family, our friends and everyone around us. Remember that it’s just as hard for them to accept that we have morphed into different people as it is for us, so be patient.