If you’re looking for ideas for what to buy someone with Fibromyalgia, here’s a few of mine…

  1. Heat pads – whether they’re wheat, lavender, electric,  or even a hot water bottle they’ll be of use to a fibromite and if you get one with a tactile and/or cute cover even better (itchy wool isn’t a good idea for hypersensitive people!).
  2. Memory foam mattress/mattress topper/pillow – I adore my memory foam mattres from Ikea and it was a fraction of the price of a bed-shop one. Mattress toppers are apparently readily available in the US, less so here and a memory foam pillow is my next must-have-for-the-fibro buy.
  3. TENS machine - available in chemists in the UK, but only on prescription in the US.
  4. Vouchers for massages/spa treatments – if the Fibromite recipient has a favourite masseuse that you can get treatments for, that’s the best, but if not, massage vouchers are a good idea for someone to try it out or get general spa vouchers in case they’d prefer to forgo the potentially-painful massage for a much needed facial.
  5. Relaxing bath oils – I know I have spent an inordinate amount of time in the bath for pain relief reasons over the last few years and a lovely bath oil makes it seem like pampering rather than a chore (yes, being the bath can be boring if you don’t want to be there but need pain relief!).
  6. Blankies - for naps, the shivers and general comforting when you feel like crap. Soft and tactile is key.
  7. A PDA – With my fibro-fog brain I rely on mine to tell me where I need to be and what I need to do. It also doubles up as a laptop substitute when I’m stuck in bed and want to write articles/essays, do emails or look something up.
  8. Pyjamas – PJs get old very quickly when you wear them as much as a Fibromite may do. It’s also less embarrasing to be caught wearing pjs at 3pm if they’re classy! Comfort and looks are key – soft materials, good coverage, nice design…I’m loving the Jammies from Joules Clothing atm.
  9. MP3 player – useful for music as a pain disctraction therapy or to listen to pain relief, relaxation or exercise CDs when you can’t put the stereo on (e.g. at 3am when everyone else is asleep!). Note that some PDAs can double as an MP3 player.
  10. Help round the house - whether it’s doing a personal IOU voucher for a spring clean or arranging for a cleaner to do it, it could be a huge help (a cleaner for a day and taking them out to lunch while they clean would be an amazing gift!). Gadgets are also helpful, from a robotic vacuum cleaner to a long-handled dust-pan.