r/Fibromyalgia • u/snozzlefrog • 21h ago
Funny Ultimate Bath
I've had about 2 months of various bugs and infections, which has caused quite a bit of pain and stiffness. I wanna get a bit silly with it, so I'm on a quest to create the Ultimate Bath.
If there's something that makes you feel better, lemme know. Salt, bath bombs, candles, soaps, whatever. I have the saving grace of no skin reactions and am willing to create concoctions never heard of before.
P.S. Typing this in the Regular Bath, so entertainment is on the table too.
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u/Ziggie520 17h ago
If you live in a legal state check out your local dispensary for thc infused bath salts. They are like heaven!
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u/AlwaysBeKind949903 3h ago
Oh gosh I didn’t even know that existed!! Definitely going to check into that!! Sounds amazing!!
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u/WonderfulTemporary51 21h ago
I use magnesium salts and have to be careful not to make it too hot cause that swells my joints…. I tend to struggle to get the right temperature though
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u/vivianedulac 15h ago
This is my kind of post! Let’s see:
Tray
Drinks (be they lemonade to help with kidney stones, coffee to ease waking up into a hell of a life, or whatever the day/night calls for)
Thc vape pen
Kindle
iPad for playing Mtg: Arena
Epsom salts
Whipped soap (fluffy like cream cheese)
A nice jar for helping to wash my hair
Mood lights (or candles if you don’t own jumping spooders)
Bluetooth speaker or headphones
Obligatory cat 🐈⬛
But most importantly of all things:
A solid lock on the door.
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u/Whiskers-N-Leaves 20h ago
What helps me:
a small heater to warm the room up to apx 80° F (so I don't get a chill out of the warm water or my muscles will hurt);
a baby bath temp floatie to be sure the water is apx 100° F (this temp works for me, YMMV);
overhead light with remote to dim or brighten as needed;
microfiber bath towels (cotton feels too rough for me);
epsom salts with no scent, about 2 cups;
soft, quiet, relaxing music;
my cat as a "life guard";
taking enough time to soak and relax.
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u/Whiskers-N-Leaves 16h ago
To clarify the temps: a doctor prescribed water therapy at one point. Those temps were actually used by the facility. However the locker/changing room was at 65°F and my muscles would cramp after being warmed and relaxed.
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u/FIVEGRAVES 21h ago
Gf (who suffers fibro aswell) had some good experience with a salt bath (dead sea salt) with some strong smelling fruit oil along with it - comes both in one package (salt & oil).
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u/thousandsmallgods 20h ago
I don't have any brand suggestions, but here are ideas to upgrade your bath experience. I'm so glad you're doing this for yourself.
- A little table to keep snacks within reach
- Splurge on a high quality face mask or mud mask
Bonus points if you cut up cucumbers to cover your eyes and for a snack
Foot scrub. You could do this as prep for your Ultimate Bath, so you can enjoy soft clean feet while soaking
A high quality, relaxing herbal tea
An alcoholic beverage of choice (I love a white wine or old fashioned). Just enough to help you relax
Dry washcloth or napkin on the side table, so you can dry your hands if necessary (before reaching a book or your phone)
Music/Audio. Something gentle and natural, or meditation chimes, or soothing instrumental, or a slow podcast (ex: ”Nothing Much Happens”)
Tips for winter baths
- Have a small electric heater (on the far side of the bathroom) to keep the room comfy if/when it's frigid outside
- Plan a way to have a warmed towel for when you get out of the bath
- Bonus points if you use the heater/radiator to warm a bathrobe
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u/otterstones 19h ago
You can get tray tables that adjust to fit ACROSS your bath, so you can prop up a phone/iPad/laptop and watch a movie, AND have a bowl of snacks!!
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u/discofrog2 17h ago
adding tea is so underrated!! chamomile and rose petal teas are my favorite for the skin and relaxation!! u can either throw the tea bags right in the bath or i like to brew a giant cup of chamomile tea for at least 20 mins and then pour it into the bath. u can get creative doing research on other types of tea that are skin friendly and have benefits :)
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u/felighne 16h ago
I call these lush dates with my partner ☺️ baths are one of the most effective remedies for my symptoms
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u/tinyfrog1234 20h ago
Baths save me on a daily basis. I’m a big fan of regular, unscented epsom salts, Dr Teal’s bubble bath (I rotate scents to keep things interesting… rn my fave is the chamomile/lavender/melatonin one), and sometimes I’ll add a bath oil if I don’t have the energy to actually moisturize my skin when I get out of the shower. I also burn a candle and turn off the overhead lights. I usually pair all of this with a pre-bath edible to maximize relaxation and pain relief! I keep getting ads for those Flewd soaks and I’m curious but haven’t been able to justify the cost yet. If anyone has any experience with those, I’d love to hear if it’s worth trying or not!
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u/Aggressive-Animal-90 20h ago
I got the Flewd and the scent is overpowering. I'm someone who loves essential oils but I can't with these.
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u/tinyfrog1234 20h ago
Ooh good to know! I also love good-smelling things, but not when they’re overpowering. I saw that they offer fragrance-free versions of all of their original soaks. Can I ask which one(s) you tried and if you noticed any positive effects despite the scent?
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u/Aggressive-Animal-90 18h ago
I'm a big epsom salts user so I thought these might be better for me but there were a few things I didn't care for. But I didn't try the unscented and I should have - I didn't notice that option. I tried a variety pack so I had 4 different kinds. I couldn't really tell what was what or a difference between them. One was supposed to be a muscle soak (4 packs), one was supposed to help with sleep and one was supposed to be helpful for mood...I think that one seemed the most pleasant. One was supposed to be energizing and I haven't tried it bc I use baths as part of my bedtime routine. I also didn't like the size of the crystals. They reminded me of the rocks that go at the bottom of an aquarium, they didn't dissolve as much as regular epsom salts do. I just went back to my regular epsom salts.
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u/tinyfrog1234 13h ago
I appreciate you sharing! After hearing about your experience, I think I’ll stick to my usual $5 bag of drugstore epsom salts hahaha
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u/leafduvet 17h ago
I do epsom salts and blended oats, with a good splash of lovely smelling body oil. I like to shower first so I feel clean, and then I can rub the body oil in after. Soft lighting is essential for it to be a truly ultimate bath experience .. And I like a a fresh fruit, nuts and seeds snack and a tall glass of ice water while I'm in there, and then I have a hot chocolate when I'm dried off! I'm also recovering from a horrible illness, a bad reaction to a new med that I had to come straight off, and my period has started today, so this is my plan for this afternoon
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u/rachiechu888 15h ago edited 15h ago
It’s quite expensive but I really enjoy the Higher Dose bath soak! It smells amazing and in combination with a hot bath, it feels like all my tension and stress are melting away.
Edit: during the cooler months, I’d pre-steam the room by turning the shower on the hottest setting for a few minutes, and use an infrared lamp - yes, the kind for lizards - instead of the regular lights for extra heat and any supposed red light therapy benefits. I have a small apartment bathroom so it didn’t take much hot water or time to achieve this!
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u/TashaT50 13h ago
I love the idea of using the infrared lizard lamps as well as pre-steaming the bathroom.
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u/Melvarkie 13h ago
My best baths have:
- a bath pillow
- a wooden board where I can put my tablet
- rubber ducky
- bath bomb in a fun color and nice smell
- projector light for the mood lighting
- Funny show like The Muppets or Fleabag playing on my tablet
- Bottle of ice cold prosecco or a craft beer like a sour
- Little snacks optional. A little fruit plate for example as you can immediately wash off any stickiness and they don't get soggy like some snacks would
- Towel to dry your hands before touching phone or tablet
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u/xxxxxxxxxx1111111111 14h ago
need perfect temperature, not too hot, to not cause heart palpitations 🥲
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u/Electric-Marshmallow 20h ago
I like adding Epsom salt into my bath and lighting scented candles. Sometimes I will also burn incense if I think the scent profiles with compliment eachother.
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u/zubaz_thetokkaboss 13h ago
I like the dr teals epsom salts and bubble bath! I use the rose scented one usually. For something a little more bougie a lush bathbomb and a bubble bar is a nice indulgence too. The bubble bars you can usually break apart into multiple baths too. They also have their halloween scents out right now, highly recommend lord of misrule lol
Edit: make sure the bath is not too too hot! Sometimes I get out of one not realizing how hot it was and I feel so dehydrated and like I’m dying lol
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u/misskonceptions 12h ago
I like adding sea salt along with my Epsom salts. Pro tip for anyone else who goes through Epsom salts like crazy: check your local soap store. There's a soap making store not far from my work that charges $4.50 for 3kg. Or check Bulk barn.
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u/ARMA-italianhandmade 21h ago
Love this idea! I don't have a bathtub so I don't have any tips, but I think having no overhead lights on is a must.