STILL IN PAIN 11 MONTHS AFTER TRAPEZIECTOMY

Shazlaz

I am wondering if I am just very unlucky or if anyone else has had a similar experience and could offer advice or tips.
I have had pain I'm my hands for as long as I can remember and last year it got so bad I had to agree to treatment so in Feb this year (11 months ago) I had a Trapeziectomy on my right hand after many steroid injections and pain killers failed me.
Since Feb I have had 7 different casts on my right hand, 3 lots of steroid injections, been diagnosed with tendinitis and now CRPS. I have been put on 600mg of Pregabalin per day, dihydrocodone and Lidocaine patches for pain relief, 2 weeks ago I had a nerve block injections into my right hand to try and relieve pain. As I am today the Pregabalin is still not giving any pain relief after taking them for 2 months now, I have not had any pain relief at all from the nerve block, the only time I can get any pain relief is when I put the lidocaine patches on.
The pain I have is a dull ache all the time when I use my hands this progresses into a pain that sometimes I have to sit and cry, it feels like someone has my hand in a vice, it feels hot and I get funny white patches on the inside of my hand, the site where I hand the bone removed is very very painful and my thumb is completely numb down one side. I have a follow up apt regarding my nerve block in 4 weeks time, I saw my gp today regarding the Pregabalin not working, he has also told me it looks like the nerve block has been unsuccessful and has now prescribed me Duloxetine to take once I have weaned myself off the Pregabalin.
Am I the unluckiest person on this planet or has anyone else has similar issues that could offer advice/support.
I am 45 years old but feel like 145 at the moment

[Deleted User]

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stickywicket

Hi there shazlaz and welcome to the forum I'm sorry the trapeziectomy has not resolved your pain problem and, indeed, might have caused more. The hand is a complex area and tinkering with one arthritic bit might have caused problems in others. However, your docs are the best ones to advise on that.

I've not had a trapeziectomy. My own thumbs finally sorted themselves out after a great deal of pain so I can empathise on that front. When they were at their worst I wore a splint occasionally. Like you, I never found pain meds did much in that area so I just took a couple of dihydrocodeine when it was really bad. They kind of remove you from the pain rather than removing the pain itself but it's a bit of respite. There's no such thing as pain-free with arthritis and, to my way of thinking, aiming for it can do more harm than good.

If you look on the 'Say Hello' forum you'll see a few trapeziectomy threads near the top. Maybe it's the season for them :cheesygrin: Also, if you put 'trapeziectomy' into the Arthritis Care search engine (small tab on the pale blue top line) other former threads come up. I hope they'll be of help.