help with hand pain

johnnyk32uk

Hi again,

Not been on for a while as I've been trying to keep away form using laptops except from working.

Just a quick update, after being off for months I went back to work last December after starting on 10mg methotrexate again after nearly a year on pain meds only. Things started to get better quite quick but about a month ago I started to feel more pain coming back and my hands are now agony, they have never been as bad. My feet are also sore but my hands are really bad. My right thumb keeps dislocating and both hands are sore even doing nothing, swollen and disfigured.

I went to see my rheumy nurse a few weeks ago and she has upped my metho to 15mg and was going to see about injections for my hand, I am still waiting to hear back but have left a few messages!

I have hand splints which help a bit and have been sitting with ice packs and hot water bottles at night. I find the heat helps more but the ice packs help with the swelling.

I am also feeling so tired which might be due to the higher dose of metho but I feel like sleeping all day and night, my eyes keep shutting all the time!

I am off work again but don't want this to be as long as last time but the way I'm feeling it might be.

Does anyone have any tips or help for helping with sore hands?

Nice to be back on here.

Cheers,
John

dreamdaisy

I'm back in my working splints so will be brief.

The tiredness could be due to disease activity not being under proper control, it could also be due to ongoing pain. I am on 15mg injected meth per week supplemented by 40mg of fortnightly imraldi. Unlike many I have never been on less than two medications so you might need another added to the meth, a matter for your consultant. DD

stickywicket

You do have a problem if the DMARDS and migraine treatments clash. One would hope that the two consultants would....er.....consult :roll: each other but that doesn't always happen.

I'd guess that your tiredness is nothing to do with the meth and everything to do with the disease flaring. Probably the meth was too little too late.

I can't think of anything you can do about hands that you're not already doing. The splints really ought to help a bit but they are hard to work with. Hand exercises might help a bit too. These NHS ones should do no harm even if they do no good https://tinyurl.com/y6sl975t .

barbara12

Sorry I cant offer any advice apart form the hand splints..they do help me has did the injections in my thumbs...I hope you can get some help soon..

johnnyk32uk

thanks for your replies and help

I have mentioned taking another medication along with the methotrexate but it's never been entertained by my rheumy, my next app with her is November (waiting times have doubled here as i'm sure they have other places) so I've got a bit to wait, and the nurse can only do so much to help. I am still waiting to hear back about my injection, they must be sick of me chasing it up!

I am trying hand exercises but most seem to make it worse.

I have stopped the migraine meds I was on as I was feeling really bad, with mood swings etc. I go back next week to see about that.

The hand splints help for so long then my hand goes all tingly numb.

Cheers,
John

stickywicket

It's odd that no other med has been suggested as meth and hydroxy are a very common combination. Perhaps it's the migraines which might make a difference.

Talking of which, I saw this on the BBC website this morning and immediately thought of you https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-48294987 . I believe you're in Scotland so it might be available and, just possible, without the meth-clashing problems caused by other migraine meds.

As for the numbness - it may sound stupid but could you slacken them off a bit?

johnnyk32uk

hi,

The splint is not that tight, I think it's just the way it keeps my thumb/hand in a certain position for so long, as soon as I take it off and move it for a bit goes away. It's the same when I wake up during the night if my hand's been in a certain position it goes numb.

I will certainly bring this up but as I said my consultant wasn't sure when I suggested other meds with metho! from what I've read on here it's common to have more than one so I don't know why it's never been suggested for me but I will ask.

I actually seen this today thanks and it certainly looks good and available in Scotland, it's something I will bring up when I see the neurologist next week, although he suggested a list last time and I've only tried one med from that list, and I'm sure cost does come into it.

Thanks again,
John

Airwave!

Wheatbags, just keep using then over and over again, heat will ease the pain, cold will stop the swelling.

johnnyk32uk

thanks very much I will try these.