Can anyone help?

debatat

I have inflammatory arthritis and it is especially bad in my hands. I suffer episodes where my hands get 'tired', ache and get weak and lose their function, with fingers curling, but lately these episodes are becoming more prolonged and taking days to recover from.

The cold especially seems to aggravate it, I do have raynauds. Does anyone know if this is arthritis related? Or have any tips?

It also gets worse if I use my hands at all which as you can imagine isnt great. Also if I use a stick this will make my hand joints really swell and cause the same problem which impacts on my mobility. Sounds silly I know :oops:

I would be grateful for any help as I am getting really fed up

Deb

skezier

Hi Debs,
Can I say it don't sound silly at all. I don't know if I can help you I don't havre raynards but I do have its cousin acrocynosis ( I really should learn to spell it!)
Do you see a rumo? They deal with raynards etc as well. Mine gives me a drip and though it has horrible side effects with me it don't half help. Your hands could well be the mix of arthritis and raynards, I certainly have simular things in the cold especially. Mine lock up, go purple and get cramp as the difference between raynards and this is my blood does go places the vessels just aren't big enugh and when it gets there it just can't be bothered to return.
I was refered by the heart people to a rumo for my circulation and I asked him to take on my bones with out a referal so it might be worth asking yours. The drug in the drip is Iloprost and they are going to add in another one who's name escapes me, though it may be some kind of anti-inflam drug as I have only seen it on a letter and am not sure what it's for. I hope this is of some help. As to a conection, I'm beging to wonder! Take care

julie16

Hi Deb,

I've also have inflammatory arthritis in my hands and feet and the symptoms you mention are almost exactly the same as mine. The only difference is that the cold doesn't seem to affect mine so maybe this is more to do with your raynalds rather than ia.

Sorry can't be more help as I was only diagnosed in december so a bit of a newbie myself. The one thing that does help mine is a very hot bath and heat on my hands and feet but I'm sure you've probably know these already!

Julie

eckstardeluxe

Hi I do know my Gran has Raynaud's and suffers really badly with the cold, sometimes when I visit her it's like going to a greenhouse!

rella1965

Hi

It sounds just like my RA. My hands suffer especially in damp foggy weather, Again whenever I have to use a pen or scissors or carry a shopping back they swell and leave indentations.

In my case the pinkies are very badly effected and the joints in all my fingers, but my thumb isnt so bad. I am not yet on any dmards as I have only recently been to the rheumatologist but taking two diclofenac does help me when I need it. I would go back to the GP if I were you and get referred to a rheumotologis if you havent already.


I am getting some splints made up this week, I am hoping they will help as i get some carpal tunnel and my fingers feel like theyre becoming deformed. My pinky on one hand is well away from the others and sticks up as well. Hope this helps.

debatat wrote:

I have inflammatory arthritis and it is especially bad in my hands. I suffer episodes where my hands get 'tired', ache and get weak and lose their function, with fingers curling, but lately these episodes are becoming more prolonged and taking days to recover from.

The cold especially seems to aggravate it, I do have raynauds. Does anyone know if this is arthritis related? Or have any tips?

It also gets worse if I use my hands at all which as you can imagine isnt great. Also if I use a stick this will make my hand joints really swell and cause the same problem which impacts on my mobility. Sounds silly I know :oops:

I would be grateful for any help as I am getting really fed up

Deb

debatat

Thanks all for your replies, they are much appreciated. I have a gp appt on Thurs so hopefully will get some answers and treatment.

Deb

bailey27

Hi
I am new to this too but I have Raynauds. I was told last week the same day I was told I had arthritis in my lumbar spine and hip.
I went to the doctors for painful purple blister like things on my fingers and toes and was told it was Raynauds. It was only on leaving the doctors surgery I enquired about an MRI i was wating for results from and he told me that there was arthritis there and that it was probably related.
I was given Hydrocortisone cream for the Raynauds.

colinone

debatat wrote:

I have inflammatory arthritis and it is especially bad in my hands. I suffer episodes where my hands get 'tired', ache and get weak and lose their function, with fingers curling, but lately these episodes are becoming more prolonged and taking days to recover from.

The cold especially seems to aggravate it, I do have raynauds. Does anyone know if this is arthritis related? Or have any tips?

It also gets worse if I use my hands at all which as you can imagine isnt great. Also if I use a stick this will make my hand joints really swell and cause the same problem which impacts on my mobility. Sounds silly I know :oops:

Hi Deb, Sorry your feeling down it all just gets to you at times I have RA PA and suffered raynauds in my hands for some years now and the cold really is hard to cope with. The pain and loss of feeling when they get cold drives you mad. I also have two sticks but have the RA in my hands and wrists, the sticks can be hard to use at times but i use them because i fear if i fall i will not be able to get back up. It doesent sound silly at all and when several little things mount up it can and does become a major problem. Your coping with your feelings as well as the illness and it does get on top of you from time to time. The secret with the cold is keeping warm if you are going to leave the house make sure you are warm before going out. I have surgical gloves and offten wear them under my normal gloves, they keep the heat in i know if you have them on for long periods they make your hands swet but better that than the cold. This is what i do if i go out on days like today. I get fully dressed hat coat the gloves and everything, then i stay in for 5 minutes untill i'm really warm and then go out. I have worn the surgical gloves in the summer to, i must look like a prat to some but hey what can you do lol. Take care
Colin

debatat

Well!!!!! Just come back from a gp appt that I have waited 3 weeks for. I explained the problem and how it is affecting me in my hands and how I have had to stop driving due to the numbness in my feet. The verdict? If it was an arthritis deformity it would be permanent, so it must be an arthritis flare and I just have to learn to live with it. :x :x :x

If I had a pound for every time I hear that! I am so frustated, I still dont know what is causing the problem. She has sent me for a blood test to check for high calcium as I have a lump on the palm of my hand which I can only assume she thinks is a calcium deposit. In the meantime, brushing my teeth, means I have to stop and rest as holding the toothbrush causes pain and weakness, thats after the struggle to get to the bathroom. I wish she could spend a day in my shoes, I would like to see her learn to live with it!!!!

I offered to show her photos I had took of how bad my hand gets but she wasnt interested. Now my left hand is starting the same way with fingers starting to deform. Where do I go from here?

THank you for listening to my rant!!

Deb

jackie1955

Hi Deb,
I too have a lump on the palm of my left hand, and the 'ring' finger started to bend slightly inwards. The pain shot up the whole of my finger too. BUT I had caught my wedding ring and yanked the finger so assumed I had bruised it inside and the lump was I'd damaged the tendon..... this all coincided with me seeing my gp for the first time about all my other aches and pains! Regarding the lump he just said get some ibuprofen gel and rub it in.

Well, I don't know if it helped much or not to be honest. Some days the lump doesn't feel so bad, and the pain is minimal. I'm just assuming its all part and parcel of the 'arthur' and probably nothing at all to do with yanking my ring!

So, we have matching palm lumps :!:

Gosh, you just have to laugh don't you (else you'd cry).

Jackie x

debatat

So, we have matching palm lumps :!:

Wow!! perhaps we could start a club!! Only those with curling fingers and palm lumps can join!!!

I am feeling much more positive today despite it being a 'bad' day today. You do have to laugh!!! Also there is always someone much worse off than yourself.

Thanks again to all for your replies it does help to know that others out there have similar problems with their hands and fingers.

Deb

badger

My partner uses some thermal gloves purchased from a well known drug store, and they keep hands warm and stop fingers from curling.

The gloves are black in colour, with a red lining, and the very ends of the fingers are cut out.

Tried to type in them, but they tend to hold the fingers straight.

All the best
Badger