Arm, hand and finger pain... fibo?

[mrsB18fibo20]

Hi All

Love this forum its so helpful and nice to know I'm not alone with my daily struggles since my fibromyalgia diagnosis back in 2020.

Im not one to post but I'm really struggling at the minute with sharp pains in my arms wrist and fingers. The pain is that intensive it feels like my bones are being crushed . It's much worse in my left arm but I also have it in my right forearm and wrist. I can't take it no more... I use heat packs and take Pregabalin and naproxen.

Does anyone else suffer with this or any advise how to manage this better.

Its having a big impact on me. I can't drive as it hurts to change gear. I have a young child who I can't hold her for long due to the pain.

Thanks for reading.
Mrs.B

 

[SweetWithSour]

Its having a big impact on me. I can't drive as it hurts to change gear. I have a young child who I can't hold her for long due to the pain

Mrs B- sending you lots of love. It sucks when something like fibro has such a profound negative impact on life. Remember, you are a warrior and can and will thrive. You will fund workarounds, alternatives and tricks that will work for you to manage through the difficult moments the best you possibly can.

I do have a lot of challenges with my forearm wrist, hand and finger pain. Yes it can feel crushing at times for me. I find trying to work top down can be the most effective for me with relief. I try to start nech and sholders, then to forearms, which I need to spend extra time on as they tend to be a big trigger for wrists and fingers. I use massage, stretching (sometimes with massage manipulation with movement to break up the knotted muscles.) Heat is always helpful for me. I often find with the crushing feeling, my muscles tighten that constructs blood flow, causing the skin to be extremely cold. This constriction, lack of blood flow and coldness tends to feed itself into a more painful situation. So for me, guided meditation for relaxation and bringing warmth back to the body parts that need it, stretching, massage and heat help tremendously. Pressure and squeezing to help move blood through and other things causing inflammation helps. I start one finger at a time squeezing as I move upwards. I have also found some food triggers. Dairy makes my hands extra stiff and swollen. Gluten is also a big one for stiffness and pain. For me, it was a revolution when I found nightshades (peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and many other ingredients that fall into the nightshades family) assault my forearms and hand pain first.

I haven't found a magic bullet yet. A lot of prevention with keeping arms covered when possible to not be triggered by a light or cooler breeze of air, and avoiding nightshades help. Using small rice heat packs that can wrap around help too.

I do hope you can find multiple tools that help make it a touch easier as you go through it. My biggest help for myself is to remind my self, this too shall pass. Hang on through the pain attack. It's intensity will not last. That I have gotten through to the other side multiple times. This too will be no different. My past reminders help me remember that I have been through this before, and like before this too will pass. I hang on the best I can through the worst of it, trying many tools to try and manage.

I hope you find a few things that can help offer some relief!!!!

 

[mrsB18fibo20]

Hey SweetWithSour

Thank you for your response.

I really do appreciate your advice and experiences on this.

I will certainly look and research ways of coping with this and try suggested ways.

Thanks again

 

[Auriel]

M R S B

 

[Auriel]

What is the weather like where you are Mrs B? (I know my fingers and hands get affected cold/winter time) and times I've had pains in my wrist (usually the right one on the inside where I've wondered if there's carpel tunnel starting) I would see about it Mrs B it's usually when things go wrong when we realise hiw much we need whatever has gone awry

 

[mrsB18fibo20]

Hey Auriel

The weather is rubbish cold, wet and miserable. I definitely think the weather does trigger it.

I had some nerve tests done in March it didn't pick anything unusual up. So I don't think it can be carpal tunnel? The test might not of been the same test for carpal tho so who knows. I was told It may be inflammatory arthritis but iv not been offered any pain management. Or a follow up. My Fibo I'd just used as a diagnoses.

I can't use my left hand/arm much to day its weaker than usual. It's so horrible. I'm 35 with kids, hubby, a job, a life and this just gets in the way so much!

X

 

[sunkacola]

@mrsB18fibo20 , greetings.

The rubbish weather you mention is very likely contributing to this kind of pain. I live in the desert, thank goodness, so it is rare for me to be in cold and wet conditions, but when I am my whole body just sort of freezes up like the rusted Tin Man, and the pain is bad.

I do strongly recommend that you see a doctor about this, because the cause may not be fibromyalgia. It could be arthritis or something else, and if it is there may be a much better medication that is targeted for that kind of pain. It is certainly worth a visit to check into that. Let them know that it has already been suggested that it could be arthritis, and ask if there is medication targeted for that. There are a lot of pain meds, and maybe adding one or switching to something different will work better.

Carpal tunnel rarely affects the fingers except to make the hand numb, and I don't think it affects the arms. I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel quite a few years ago, and have never had pain in my arms that felt related to that, and the pain I have in my hands is caused from arthritis, and is worse when it is cold.

 

[mrsB18fibo20]

Hey Sunkacola

That's for commenting.

I have been to my go many times in regards to my pain and all I'm told is It's a fibo flare up. I tend not to go as much as I feel an inconvenience and then it's always the fibo...

Iv been given some medication today as iv been having heart palpation and I have anxiety due to lot of stress recently. When mentioning the pains in my arms wrists and finger again I was told its all connected and its a flare up. I kid you not this that been an ongoing flare up for 8 months according to the GP.

Thank you for your advise I will go back to my GP for different pain management and regards to arthritis.

Have a great evening hope to talk soon

X

 

[SweetWithSour]

I was reminded of another thing with my hands that they decided to remind me about. I call it claw hand. When they hurt holding things and then tighten up into a claw grip, that I sometimes need help opening up.

 

[mrsB18fibo20]

Hi

Ouch that sounds painful.
How did u manage this?

Mines stiff but doesn't go in a claw position.

 

[SweetWithSour]

How did u manage this?

I try to avoid gripping something like a piece of paper for a few minutes if at all possible. I find gripping things (especially smaller objects) when possible or manage to hold it in creative ways.

Heat helps. I have a small rice microwave heat pack that helps. Things like tiger balm have often been helpful. I have small rechargeable small hand warmers I can hold. Running hot water on my hands also help.

I do try to manage and squeeze from the tips of fingers up to try to get some movement of blood circulating and helping inflammation.

I've had to make adaptations on how I carry items. This sometimes includes using.clothing pockets hold with one hand, other on the bottom to help relieve some of the weight load. A small bag to collect and carry them all in one hung on my wrist or sholder.

It has changed some activities. I use to play piano. My amazing incredible extremely talented and well respected teacher had rheumatoid arthritis. When my hands became stiff, she would sprinkle some "magic powder" (like fine baby powder) and would gently rub it in warming my hands and helping circulating.

When I don't have many options around, I'll pry my hands open and will sit on them flat ensuring no more contractions.

I also do a lot of finger and hand stretching and exercise. I also try to tune into my body, checking in seeing if my hands are in a clenched fist. I try to catch that moment, if possible, of clenched fists and do guided meditation.

Last but not least, on really really bad days, I get my husband's help to open, stretch, and squeeze & rub my hands and forearms.

Prevention is huge!!!! Dairy, eggs, gluten and nightshades are big dietary foods that often have an impact.

Last, but not least and sure isn't good for me, is crack my fingers.

On a very very very rare occasion I treat myst to an amazing manicure with many extra add ons to help me with my stiffness claw

 

[Auriel]

manicure with many extra add ons

Whats add ons

 

[SweetWithSour]

Whats add ons

Things like a warm paraffin wax, warm towle wrap, extra hand massage

 

[Auriel]

Ooh sounds nice

 

[Blitzy]

Good evening everyone. I have not been on for a while, but do read the forums when I can. I can relate to the hand cramps and my how painful they are. Never a warning with me just starts out if the blue. I have been desperate enough to take a robaxacet muscle relaxer to get relief, the pain is horrific for sure. My doc like others think its all in my head, but I know how bad I feel most days. I fell and broke my foot because of an unexplained pain caught me off guard, thank goodness I had some kind people to help me out. My husband is my advocate as he sees me struggle some days. Anyway my awesome son is taking us away to palm springs this weekend for a week of sun and relaxing , we are fortunate to have him for sure. Hang in there everyone, one day at a time.