Thumb pain

[bgreenwale]

Thanks for the insight on hand pain. Have been on metformin since June. Was increased to 2000 mgrams a day. After 10 days back began to hurt severely. Cut back to 1000 a day. The back pain eased off. About 2 weeks ago my thumbs have developed quite a bit of pain. Was taking magnesium and potassium supplements prior to this. Have not restocked, after reading I will have to purchase more. Will see if the pain ceases.

[Schwah]

Wait… What insight are you talking about? Can you send the link please? I’m on Metformin and I have been having horrible thumb pain on my right thumb. I thought it was related to texting with my thumb. Is there Information indicating it could be related to the Metformin? Thx so much.

Schwah

[bgreenwale in reply to Schwah]

Read through 30 minutes worth of the posts. Some were taking metformin. They were talking about pain in the thumbs and fingers. Of course some of the other meds they were taking could cause it also, but I am not taking them. Metformin and insulin. I have not had constant pain in my back and hands till I started metformin on a daily basis. When I clicked on the header for hand pain with metformin it brought me here

[Schwah in reply to bgreenwale]

Can you (or anyone else) kindly post the links about metformin and hand or thumb pain please ? I’ve looked and looked but I can’t find it. It would be greatly appreciated.

Schwah

[j-o-h-n]

Thumb or Thummie pain?

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Sunday 09/22/2019 5:08 PM DST

[AlanMeyer]

I know that pain and stiffness in the small joints, especially fingers and toes, is a common side effect of ADT. Here are some techniques for overcoming it. I don't know if they will work for your case but I don't see how they can do any harm so I think they're worth trying.

1. Alternating heat and cold, especially cold. Run cold water over your hands for a few minutes, warm them back up with some hot (but not burning hot!) water, then cold again. That would greatly ease my pain and stiffness.

2. Sleep with fists closed. The pain and stiffness seemed to me to be at their worst in the morning but were less so if I could sleep with closed fists.

3. Exercise. There are lots of ways to do this - squeezing hand exercisers, squeezing rubber balls or bars, opening and closing your fists using opposing muscles to increase the strength, pushing the fingers of one hand against the other isometrically, squeezing the steering wheel while driving, and so on.

The first two reduced my pain and stiffness. The third one, when I did it enough, reduced the whole problem. No drugs were required.

Best of luck.

Alan

[Schwah in reply to AlanMeyer]

Thx Alan. So You think it’s the ADT as opposed to the Metformin huh? Good advise but how does one manage to sleep with ones fists closed ? Dream of punching the PC monster ? Lol. Thank you!

Schwah

[AlanMeyer in reply to Schwah]

I really don't know if it's metformin related. It might have nothing at all to do with the ADT. However I do know that ADT can cause joint pain, especially in the hands. It happened to me and it's shown as a common adverse effect in the FDA drug label for Lupron.

Sleeping with hands closed sounds hard to do but, somehow or other, I got used to it and it worked. It is possible to put your hands in gloves with the fingers clenched instead of in the glove fingers - but that never appealed to me. I wanted to sleep with my fists closed, but not constricted.

Now having said all that, I confess I never thought about dreaming of punching the PC monster. You may be onto something there.

Alan

[kayak212]

i have been taking Metformin 1000 mg a day for 3 months. No pain in back or thumbs for what it is worth.

[bgreenwale in reply to kayak212]

Okay thanks. It may be something else. Just had no constant issues before then. Trying to get ideas.

[larry_dammit]

Been on ADT treatment now for 37 months. My pain started in my shoulders and now has getting better there but moved down to my left hand ,the thumb to be exact. It’s like carpal tunnel but no reason for it as I am right handed and do most of my work with it. Just another joy of being alive 🤪🤪🤪

[monte1111]

No drugs required sounds good. Think I would let dr. know of symptoms. May be a better guesser than we are.