Hands

[Coll82]

The past few weeks I’m having great difficulty with my hands and wrists, to point where I can’t even hold my phone, I have to rest it on me to use it, they feel so stiff, has anyone else suffered with this?

[Yassytina FMA UK Volunteer]

I would differently see your doctor as not everything is related to fibro, sounds very painful for you and obviously making it difficult to do things, I hope you get seen and get to the bottom of this, take care.x

[Coll82 in reply to Yassytina]

Thankyou, it’s stopping me from doing the simplest things, phoning the doctors tomorrow morning so hopefully get seen! Xxx

[RWilliamson]

Yes! I have pain, stiffness and reduced mobility in both hands. Have you seen a rheumatologist? Mine has confirmed fibromyalgia and has ordered an ultrasound to rule out arthritis. Have you had any investigations specifically for your hands? The best things I have found are putting them in cold water when really swollen, ibuprofen gel on hands and compression gloves are a life saver! (you can get a pack of 3 on amazon) It is definitely the worst symptom for me as who are we without our hands?? You're not alone x

[Hidden in reply to RWilliamson]

I think it's good to rule out other possible causes for hand and wrist pain , I too have suddenly developed wrist and finger pain, I would not mind seeing a rheumatologist, a flare up of fibromyalgia seems to bring on pain in my weak spots ,

[Coll82 in reply to Hidden]

I thought mine was a flare up and I’m in my 5th week now, going to see doctor to rule out anything else xx

[Hidden in reply to Coll82]

Yes do ,

[Coll82 in reply to RWilliamson]

Thankyou so much I’ll definitely get the gloves, I’ve saw a rheumatologist who diagnosed fibromyalgia but I’ve so many problems recently and had to give up work, phoning the doctor tomorrow to ask them if I can see someone about my hands xx

[SnazzyD]

That sounds grim. I think you need to see a doctor to rule out other conditions rather than blaming it on Fibro. Sometimes autoimmune conditions, for example, in the early stages can seem like other things until they get going or you can have both.

[Coll82 in reply to SnazzyD]

Yeah I’m phoning them them tomorrow as it’s just getting worse, it’s unbearable

[Hidden]

I can relate to your painful hands for some reason I started having pain in my wrists and fingers , sometimes to painful to hold phone .

[Coll82 in reply to Hidden]

It’s so painful isn’t it and feel so helpless not being able to do things x

[Fibrofog]

Hi me too but I also have carpol tunnel. So maybe you could ask them to rule this out or confirm?

[Coll82 in reply to Fibrofog]

I’ve been researching that and definitely have the symptoms, Thankyou, how do you relieve the pain of you can? X

[Camille1 in reply to Fibrofog]

I agree, get checked for carpal tunnel syndrome. I had surgery on my right wrist 8 years ago after suffering for years. I am now waiting for my follow-up appointment with hand surgeon regarding my left wrist. I had steroid injection in it last May but had symptoms again since December. It's unbearable most mornings and I'm struggling with grip too.They may send you for a nerve conduction study too, but the waiting times are months at the moment.

Try a wrist splint at night (definitely eases it) and strong ibuprofen gel may help.

[sarakat]

I have this and had put it down to the fibro but was diagnosed with raynauds syndrome, effects hand and feet,worse in cold weather.

[Coll82 in reply to sarakat]

My hands go numb in the supermarkets when it’s slightly cold, always put it down to fibro but this is so bad x

[saj01 in reply to Coll82]

Hi -- feeling the cold sounds very much like Raynauds. If you do have carpal tunnel, you'd get pins & needles and tingling, especially at night. What you could try is to stretch out the wrist. By that, I mean, with your palms up, stretch out your fingers and at the same time bend the hands back , you should feel a bit of a stretch at the wrist. For a better stretch, you could try, putting your arm out in front of you at the same time, and push down on on your fingers.... not too hard, just pulse it. .That will also help if if there's compression anywhere along the arm, from the shoulder down. But gently does it.

If that does help also try a cold compress on the wrist to try to reduce the the compression at the wrist on the nerves.. I ended up having both carpal tunnels done.

[Maria31]

I have this plus arm pain. Have had every test going and now seen two rheumatologists; my ‘urgent’ NHS referral finally resulted in an appt last week after 10 months. No clear cause other than fibro and have lots of other issues too.

[judyb67]

Hi I suffer with the pain in hands wrists and arms! Feet to when they decide. We put everything down to our Fibro but I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis but don't receive any other relief than my fibro meds, but it's like everything else with this hateful condition we simply put up and shut up!! Hope you get resolution and more importantly some help and relief. Sending gentle hugs to all our fibro warriors ❤️

[Mille21]

I also have terrible pains in hands and wrists also pins and needles Ihad carpal tunnel done years ago so it's not that I'm on morphine but feel it's stopped working going to pain clinic in July xx

[westcountry]

I often get dreadful painful thumbs and base of thumb at the wrist which I've put down to arthritis rather than fibromyalgia, although could be a combination of both. When bad so I can't use a thumb, I put on a thumb splint for a few days to rest them and try and use fingers for tasks. It's so so difficult without use of thumbs! I believe it's overuse (RSI?). Also voltarol gel helps.

[Whiteclouds]

Personally I would see a doctor. I had pain in both hands my right hand is much better now and only occasionally gives me a reminder but my left hand is very painful I did see my doctor and had it x rayed a few years ago but all looked normal, I did go back to my doctor but he thought it was a bone which needed shaving which wasn’t always successful. I now wear a brace support for the thumb, used for carpal tunnel syndrome which helps the thumb and wrist through the day when pain is bad.

[Chloe789]

Yes, I've had problems with my hands and wrists. My fingers lock up, and I can pick something up and get shooting pain and I have to drop what I'm holding. I've been to hand specialist and she gave me exercises but they haven't helped.

I have lost quite a bit of strength in my hands/wrists. I don't know why this has happened.

I think that I have Raynaud's disease (stress and cold cause it apparently) i found that gloves really helped (Internet research) and so I put some tight regular wooly gloves on that I had at home, and they helped so much.

So I bought some specific Raynaud's gloves (they have rubber bits on so you can pick up things) and I have them on me incase it starts up.

I haven't been to the doctors about this (it's super difficult to get appointments) so they might be drugs you can take for it etc.

I've noticed that it happens more in the winter and when I'm stressed.

But its worth trying the glove thing to see if it helps you. And Google Raynaud's disease, to see if you have symptoms etc.

[Fibrofog]

Yes it even hurts when I use the hair straighteners x