Carpel tunel...injections verses oper... - Fibromyalgia Acti...

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Carpel tunel...injections verses operation?

pinkblossom profile image
20 Replies

I have had a copy of a letter from my rhumatologist consultant to my Dr saying that I have carpal tunel in both hands and its worse in my left hand,she recommends having steroid injections and if that fails my Dr is to refer me to see a hand surgeon.

I have heard good and bad things about having steroid injections in the past and I would be interested to hear what exsperience people on here have had of the injections or the operation.

Soft hugs to you all

Pinkblossom..xx

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pinkblossom
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20 Replies

hi Pinkblossom

I had both wrists operated on last year (one at a time) and was the best thing ever. No more pins and needles and painful hands. It only took me a few weeks to recover. The palms of my hands are still a bit tender especially when I clap and my wrists are a little weak at times.

I was never offered injections just the ops. I know they say if you don't have it done your hands can become weaker and weaker until it is difficult to hold things.

I hope that helps a little.

Love n hugs Karen xxxxx

pinkblossom profile image
pinkblossom in reply to

Hi Karen

Thanks for your reply,i really just wanted to weigh up the options,I have heard that if you don't get them operated on then they do get worse,so I guess in the long term its probably worth having them done though I think I would have to have one done at a time!

I'm just not sure that I could deal with injections in my wrists!

I'm glad to hear you are on the mend,and wonderful news not having pins and needles still,it must feel lovely!

Soft hugs

Julie..xx

willowgirl profile image
willowgirl

hi, i have it in both hands, wasnt offered injections but operation, had the right done under local anesthetic as it was the worst, wish i had it sooner, am waiting for left as we speak its so bad, when i had it i was so scared , am the biggest mardy bum out there, but it was fine, no pain etc i also watched them do it when i realised it wasnt hurting so would say go for the op, took a few weeks to settle down but the difference its made is wonderful, hope this helps with your decision xx dawn xx

pinkblossom profile image
pinkblossom in reply towillowgirl

Thanks Dawn for your advice,I can't believe you watched them..you must be brave!

My hands were awful this morning,infact I felt awful all over!its taken until midday today to get myself up and dressed!

I think the op is the best way to go,interesting to hear it doesn't hurt when having it done.

I do hope you don't have to wait to long to have the left one done.

Julie xx

Angeldancea812 profile image
Angeldancea812

A thought I had was if we are on pain relief anyway who knows how bad the hands would be without?

Hi Julie

i too had the op after several injections! for me they didnt last long and hands got worse. some people they do work for, u also need to b aware that even after having the op some can still have probs, but the whole results are good. my wrists have been so much better but u may still have days when with our condition u have done too much and they will hurt or get mini pins and needles. the op is done under local and one at a time usually 6 months apart. recovery varies mine was 8 wks off wrk or until u can drive safely. hope this helps xx

pinkblossom profile image
pinkblossom in reply to

Morning Cherie

Thank you for your reply,I didn't realise you can still have a few pins and needles after the op,but I guess overall the pain isn't as bad,it would be nice not to drop things all the time!

I'm glad things have been so mutch better for you,though I'm not sure what my bosses will say about having 8 weeks off work,iv just had yet another week off with very bad pains in my shoulder.

Pinkblossom..xx

druss profile image
druss

morning Pink blossom, my dr thought i had carpel tunnel, saw a hand dr gave me injections in both my wrists, nothing did not help, sent to see consultant who thought it was something related to my neck and shoulders and ordered a M.R.I. scan for thursday coming, with waking every hour and suffering the pain 24, 7, hope they sort it,

hugs to the bits that don't hurt

Druss

pinkblossom profile image
pinkblossom in reply todruss

Morning Druss

That's interesting that you say about your neck and shoulders..iv just had a week off work with exscruitiating shoulder pain,I had an X-ray last Tuesday and its come back all clear,iv even changed my bras this week as they were far to small and that seems to have taken the pressure off my shoulders quite a bit.

We seem to suffer with pain in so many places its difficult to know what is going on!

You must be exhausted with the amount of pain and lack of sleep,I do hope you find some relief soon.

Good luck for Thursday,let us know how you get on.

Pinkblossom..xx

LindseyMid profile image
LindseyMid

The symptoms of myofascial trigger points in the shoulders, neck and arms can be identical to those of carpal tunnel syndrome, so it is worth making sure this differential diagnosis has been considered. If the symptoms are caused by myofascial trigger points, then surgery cannot help because the pressure is on the nerves further up the arm.

nhs.uk/Conditions/Carpal-tu...

Myofascial pain is very very common in people with Fibro fwiw.

pinkblossom profile image
pinkblossom in reply toLindseyMid

Many thanks lindsey for your advice,I shall check out the website you have recommended.

Julie..xx

fibro profile image
fibro

I'm just recovering from CT surgery on my right hand

This is just my opinion because I believe due to the painkillers I take I had no idea how bad my hand had got and by the time I had a nerve conductivity study done it was so severe there is no way of knowing how much feeling I will get back. It's still early days only 10 days since op, but if I had been offered injections before it was so severe I would have had them.

The op it self was done at a minor ops surgery not at hospital and I couldn't fault them one bit. If the results aren't successful I can't blame them. I didn't realise whAt was happening to my hand until it was too late. Thank heavens for modern technology and speech buttons on keypads!

My hand is still very sore from the op but the bruises are going down well. I have my stitches out this week, but for now if you take away the additional pain from the op, my fi hers are still numb and pins/needles but I still have hope it's going to work.

The op itself took longer for them to prep me than for the surgeon to do his work. We chatted all through and one of the nurses held my hand. . That was by my request.

But just my personal opinion if offered the injections first I would try them, I wasn't so lucky as they knew it would be pointless trying for me as it was so bad. I won't be seeing about the left until I have given this time to show improvement or not.

I keep reading things on the net where they say you will notice relief immediately , you cAn imagine how I felt when I could feel no difference and still can't but they don't put the what ifs on the sites S they don't want to put anyone off. I had just assumed it had t worked but there is still a chance I will get good feeling back in my fingers but it could take months:(

Good luck which ever you choose. I have spoken to loads of people who have had both injections and the op and results have on the whole been excellent xx

fibro profile image
fibro

I forgot to add I have had chronic shoulder and neck pain for well over 14 yrs but my CT was diagnosed from a nerve conduction study and if it were nerves from my neck causing it I was led to believe that my little finger would have shown as bad too but that one is t too bad. In the past the only explanation I have been given for the neck and shoulder pain is fibro xxx

pinkblossom profile image
pinkblossom

Hi fibro

A big thank you for taking the time to painfully write so mutch to me,I really do appreciate the time it probably took you to share your recent exsperience,from what I can gather from other people all their exsperiences are different,some showing quick results and others taking time to recover but overall the results are good,interesting to read some people have shoulder and neck pain aswell,my shoulder is really bad at the moment and I have to return to work this week even though it still hurts!

I do hope your recovery is speedy.

Sending you loads of comforting hugs.

Julie..xx

plainchocolate profile image
plainchocolate

I had a steroid injection in my Carpel tunnel last July. It lasted about six months, but it is now back with a vengance. I t did help, but it doesn't last.

bantam12 profile image
bantam12 in reply toplainchocolate

The quick op is the way to go, I had mine done 3 years ago and no problems since.

Jeep2000 profile image
Jeep2000

I had steroid I injections in both hands. It stings a bit at first but then it’s fine. A year After the injections it was the decided I needed the operation. I had both hands operated the same time. It’s the best thing I did.

bantam12 profile image
bantam12 in reply toJeep2000

How on earth did you manage both hands at once 😳 I had huge bandages and a sling for a week !

Jeep2000 profile image
Jeep2000 in reply tobantam12

Lol I have a very good partner and family who helped me.

bantam12 profile image
bantam12 in reply toJeep2000

So do I but both together would have been horrible, I had mine done on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day was a world of pain 🙄

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