Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

[cathbw]

In need of advice...I was diagnosed with SLE at the age iof 17...some 24 years ago, and until recently ( 4 years ago) received no treatment except for painkillers. I now have also been diagnosed with RA, Sjorgrens Disease and Reynauds...and also tenosynovitis..over the last few weeks I have been experiencing a numb sensation in both my hands and feet, feels a bit like when you have been to the dentist and it starts to wear off.

I menioned it to my specialist and she has referred me to a podiatrist, and said she 'thinks' i may have carpal tunnel..but was confused when I told her I get a pain deep in my armpit and then the pain begins in my hands, permanent numb feeling and pins and needles is making it quite hard to do everyday things, let alone my job, and it is becoming more painful. I have been advised to wear splints for bed...((I have been wearing splints for the last three months) these just seem to aggravate the problem, and dont offer any type of relief at all. Currently I take hydroxychoroquine, azathioprine, tramadol, diclofenac, lansoperazole, citalopram and co-codamol (30/500) as well as salivix and viscotears. None of the pain relief is doing very much at all anymore.

I have tried numerous thing to try to eleviate some of the sensation and pain, but to no avail...people look at you funily if you constantly have your hands in the air. Does anyone have any useful suggestions on hope to cope with this awful feeling other than having my hands constantly in the air~??? any advice greatfully received

[sollyn]

Hi, this sounds terrible, I have something like it intermittently, but nowhere near as severe. Do you get really itchy afterwards? I have found that yoga stretches have helped massively. It has taken quite a while to get there, but if the numbness is being caused by muscle spasms from the pain and constantly being tense.

I have to go to work now, but I will check in to see you later.

I hope you have a good day. Be well.

[cathbw in reply to sollyn]

Thanks for your response, I have a gp appointment this morning to see if anything can be done/given to stop or reduce this feeling. I'm not certain that I have carpal tunnel syndrome per se, but think the medial nerve is being compressed by a thickened tendon. I will let you know how I get on, and thanks again. Keep smiling

[katerowley]

ive got carpal tunnel since 2004, there is not a lot they can do, they say the best thing is to have operations. i had the op on my left wrist in 2005 and on my right in 2006, my left one needs redoing again, and when they did my right they severed the nerve instead.

im not having the operations again. if you decide about surgery you can only have the operations done three times.

[chefdesire16]

The exact them happened to me, started off carpal tunnel, then fybromyalgia, raynauds phenomonon, graves disease and 3 strokes. I was diagnosed 1994, I was 24 years old, I have had pleurisy 2 times and was hospitalized. I'm am realizing that the processed foods, and regular produce and birthcontrol triggers and allergy to a certain kind of bug. Fortunately, I don't have the dreadful cockroach at my house, however if I go anywhere I go that may have I can smell it and I instantly have a flare-up, joint pain, itching eyes and neck the most times, and my throat swells. I know its all contributed to the SLE Lupus. Starting to change the way I buy my groceries, it all needs to be non processed and it needs to be organic

[Herb]

Are you on the computer a lot for work maybe? Do you notice any worsening when you are on the computer for longer than usual? Because using a keyboard and mouse can cause carpal tunnel.

That would not affect your feet so maybe your lupus is affecting your nervous system. Could be either directly or via the anti phospholipid syndrome that a lot of people with lupus get.