I have lyme and have recently been waking up every morning with my right hand completely contracted! It takes about 2-3 hours to get it working ang it hurts like *&@#$% when I have to try to straighten my fingers out of the contraction. Here's my question. Is this normal Lyme? Or does this sound like the antibiotics are not working? Does lyme usually give you contractures? and if anyone has experience with these, What helps? I almost feel like cutting off my hand in A.M. because it hurts so much. I am dreading tommorow morning just to through it all again.
Please Help. Yashin
Posted by kelly06 (Member # 10417) on :
Yashin,
One of my first symptoms of Lyme was the contractions of my feet and calves. Mine would happen mainly in the evenings and mornings. I had a lot of muscle problems. Also tested positive for erhlichiosis (co-infection) and that can cause major muscle pain/contractions. Hard to say what causes what sometimes. I found that a warm bath would help my muscles relax. When they got really painful, I would take a muscle relaxer. Best of luck
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
Are you taking magnesium supplements? Should be taking them several times a day. And it helps to add the longacting kind at bedtime, to get you thru the night. See treatment guidelines for lyme in newby links. It covers supplements needed.
Have to separate Mg from many abx by an hour or more.
Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
I know to help stroke patients from contracting too much in their hands,
the occupational therapist would make a splint, or even roll up a washcloth or small towel and place it in the palm of someones hand before bed.
Maybe this will help.
Geneal
Posted by Yashin (Member # 11159) on :
thank you. I am getting ready for bed know and am dreasing the pain that i will eake to. I am going to try to make a splint so my hand will not fully close. I will have to look up erlichia osis to see what it says. I am negative right now but I guess that doesn't mean much. thank you all
Yashin
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I had the same problem and I was taking plenty of calcium and magnesium. I added minerals AND THAT DID THE TRICK!!
I take Solaray brand. Mega Multi-Mineral.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
welcome to the board! i'll send you a private message, pm, with my newbie links/advise and treepatrol's extension archive library is in there for newbies as well.
yes, many of us have hand problems; nights are hell; many good tips you'll get here.
also, the search feature found at top under post reply works outstanding.
example, type hand pain MEDICAL BODY TEXT ANY DATE .....EDIT MY PROFILE FIRST TO ALLOW THE LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME vs. the default ok.
leave membership no. blank; click send. it will bring up everything it finds!
read the topic titles first and then read each one! all have good comments in from collective experience of board members. good luck! Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
Low potassium can cause these too.
Sometimes you can be low on potassium by being dehydrated, or suffering from diarrhea.
Take a supplement or preferably, eat lots of potassium rich foods.
Good luck - that sounds really painful.
Michelle
Posted by surg (Member # 6937) on :
Yes, I had this in my left hand and foot. It really hurts. Someone else said it is dystonia. I solved the problem by taking magnesium supplements.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
My hands were like swollen thick claws, hard to move at all and yet usually they were in clenches of their own almost all the time. Yuck, I hate even remembering that~!!! Gone now.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
p.s. And I had to start drinking from plastic coffee cups because I broke so many ceramic ones because my hands would contract involuntarily and send them smashing to the floor... Could not HOLD things anymore-
Posted by jif (Member # 9215) on :
get it with my left hand--sometimes
seemingly when i am over tired and my hands are too, it can scare me too
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
You can buy comfortable hand splints at any pharmacy. They sell them for people with carpal tunnel.
Also, do you keep your bedroom cold at night? If so, I would turn up the heat. It might reduce the contraction a bit.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Try the minerals!! The one I mentioned also contains potassium.
Posted by psano (Member # 7785) on :
I used to get the same thing....claw hand, and it was very painful and difficult to straighten out. You'll be happy to know that w/long term abx, this has gone away from me, and hopefully it will for you as well.
Posted by Yashin (Member # 11159) on :
You are all so kind and helpfull. I slept last night and it happened again. But this morning I didn't rush my hand to open in the shower and force it to move as i usually do. I just let it naturally unclaw.
I am sorry you all have this pain too. I will splint it tonight and thank you all so much for sharing!
Yashin
Posted by Yashin (Member # 11159) on :
the minocyknliene seems to be helping with this. thank you all for your help.
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