My fingers curl in and my hands will not open. I saw these symptoms on Mystery Diagnosis - a teenager Jacqueline Spar/Dr Bernard D Raxlen. My LLMD has not seen this before. Xrays show nothing. I was told the tendons will not slip through the sheaths, reason unknown.I live in constant pain in all my joints and I need the function of my hands. Cronic lyme was diagnosed Oct.2007. Help please.
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
Sorry to hear that. What antibiotics are you taking? California Lyme (sarah) has seen those symptoms and been helped with 9 months of IV Rocephin.
Posted by jfr (Member # 14261) on :
Hi. I ment to say chronic lyme. I started with Doxy 100mg x2 a day on 10/19/07.I became very ill.Stopped Doxy, started Clarithromycin 500mg x2 a day on 11/17/07,added Amoxicillin 11/30/07. Thank you for asking. JFR
Posted by Jill E. (Member # 9121) on :
The claw hand is seen in some Lyme patients. I have had mild versions of this from time to time. I've talked to other Lyme patients that have more severe versions. Maybe your LLMD could call a couple of other LLMDs and compare notes.
I honestly don't know if this is from Lyme, Bartonella or what because most of us have several diseases. I have personally found this to be related to Bartonella from what I can tell.
Jill
Posted by sunnymalibu (Member # 9586) on :
jfr-when I first took doxy I had a lot of pain in the joints of my fingers. I couldn't make a fist. After several months on the doxy that went away.
I also had somehting like that happen years ago but it was an allergic reaction to the sulfa drug, bactrim. I literally couldn't dial the telephone. I had to use a pencil because my hands would not open.
Sounds like it could be an allergic reaction or a herx to one of your antibiiotics.
Posted by jfr (Member # 14261) on :
Hi Jill. I just looked up Bartonella and I have the pain in my bones that is described; also, I have not been tested for it. Thank you for this idea. JFR
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
Hi JFR,
Bartonella is a possibility. Although it is good to be tested for it, keep in mind that the blood tests for Bart are also unreliable, with the possibility of a false negative.
Many lyme patients treat for bart if they have the symptoms, despite test results.
Posted by roro (Member # 13383) on :
I had that symptom last spring, got worse when I was dehydrated. neuro said it was dystonia (b4 lyme dx)
went to neuro specialist for dystonia and when I mentioned the poss of lyme he said "you don't have lyme"
I had never met this dr b4, he hadn't looked at any of my records, knew nothing about me. so i said "well then post-lyme syndrome or whatever u call it"
he did nothing, practically threw me out of the office.
anyway, that symptom along with the twitching has gone away.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
A neurologist would recognize it right away!!! CONGRATULATIONS*!)*)! You have NERVE IMPAIRMENT perhaps even lesions, of your ulnar nerve I think it is!!!
The actual descriptive technical name of what you have is called CLAW HAND. That IS a medical term. I had it too and don't worry because it CAN AND WILL GO AWAY with abx therapy- it has with EVERYONE I know who has had it and gotten help!!!
What it IS is the sign of neurological impairment, possibly lesions. Here- I posted this in General Support less than 2 weeks back!!!
Let me go find it-
And again, IT WILL GO AWAY WITH TREATMENT!!!! It's actually what I do to cheer myself up if I am ever down, I just open and close my hand quickly, because I could not DO that when I was so sick!!! Yup, it sucked!!!
There are subtypes of CLAW HAND- if your thumbs are involved it is called APE CLAW HAND (not a joke).
Many things can cause it- many neuro conditions- including stroke- but Lyme DEFINITELY can cause it!!!!!!!!!!!
YUP just found what I posted a week+ ago-
here-
Just wanted those with claw hands to know that "claw hand" is an ACTUAL NEUROLOGICAL DESCRIPTOR used by MDs! In here you see in Chapter 16 the very last one is "Claw hand Deformity"
VERY INTERESTING booklet- just reading through it is like, wow! Not really something you;d want to buy but worth reading here-
If you have developed claw hand it is a sign of gross neurological damage/ impairment!!!!
Claw hand
Claw hand is a condition that causes curved or bent fingers, which makes the hand appear like the claw of an animal. See also claw foot.
Claw hand can be something that someone is born with (congenital) or that they develop because of certain disorders, such as nerve injury.
Congenital abnormality Nerve damage
When to Contact a Medical Professional
If the condition is congenital, it is usually diagnosed at birth. If you notice claw hand developing, contact your health care provider.
The health care provider will perform a physical examination. This examination may include extra attention to examination of the hands and feet.
The health care provider will also ask for your medical history. Medical history questions documenting claw hand in detail may include:
Time pattern When did you first notice the abnormal hand shape? Is it getting worse? Location: Does it affect both hands? Other: Do other symptoms occur at the same time?
************************************** There are different kinds of claw hand- causd by different kinds of damage to different nerves!!!
Paralysis or lesions of the Ulnar Nerve= Claw Hand
WOW, I have never read up that much on claw hand and it can occur along with progressive muscular ATROPHY which IS WHAT I HAD!!!!!!!! It is a sign of it!!! Becuase it is atrophying those muscles by those nerves- wow!!!
WOW!!!This was ME!!! Now I am normal again*)! YAy(*)!THANK GOD FOR 9 MONTHS OF IV ROCEPHIN! And I had atrophy in my hands- how weird!! To read that in a book it makes sense- when it made no kind of sense but horror to me-
If YOU have claw hand and are feeling BAD about your hands, look at THIS photo:
They are NOt of claw hands they are of gross ulcerated hands and will make you grateful you have claw hand*)!*))!!)*)!! Because Claw hand can go away and leave no scars*)! No sign it was ever there*)*!)*)! I can testify!!! So you are LUCKY believe it or not*)!!!!!!
Claw Hand, again, is caused by ULNAR NERVE LESIONS so you are not a Lymie Hypochrondriac if you have CLAW HAND! If you have Claw hand you have physical sign of a nervous system lesion!!!!
Sincerely, Sarah
Ulnar Nerve Lesion The ulnar nerve is a branch of the medial cord of the brachial plexus from C8 and T1 segments of the spinal cord. It passes into the anterior compartment of the forearm after passing behind the medial epicondyle of the humerus. It is at this site that the nerve can be injured following fractures of the medial epicondyle. The muscles paralyzed are the flexor carpi ulnaris, medial half of the flexor digitorum profundus, medial two lumbricals, all interossei and the adductor pollicis.
The appearance of the hand is indicative of the muscles involved. The thumb is abducted and extended with the distal phalanx flexed. The first two fingers are fully extended with a slight flexion of the distal phalanges. The medial two fingers are hyperextended at the metacarpophalangeal joints but flexed at the distal phalangeal joints. The hand resembles a "claw" and is called a claw hand.
Try taking a wash cloth and curling it up like folding it in half
And rolling it. Then try to place it under your fingers especially at night.
That may help to prevent it from getting worse or from your fingernails digging into your palms.
I hope your LLMD can figure it out soon for you.
Sending you positive thoughts and prayers.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by lymeladyinNY (Member # 10235) on :
jfr, I've had this very same symptom on and off for three years.
It IS a Lyme symptom for many, and like many symptoms of Lyme, comes and goes.
My hands at one time were curled into balls and I couldn't straighten my fingers.
Today, my hands are normal most of the time but still occasionally "claw" or "curl".
I have many neurological problems from Lyme. I don't have a reason as to why my hands "uncurled" but continued antibiotics and other treatment modalities likely loosened them.
Good luck to you. I know this is a hard one but it will likely get better.
- Julie
Posted by LymeCFIDSMCS (Member # 13573) on :
I had claw hands once, and it was so scary. It happened right when my other new symptoms (particularly cardiac problems and seizure-like episodes) started a few years ago. This is the *first* time I have ever seen it mentioned as a neurological symptom: what a relief to have a sense of what it is.
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
You may want to try working with a physical therapist who specializes in myofascial release. Relasing muscle trigger points might loosen up the hand. But it will likely be very painful.
Posted by Limping Lily (Member # 5099) on :
maybe try a couple mag malate tabs? i had claw hand and occasional contracture because i was severely mag depleted. don't get it if i take at least 3 tabs with each meal. maybe you're mag deficient? hope it gets better.
Posted by jamescase20 (Member # 14124) on :
I got major finger and hand pain after starting cipro...and all the abx when I FIRST started them. Doxy somewhat kills bart (at least the simple cat scratch disease model) Maybe bart herx? Do your soles hurt after starting this? Mine did...strong bart symtom