this started about a week ago. i get these horrible sharp stabbing pains in my left wrist at night. when i move, it's bad enough to wake me up. and i'm right handed.
the wrist is not red or swollen, but the pain is really bad.
carpal tunnel? arthritis? or just ole lyme?
i use one of those muscle creams and it seems to help a little.
Posted by mazou (Member # 15319) on :
I am sorry to hear about this! I had severe carpal tunnel a few years back, though it was in my dominant hand. Have you been using your left hand to hold a heavy bag lately?
I have heard that vitamin B6 helps with carpal tunnel pain. Maybe it can help you too. Good luck.
Mazou
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
Randibear,
You keep posting things that are so typical of rheumatoid arthritis. Lyme causes rheumatoid arthritis. Have you been tested? I may have asked you this before so forgive me if you have already responded.
Luvs
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
no i've never been tested for it....
hmmm, my sister and mother had rheumatoid arthritis...
nobody in my family will get tested for lyme tho. they don't believe me....but i think since my mom had it since childhood all four of us could have lyme...
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
Sounds like lyme to me. I have this sharp shooting pain in wrist/legs/feet/hands, etc. as well.
Posted by Wimenin (Member # 15294) on :
If its weird and has no explanation, I vote for lyme.
The last few nights Ive been woken by severe cramps somewhere in my body. Two nights ago, calf. Not unusual if Ive been walking or jogging a lot. But last night, forearm... yeah, forearm..and Ive done nothing different. Ive also had neck, butt, side, and wrist as well. Nothing constant, just random cramps, twitches, or stabbing pains. Just rub them a few minutes and the oddities go away.
Posted by richedie (Member # 14689) on :
Randi, do you have Lyme have you been diagnosed? along with all my other symptoms, pain in my left wrist is a huge problem, sometimes the pain is the entire left arm, shoulder and everything. Sometimes there is no pain, only if I apply pressure or weight or bend it the wrong way. Today I am getting stabbing pains in the wrist again. I am 38 and have never had any joint pains and have taken good care of myself my whole life. My wrist issue started this year when all my other symptoms started so I am attributing it to Lyme. Too much of a coincidense otherwise.
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
randibear, I have been getting this recently as well.
The pain is pretty bad. Then, for me, in the morning, it's totally gone.
I have to think this is one of those vague lyme or coinfection issues.
Posted by designt1 (Member # 16568) on :
I get them in my right wrist like crazy. I also work at a computer 8+ hours a day so I think it's from using the mouse.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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Sounds like carpel tunnel and while that is frequent with lyme, you might consult a P.T. for therapy options. Ultrasound and wrist braces really helped me.
Sleeping in braces is the most help - and when at the computer or when lifting.
Ice helps, too. Gentle, specific stretches are good -but some are harmful. A PT can guide you in this for your particular wrists.
Oh, magnesium and B-vitamins, and fish oil is the trio that also helps.
HINT: If a PT orders a custom-made brace, have them fit it over a cotton sock or liner. My were not. It gets so hot that I simply cannot wear the set was was made just for me. They are neoprene and far too tight to fit a cotton liner inside.
Another hint: Use a heating pad or hot water bottle on your belly if the cold from ice packs on hands cause you to shiver.
And, before even getting out of bed, gently move your hands around. Holding a pen or pencil between the index and middle fingers takes pressure off wrist, too.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) or median neuropathy at the wrist is a medical condition in which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to paresthesias, numbness and muscle weakness in the hand. The diagnosis of CTS is often misapplied to patients that have activity-related arm pain.
Most cases of CTS are idiopathic (without known cause), genetic factors determine most of the risk, and the role of arm use and other environmental factors is disputed.
Night symptoms and waking at night - - the hallmark of this illness - - can be managed effectively with night-time wrist splinting in most patients.
. . .
Diagnosis . . . Other conditions may also be misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. . . .
Prevention . . .
Treatment . . .
Reversible causes . . . Some causes of CTS are secondary to other conditions -- metabolic disorders such as hypothyroidism, for example. Treatment of the primary disorder often resolves CTS symptoms.