Help--any ideas, hand weirdness

[rodeosweetheart]

Hi All, just a quick check on a very bizarre symptom that I have been having in my left hand--I am getting this strange muscle spasm/contraction thing happening in my left hand, little finger and ring finger, where they cramp up--well, that's not actually what happens, it spasms and constricts so badly that it is contorted and I have to use my other hand to straighten it out. It is also painful, but mostly it is scary, because it is behyond my control and I am very worried about losing my ability to play cello, type, etc.

I was diagnosed years and years ago with carpal tunnel, but it hasn't been a problem until this last 6 months when I noticed this. It is given as a symptom for some really major conditions like RA and MS. I have some long term left side nerve damage from my body breakdown that happened in 2003, when I went into respiratory failure from anaphylaxis and ended up in a coma, then paralyzed when came out of coma, was in wheelchair, had to relearn to walk, etc.

So I don't want to go down that road again to more major illness, but also wonder if there is some benign thing this could be. I basically type for a living, as I teach online, and both my hand and my eyes are really suffering from my job.

The mystery breakdown thing was probably from an allergic reaction to dental work, but someone thought it might be Guillan Barre (sp?). I wonder. I have a screwe dup immune system and had mono three times.

Anybody had this happen--it basically looks like a constricture someone would have from cerebral palsy.

Agh. Been thinking of taking up yoga for relaxation. Zoebird, any ideas of whether that might help?

Appreciate any thoughts,and thanks!

[SimplyL]

I have Rheumatoid and haven't ever experienced anything like this. Primarily, I have red palms, swollen joints, pain, and stiffness. However, I have erosion already in my hands, wrists, so maybe I progressed too quickly and skipped something nerve wise?

My husband has DeQuerveins? (Spelling) due to his job in the military. He's had to have surgery on one hand already. I believe that is different yet in the same family as Carpal Tunnel. Try looking that up.. he had some crazy things going on (and now it's in his other hand) it sounds familiar to what you're describing.

[CathyA]

Gosh rodeosweetheart.....you've had it rough!
It sort of sounds like a nerve compression........maybe the ulnar nerve? Could be a pinched nerve in your neck too?
Does anything seem to precipitate it?

[Tammy]

My first step would be to see my chiropractor.

[sweetana3]

http://www.handhealthresources.com/problems%20pages/cubital%20tunnel.htm


I bet this is one of the conditions caused by ergonomic issues of typing and such. Pinched nerve in elbow. Inspect your chair, desk and arrangement of your body while typing. Are your elbows supported at all times, are they at the proper height and bent at a normal angle, etc.

[JaneV2.0]

If I experience a tic or a cramp, I think of electrolytes--especially potassium (tic) or magnesium (cramp)--and supplement accordingly.

[Float On]

Doesn't sound like Guillan Barre to me. My cousin had that and it hit so fast. He got up to go to the restroom in the night and fell down. Never walked again. It usually starts in the legs first and then moves up the torso to the hands.

I'd look more at the pinched nerve since it's affecting just one hand, right? I took an extra job doing data entry 5 hours a night for 3 nights a week. Very repetative and worse on my left hand. I had shooting pains and couldn't bear weight (like lifting a cook pan). I quit that 'bonus job' knowing it was going to end up costing more in medical problems than it was worth trying to make extra money for a vacation.

[rodeosweetheart]

Thanks, everyone, will go research all of these ideas--I had seen the Dewhatever disease and yes, it did sound sort of like it, but right now as I type I am definitely getting the whole numb left finger, weird pain up the left arm nerve pain, so I am going to check out this ulnar thing and pursue that.

It's actually in my left foot now, too, so I am thinking it may be more related to left side neuropathy than to ergonomics, but heck, the whole neck spine thing coudl affect everything, right? Now that I think of it, when I had the carpal tunnel years ago they actually called it a "triple crush syndrome" with the tortucullis on the neck, etc, so maybe it is just a return of carpal tunnel.

The ergonomics is a good thought, but I would think it would be both sides? I don't know. . .

Lots of helpful ideas.

[sweetana3]

My hubby's right arm has always given him much more pain than his left. Even though he got it from computer use, something just happened first on his right. These things build up over time so things like repetitive injury due to typing without proper support could aggravate an injury that would not have bothered you much otherwise.