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Hands swelling at night

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 4/3/2011 1:02 PM (GMT 0)
Does this happen to anyone else? After I go to sleep at night, often my hands ache, swell and feel like pin prics. My rheumy said it is part of my arthritis. Some nights it bothers me and others it doesn't I am wondering if it is my bp med, cozar. Any thoughts on this?
Posted 4/3/2011 1:23 PM (GMT 0)
I have some sort of arthritis going on, not sure what kind at this point. But yes, my hands and fingers swell and ache. Mine come and go too but normally the more I use my hands, the more swollen it gets the next morning. I find that if I use an arthritis glove at night - one with slight compression - that it helps keep the swelling down to a minimum.

I don't have the pin prick feeling though unless my carpal tunnel is acting up.
Posted 4/3/2011 8:06 PM (GMT 0)
Mine ache all the time. :(
Posted 4/3/2011 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
When my RA first started(that I can remember back to) they would hurt the most at night, when i stopped moving. They would wake me up. I would feel so stiff I couldn't move them. I actually(still do at times) would have my husband rub them and move them for me..it seemed to help. Whether it did or not he would do it every time. Then it would be my knees that would hurt and not move in the morning. Now it's all the time. They hurt when I move them, at rest, whatever. They ache and throb and are so stiff. I say it feels like someone pulled my skin super tight and then i have to stretch it just to move them. I just recently started having it happen with my toes..down to the base..any time I stop moving. It is almost worse than my hands were. I think. Maybe it's all about how you remember it. Hang in there. If i take my pain meds and muscle relaxers when i get up in the middle of the night to use the rest room, then my hands won't bother me as much. It might help. Oh and the heating pad helps too. Good luck, Heather
Posted 4/3/2011 9:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies! It sounds just like what y'all experience. While he hasn't come right out and said it, he has sort of insinuated that this might be RA..... Not sure the plaquenil is working. Will try to take the flexeril at night to see if it helps more. Good luck to y'all too! Thanks so much for the chat and let's hope for a pain free week!!!!! Mama6, I don't know how you do it with kids. I hope they are mostly grown!
Posted 4/3/2011 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jean,
My hands hurt a lot during the night too. I am one of those where they think I have PMR (in the rheumatoid family) but have not discounted RA altogether.

I use cold packs for my hands. It seems to relieve the pain some. I put a cold pack (the flexible kind from Walmart-$2 each) out on the night stand so it is not too cold when I need it. Then if I wake up and have hand pain, I just curl my hand around the pack for a few minutes and I can usually get back to sleep. I take Tramadol at bedtdime and Tylenol during the night. But still the hand pain is there most nights even with that and the cold seems to help take the edge off so I can get back to sleep.
Posted 4/3/2011 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
Songwriter,
I am glad you mentioned that. Jean, sonwriter had actually told me about that awhile back and when I tried it..It def. helped a lot. A combo between the meds and the cold calmed it all down.It doesn't go away but it helps.
Jen, Well I have one who is almost 19, one almost 17, one almost 13, one who is 11, and an 8 year old. So I have some who should be leaving soon shocked I say it's never easy. On one hand my kids help but on the other they have their lives and are busy. My oldest just found out he has Chrohn's so, he has it rough. He also is in college, work's full time and takes classes to become a manager where he is at. Then he volunteer's at Ronald McDonald House 2x a week. My 16 year old doesn't have a license yet, because we felt his grades were not high enough to warrant him having the privilege to drive. He finally this last quarter got them up enough so then he will be a big help with the other's. Anyways(I digress) we all have struggles, mine no better or worse than anyones's. this disease just sucks all the way around. It's like taking a deck of cards(that being your life) and throwing it up in the air. I hope someday, for all of us, there is a cure or at least something that makes all of our lives easier. Take care, Heather
Posted 4/3/2011 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
The cold has bothered my hands before by making them hurt. It might be Raynaud's, I dunno but I am gonna try the ice.
I guess no matter what our stage in life, it isn't easy to get a chronic illness. I hope your son with crohn's will be ok. You know they have a great forum if he needs it!!!
Posted 4/5/2011 7:09 PM (GMT 0)
jean,
Yeah i have posted on the chrohn's forum. He is in a stage of denial and when i suggest it to him he just tells me it won't help. It's hard to get through to them at this age. Since he is so rec. dx I think once it hits him he may change his mind. Take care, and I forgot you mentioned the cold hurting you in another post. I hope the flexeril helps. Heather
Posted 4/5/2011 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
Heather, so does your son refuse to take meds?? That's too bad. You should print off some of the stories on the forum for him. I guess if he gets sick enough, he'll take them or he'll wind up at the ER for sure. Sometimes that is what it takes to get them out of denial. It's a tough thing to fight. These diseases often run in families, as I am sure you know, so it can be overwhelming.

I have tried flexeril the last two nights and have felt better without as much hand swelling, thanks for asking. I hope it isn't just a coincidence. My rheumy is going to call me in a few days to check on me, so we'll see what he says.

On another note, I've noticed a nice new crop of hair coming in since I started taking the plaquenil. That was a nice surprise. My hair had been thinning and I assumed it was menopause but I guess some of the inflammation was inhibiting the follicles over the past several years. I hope it continues to work as I am also shedding quite a bit as well.
Posted 4/11/2011 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
My hands ache the most at night too. And much of the time FEEL so swollen an stiff, it's as if I have on boxing gloves. I know that sounds strange but it's the only way to describe it.

I don't get pin pricks, though. But it sure is hard to find a good position to fall asleep in since they ache so badly.
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