Why r my hands swelled?

I go to see the Rheumy on Feb 8th to find out the results of my bloodwork.. For about 4 or 5 mornings now I have woken up and both my hands are swelled to the point that it's hard to make a fist. They are also numb and hot. Anyone else have this going on?

I've also noticed that when I lay down to sleep, I sleep on my side, but it feels like my legs and feet go to sleep....numbness and tingling.

Should I run and go see my PCP about this? I'm new to all these symptoms and don't want to seem like "it's all in my head" and go every time something doesn't feel right.

Thank, bunches

msfroggi

Good Morning msfroggi,

Does the swelling go away after you are up and about? Do you have the tingling sensation at night in your hands as well.  I'm just asking because I also have many problems with my hands and joints in the fingers related to carpal tunnel syndrome.  This all came out a few months prior to my lupus diagnosis and it drove me absolutely crazy because I couldn't sleep at night.  Finally went to an orthopaedist and they had me get a carpal tunnel analysis test done which came back mild to moderate, so therefore, I get injections in my hands about every three months to keep the swelling down and keep the nerve from flaring at night. My rheumatologist is fine with me getting the injections on top of my other meds because the cortisone stays in the area of my hands and does not affect my body systemically.  It's all a pain in the butt dealing with it.  I was a piano teacher for years and played almost daily and now I hardly ever play because I don't have the mobility in my hands and fingers that I used to.  I had the swelling so bad just like you that I couldn't make a fist and to even get dressed and do my hair was difficult.  Okie, is right, you have to watch the edema because it can be very detrimental to your heart and could also signal kidney problems.  I would call your rheumy and let them know, maybe they can get you in earlier.  You don't want to wait another week for it to get any worse. Keep us posted.

Hugs and Angels,

Lynnette

DX - sle and carpal tunnel syndrome

RX - plaquenil, prednisone, lisiniprol, folic acid, anti-inflammatories, fish and flaxseed oil, hormones, vit d and calcium and daily vitamins, darvocet when needed

i've only been here for a short while, but i have studied physiology & biology for over 30yrs.........i used to b a personal trainer, w/ extra work in just about anything that would seem to apply to these areas.........

a # of yrs ago, way b 4 my body went to hell with SLE, i got tendonitis in my shoulder & then the other.......i couldn't even get out of bed, cause u use all the shoulder tendons & muscles to get u up..........carpal tunnel is tendonitis.........what happens is, there is an injury or over use of an area in a way that is an unnatural way to move or do something.........this causes the tendons to swell & restrict blood flow, which only makes things worse........blood flow brings oxygen, vitamins & minerals to the area to b healed & takes away toxins.........

when u get this merry go round going on, things don't get better unless u actually get someone who knows what they r doing to get the blood flow moving.........& LET ME TELL U, IT IS SO PAINFUL IN THE BEGINNING, that u will scream, cry & not b able to move for awhile after it.........

listen everyone with this kind of problem.........i also think it would help with any kind of restricted blood flow........u need to do this as many x's a day as u can stand, but the most important time, is right b 4 going to sleep.......u've done everything to get to sleep & u r done moving for the nite........this is very important........if u have someone who can do it 4 u, then that is better, cause this can b hard to do on urself, if the problems r all over.........

u find the area where the worst swelling or edema is, then u use an index finger or thumb to message around the swelled area, till u find the tendon or ligament that hurts the worst.........THEY RUN UP & DOWN THE ARMS & LEGS.........u always rub cross grain of the lig or tend, always........when u find the absolutest most painful one, follow it up & down to where they attach to the joints........it may take a bit of experimenting to find the exact spot & sometimes, the one u want is under others & u have to push in & always move slowly & don't poke or prod, but gently rub on that tend or lig across the grain of it.........the really bad ones will feel like a rope or cord that is harder than all the rest........they all attach at the joints & this is where u rub, at both ends of the lig or tend........

when u can't stand the pain any more, u message up & down, not hard, the whole area, hand, forearm, wherever.......this helps to loosen the tension created by the message, cause when things hurt alot, u tense up & don't breathe.......u need to relax at the end, THEN GO TO SLEEP..........

what this does, is open up the swelling that is slowing or stopping the blood flow.........w/o proper blood flow, u can't heal those areas.........i had a wonderful chiropractor, who was really gifted in healing........she helped me heal this & other areas & taught me how to take care of those areas that do this & others..........

minerals r very important when healing these areas, especially.........get a complete complex of them & add some magnesium & calcium, maybe a little more of the magnesium than calcium.........but u need extra during the healing process..........also, vitamin A&D r important to b able to utilize those minerals, w/o them, alot gets dumped........taking betaine hydrochloride with food & vitamins may help the absorption...........

if u can do this regularly, it shouldn't b too long till u notice a difference........do not stop the message till there is no more ropey tends & ligs........then to continue so it doesn't happen again, whenever u feel anything like that again, message it, NOW........in the beginning it takes much more time, but if u catch it early, u can avoid having to spend alot of time on this.......1 thing that might help, is after it's healed, get a can of food or a light weight & find the movement that works those areas........our hand, arms & all joints can move many different ways........by strengthening the areas, u can avoid future problems.......

when u do this at night & go to sleep, this is when the most healing is done...........most minerals r absorbed while sleeping..........

i have more info, but i'm tired........it's about kidney function & getting rid of that edema, all those extra toxins that r polluting ur tissues..........

hope some get some help from this.........when i was a personal trainer, i could always find the sore area & get the healing started right away..........they didn't always believe that it would help, cause it hurt so much when i worked on it, but afterwards they found they could move better, with less pain..........that was the clincher & it's not something that takes a long time to c results..........remember, message next to the joints, not the joints themselves..........the attachments r above & below the joints........

well............chris............