[midnight_soul]

For about the past month every morning I wake up and my hands are very swollen, my fingers look like balloons however, I have no swelling any where else on my body. I can't afford to go to see my primary for this, I tried and they asked for a co-pay before I could see him, I didn't have it so they turned me away.

They stay swollen for about 4-5 hours. I am a coffee addict, love it and drink 2 pots a day. I am also having trouble ......god this is embarassing but when I have to use the bathroom, I feel like I am going to pee my pants but i literally have to push as if I am in labor just to get the stream started. Sorry that was graphic, but i don't know any other way to put it.

Any suggestions??????

P.S. I have no be recently put on any different meds, no change in diet....nothing. I am a tad bit worried about this. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry I didn't edit for mispells etc. I am a lot of pain, that dreadful time of the day for me so need to go take my morphine and just lay back.

[Soul Quake]

Sounds like edema and excessive caffeine can most definitely be the culprit. Cut down on the caffeine and try some natural diuretics such as cranberry juice and/or yogurt.

[Perna]

It could just be a different reaction than you've seen with whatever meds you are on! I would cut the caffeine at least by half, see if that makes a difference; space it out through the day so you don't drink as much and I'd look at all the foods you're eating, see if your patterns of what you eat has changed from summer to fall, as that sounds like a possibility to me. How about other non-medicine pain killers, vitamins, etc., any of those added or changed? Some meds like Cymbalta don't like aspirin, etc. but after one has been taking a med for awhile, one forgets there might be problems with particular foods and non-med supplements.

How about the coffee itself? Has the brand or anything you put in it changed?

If you examine everything and make a trial with less coffee and it doesn't make a difference in a week, I'd take your new information and go to the doctor anyway; you can't afford not to. Your body definitely has a problem and sounds like you might need blood/urine testing at a minimum to see what exactly is happening.