[DelusionsDaily]

Anyone have carpal tunnel? What does it feel like? I did buy a brace for carpal tunnel and the tingling/numbness is mostly gone and making a fist isn't so painful. I dont know what is going on with my wrist/hand. I gotta go to work and not sure how that's going to work...we'll see!

[Auntguide]

Originally Posted by DelusionsDaily

Anyone have carpal tunnel? What does it feel like? I did buy a brace for carpal tunnel and the tingling/numbness is mostly gone and making a fist isn't so painful. I dont know what is going on with my wrist/hand. I gotta go to work and not sure how that's going to work...we'll see!

YES!!! I have bi lateral carpal tunnel. I just had carpal tunnel release surgery on my right hand, and cervical disc fusion surgery in May/June because it got so bad. I wasted 2 yrs taking meds, getting physical therapy and wearing a brace. If it's not too advanced, you could get away with those types of treatments. My cousin also suffers from it and she gets cortisone shots. I got beyond that point because I ignored an incident that made me feel like my finger was dislocated. It felt weird for a week and then went away. Suddenly, 2 weeks later, my pain was so severe, it would wake me up at night. I thought I was having a heart attack because my arm/hand was cold and felt like blood wasn't running through it. I had to wake up 2 hrs earlier because I'd have to shake of the numbness as I was getting dressed. It was horrible.

My advice is to see a good hand doctor and don't let it get out of control. Carpal tunnel cannot be reversed, but can be controlled. If you have any questions, feel free to message me.

An anti-inflammatory like Motrin or Advil or Aleve can help if it's not too bad. The brace is good.

Avoid using a computer mouse if possible.

I had a problem with it several years ago. It's painful and very inconvenient.

[DelusionsDaily]

Went to doc today for my wrist/hand. Epicondylitis(tennis elbow...total surprise!) and the beginning markers of carpal tunnel. Wrist brace at night and tennis elbow band/brace for daytime. Naproxen twice daily until pre-auth for voltaren(?) comes through...if he can get it. Otherwise, whole new script for naproxen(which i know doesn't work) in order to eventually get voltaren(?). Ugh!! It's a mess when insurance co's dictate meds instead of doctors!

I'm glad that you got a diagnosis.

As far as Naproxen not working, NSAIDS work in a cumulative fashion for inflammatory conditions like this. It may take longer to work than Voltaren would, but it probably will help. (I consider Naproxen to be a fairly strong NSAID.)

I have used Voltaren in gel form and it does seem to be stronger. It's around $60 for a 100g tube, though, so I'm not going to be using much of it unless insurance is paying most of the price.

How are you finding sleeping in a brace? When I had carpal tunnel, I found it to be enormously helpful, but it's no fun. I would often wake up to find that I had removed the brace while I was asleep or half-asleep.

I know you didn't ask for advice, but I have to add this. Be sure to eat meals with the naproxen. That stuff is tough on the stomach. If you start having stomach pain, you can add Nexium (or call your doctor, instead of listening to a stranger on the Internet.)

[DelusionsDaily]

The wrist brace didnt bother me much. Still lots of pain and cant make a fist this morning. I'll let you all know how today goes. I woke up partially numb today too. So, fun fun! Finally find something i don't mind doing at work and it is tearing my body up! Grr! Well, off to ice elbow and wrist.

(ETA 9:42AM EST put elbow brace(for tennis elbow) on can make tight fist hand less numb. I think the double(wrist/elbow) injury is making hand less effective. Grr! At least I know what to do if it happens to the other hand.)

[DelusionsDaily]

Urgent care tonite...after leaving work in severe pain and sobbing!
A shot in the behind of toradol before i left urgent care, a note to go back to work tuesday(rest the arm it is!), and a script for ibuprofen 600mg every 6 hours. Ick!! Freaked out I'm not going to heal properly if i stay at my job. Ugh! Thinking too far out.

[cakeladie]

I have it in both wrists plus I have RA. My last hand exray a few months ago said the RA was real bad and that I could easily break my fingers or wrists so that has me freaked out some. Stay on top of it. Don't let it get has bad has mine.

[DelusionsDaily]

Worse yet the script that was rejected by insurance, going thru pre-auth with doc, asked pharmacy to call when approved was also ready when 600ibuprofen was ready. Why no call? I dunno! Woulda saved me a trip to urgent care!!!! Grr!

[DelusionsDaily]

Originally Posted by cakeladie

I have it in both wrists plus I have RA. My last hand exray a few months ago said the RA was real bad and that I could easily break my fingers or wrists so that has me freaked out some. Stay on top of it. Don't let it get has bad has mine.

Well i need to start looking for another job. Everything at current job is repetitive movement. Doc is concerned about what current job will do to elbow/wrist/hand. F u c k !!!!! I hate this!!!!!

[cakeladie]

Please keep in mind just simple typing can cause carpel tunnel. That's what caused mine along with working 10key. So there are not a lot of jobs out there that are carpel tunnel free so to speak

[DelusionsDaily]

Went to urgent care, note for work to return tuesday, and script for ibuprofen 600mg. When i picked up this script found out the voltaren (script from pcp that was originally rejected) was ready so i picked up both. Im using the voltaren every 12 hours stared first dose at 530 this morning. Question: do i use the note and take monday off as well or f*** it and work it and see what happens. Possibly call doc tuesday instead of monday?

[DelusionsDaily]

Decided to take the note in. It'll give the voltaren time to work before I go back to work.

[DelusionsDaily]

Went to PCP for urgent care follow up. Note for a week off, severe restrictions the first week im back, and 9 day script for prednisone for inflammation

I begged pcp not to take me off work and to just shorten my shifts or something. Im pretty sure work wont find something for me the week back so it will be two weeks off. Everything and i mean everything is repetitive at work. Ugh!!!

[DelusionsDaily]

The end of my week of restrictions and im already in tons and tons of pain. Ugh! Trying to decide whether to call in tomorrow and go see doc or just suck it up in severe pain and go to work tomorrow see doc tuesday my day off. Would have to call off before i can even find out if i can get in to doc tomorrow. So, tempted to quit my job until i can resolve this in some meaningful way. I just feel like a problem child at work right now but cant afford to quit. Ugh!