Weird question, but my midwife is stumped, too

[Lyndzies]

Have any of you had issues with arthritic-feeling knuckles on your hands when pregnant? This started at about 24 weeks or so; hurting the most when I woke up in the morning (or during the night) and giving a feeling as though I was clenching my fists really hard in my sleep.

The "arthritic" type pain has only gotten worse (I'm almost 36 weeks), and now I can feel it all day, and it makes opening jars and bottles and things difficult.

There's not a lot of swelling or water retention at all, so I don't think it's that. And I don't have any other carpal tunnel-ish (sp?) symptoms, so we're really stumped. This never happened pre-pregnancy, or early in my pregnancy. I'm really suspecting I'm clenching my fists in my sleep, but of course, can't be sure (because I'm sleeping!).

Just wondering if anyone has experienced similar, and if it went away after you gave birth?

[laohaire]

I had similar symptoms, but not until after birthing. Not during pregnancy, that I remember.

Hmm.

I assumed it was a birthing injury - I kind of abused my hands while squatting on hands and knees, etc.

It got to the point where my husband shaved my head because I could. not. deal. with brushing it or putting it in a ponytail anymore. (It grew back quickly ).

I also got Dragonn Naturally Speaking to do work because I could no longer type.

In my case, it healed. I don't recall how long it took, some months.

But again, it might be totally unrelated to your experience. I hope it gets better soon. If you think you're clutching your hands while sleeping, here's an idea I thought of for you. At the drugstore or WalMart you can buy these carpal tunnel gloves that fix your wrists in certain positions. Wear them at night, as they will limit your ability to clench (as well as your ability to twist your wrists in weird positions as I sometimes do with mine in my sleep). I think they are around $10 each, if you need them for both hands it will run you around $20.

Hmm, also, do you tuck your hands between your thighs or under your body while sleeping? Could be cutting off blood flow and causing injury - and it could be coming up now because you're getting larger due to pregnancy, plus you have more blood volume trying to work its way around. The hand straps I described above might help with the same thing, making it uncomfortable for you to stuff your hands in tight places.

[lifeguard]

I had it. It started while pregnant but really got bad after I had ds. It did slowly go away though.

[Baby~Braatens~Mama]

I haven't had this, but I have a thought! Maybe some more calcium in your diet would help? I keep hearing that the baby need a lot of calcium and will get it from any source available, vitamins, nutrients, bone or teeth. Just a thought, worth a shot. Hope you feel better soon!

[MaerynPearl]

It is common for pregnant women to develop carpal tunnel (luckily it usually goes away postpartum)

It does not always present as classic carpal tunnel but rather could appear as an aching in the joints/bones (appearing as arthritis)


I do not know what to do about it... but it is certainly not weird!

[Lyndzies]

Well I'm glad to hear I'm not just some freak, at least. Lol.

Mae, I was thinking the same thing, since I knew it was common to develop carpal tunnel during pg, but I just thought it was strange that I have no other symptoms.

Those wrist things aren't a terrible idea, but I'm already sleeping so poorly, I hate to add another discomfort! Lol. I'm not sleeping with my hands under me or between my legs or anything... it really is quite a strange phenomenon.

The extra calcium isn't a bad thought, but I am already taking two viactive chews in addition to my prenatal. That *should* be enough, but I'll see what my midwife thinks about supplementing even more.

Thanks so much for the feedback and sharing your experiences, everyone!

[Tresa]

My friend talked about developing it, and I've felt it, with weather changes especially, during this pregnancy. Are you older? (my friend was 30 when she was pg for the first time, I'm 30 now) I wonder if age has anything to do with it, if pregnancy is just harder on the body.

I wonder if arnica gel would be good for treating the pain.

I don't have any suggestions, really. Mine's more of an irritation than a hindrance. My friend's was bad, they ran the household with pre-loosened jars in the fridge for the last couple months of her pregnancy so she could eat while he was gone.

[Lyndzies]

Tresa - Wow, I just realized I never thought of myself as "older." Lol. I just turned 29 in May. Maybe that is old?

I've definitely been giving DP jars to open! Lol.

I mean, it's not like it's KILLING me, but it's definitely uncomfortable, and not being able to open jars and similar, or use my hands like I used to is just damn annoying.

[Just1More]

Any yeast stuff going on? That can settle in your joints, especially in your hands. Try cutting out sugar, any food high in mold (canteloupe, cashews, peanut butter, etc.), and foods of the nightshade family (potatoes, eggplant, etc.)

Also, my ds had serious wheat issues starting at birth. (He's outgrown them now.) When I would eat much wheat when I was pg with him, I'd have all sorts of unpleasant symptoms.

So, it's possible you have a temporary food intolerance. You could try cutting out one of the top allergens and see if it helps. If it does, ime, watch your baby closely for an allergy to whatever it was.

[nova22]

All I know is that it hurts a lot to knit now when usually I have to knit for hours straight before I feel pain.

[Jenne]

Have you had your thyroid checked? Having an underactive thyroid can cause some hand and foot neuropathy to develop. I'd check that out.

Jenne

[Monarchgrrl]

Lyndzies- I have this too, but it's only on ONE finger and one knuckle but very very painful. It started for me many weeks ago and comes and goes. I had a bad tendon injury right on that knuckle so I thought it was just from that, coupled with hormones and...I dunno, just pregnancy, I guess. I hope it goes away for you!

[roslyn]

I had it AFTER my son was born in May 2004. I was older 39 and it got so bad I could barely pick him up. Saw arthritis specialists and everything, but they couldn't find anything. Even tested me for lupus. It took more than a year to go away, but it eventually did. I think I found something about post-partum arthritis and high progesterone levels. If I find the link I'll post it.

[FireWithin]

I haven't had the pain, but weakness. I have a hard time opening up jars and such. I just dont have the strength.


FYI - If you add in more calcium, make sure you add in more magnesium. Don't want your calcium just to be hanging around your blood not doing what it should be doing.

[katroshka]

I vote for magnesium, too. I get achy joints pretty often, especially when I'm typing a lot, and it's been worse since I got pregnant. My acupuncturist told me to take magnesium, and it always knocks it out for a while. I don't keep taking it because I hate pills, but I probably should.

The only thing is I know when I was on bedrest because of early labor with my first, they had me taking magnesium to relax my muscles, so you may want to go off it when you want to give birth.

[Amila]

I got this with DD! She was my first baby, and towards the end I would wake up and barely be able to open my hands. It got better throughout the day though- pregnancy induced CP I think.

[MamaPhD]

My understanding is that during pregnancy, especially towards the end, your body makes lots of relaxin (hormone that loosens hip joints for birthing) and it can mess with lots of other joints like knee & hands, too. Separately, pregnant women are at higher risk for carpal tunnel due to fluid retention which compresses narrow "tunnels" where the nerves run.
As far as treatment, you can't do much about relaxin levels but I would suggest you try a wrist/hand splint. Just wearing at night can really stabilize your hands & it helped me greatly with my thumb/wrist tendinitis (though not preg related).

[Chamomile Girl]

I have this too. It started while I was pregnant to the point where my hands were screaming in pain when I woke up in the morning. Now I am 14 months PP and my hands just don't work for any sort of fine motor skill any more. The worst things are like trying to separate two sheer fabrics, adjusting clothes, and snaps...oh snaps kill me. I have to think the whole process through and move my hands very deliberately. I used to make jewelry as a hobby...wire wrapping...no longer! It sucks, and I really hope its not for life. My midwife told me it should fade within months after DS was born but obviously it has not. I was almost 35 at his birth.

[GoBecGo]

Originally Posted by Jenne

Have you had your thyroid checked? Having an underactive thyroid can cause some hand and foot neuropathy to develop. I'd check that out.

Jenne

I had this a lot from 34wks onwards and well into the PP period. I had a severely under-active thyroid, which wasn't dx until AFTER i lost my milk 6months PP. The sore knuckles were part of the autoimmune craziness, another side of which was my body attacking my thyroid gland.

Get your thyroid tested - ask them to to free and total T3 and T4 and TSH.

[purplepaisleymama]

Here's another vote for thyroid check..... I have thought for years that I had arthritis....then the neuro said that I had carpal tunnel...... turns out is has been my thyroid. I really wish that I had known it earlier.... so much pain and feeling unwell could have been avoided.

I would also look into another type of calcium supplement, the chews are not well absorbed by the body, or that is what our doctor and my midwife have said.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

~laura