Hi all. Stumbled across this forum today following a link to a similarly titled thread. I've already gotten a few ideas here I might not have found elsewhere, so thanks already!

Here's my thing. I'm a vegan, have been a vegetarian for decades, vegan for something like half that time. (Did you just say to yourself, "B12!"?) I've also slid into my 50s. The last few years, I've felt my energy dropping off, and have had a series of pains that would camp out for months, then finally fade away, only to be replaced by other mysterious pains, all feeling like muscle or tendon strains. I've been nursing one in my left elbow now for several months, and in the last week, this new weirdness in my thumb. When I touch the inside (palm side) or extend it fully, especially if my arm is also fully extended, there is sharp pain, electric shock-type pain, that feels like the nerves are about to snap. A tightness along the palm side of the thumb, too. The pad of my thumb now has a strip of numbness going from the last joint nearly to the tip, though the nerve pain surrounds it when irritated.

No other fingers seem effected.

Since this is a different species of pain than the elbow (and previous) pain, I'm not convinced it's related, just mention it in case it jumps out to anyone.

Carpal tunnel syndrome? What else might it be?

I am not under any doctors' care, nor on any medications or supplements.

The only injury that preceded this happened a few days before, and consisted of stabbing myself in the side of my thumb with an IV needle (for my cat's fluids). It hurt, but this pain is not in the same area, but around to the palm rather than on the side where the stick happened.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

I was having problems with my thumb, it felt like it was the median nerve, not the carpal nerve. I took an EMG and totally puzzled the doc because it came out negative even though I was dropping things and showing weakness in my hand. After taking B12 for a while the pain in my hands have gotten a lot better. I also live with vegetarians, so I don't always get the meat I need, and when I do eat meat it's not the type that has B12 in it, and I don't eat nuts.

So yeah, go get that B12, it'll help. It took at least a month for me to feel it at all.

It sounds more carpal to me (and I'm not a medical professional). They make splints you can wear at night to help you support your wrist and help it heal. I got some when I was really sore and it helped a lot.

There are so many things you miss being vegan. Test for B12 for sure.

Thanks for this. I'm glad you got some relief from your symptoms! Sounds like that's not always the case.
I went out this morning and got both a brace and a good vegan Vit.B12 supplement, so we'll see how that goes.

:lol: I don't miss anything, being vegan!

I mean nutrients. I found out the hard way. B12 is just one thing missed, but that did a lot of damage.

It would. Maybe it's an age thing too, though (sliding into middle age as I am). Lots of vegans do fine their whole lives. We're all individuals with differing chemistry, I guess. Luck of the draw!