my fingers hurt
 

...so I figured I was probably coming down with rheumatoid arthritis, which seems to be pretty common in MGers. But, now I think I know why they hurt: the MG weakness has made its way into my fingers, so when I pick up something heavy with just my fingers--like a big mug of coffee--they're not strong enough to hold the weight, so they get pulled down. The pull strains them. It's not the joints that hurt, but the ligaments, or muscles, or something along the sides of my fingers.

Does that make sense? I think it was good for me to think, for a couple of weeks, about a chronic disease that's actually painful (I know that some people have pain with MG, but I don't, usually).

Counting my blessings (gently, so as not to strain my counting fingers),

Abby

not sure if it is the same, but when I grip something the muscle between my thumb and the rest of the fingers (not the finger area but near the palm) gets very sore and I have to put what ever I am doing down. It only happens with certain situations.

is this like what you are describing?

thanks

randy

Hi Randy,

What you are describing sounds like carpal tunnel - - not full blown...just lurking. I get it too sometimes and that was my GP's guess.

HI,
 

I am sorry your fingers hurt and I have had that between my thumb and my pointer finger. My palm is also weak and I was told that this could be carpal tunnel. I have used a cream Traumeel that is good for pain and swelling and very soothing.
I hope you get better or feel more positive as I was told that is the only way to survive.

me too!
 

Sometimes I get muscle "knots" just like when normal people get them in their back or neck, but they're in my fingers. They're in the segments closest to the palms, but between the joints. Is that where you're feeling it? I can actually feel the injured, swollen muscles along the sides of my fingers rolling around as I gently massage the areas.

I had also concluded that it's due to using the muscles while they're weak.

You might have tendon nodules or cysts. There actually are no muscles in the fingers! That was news to me. I finally saw a hand specialist because of pain bending my finger and a lump right at the base of my finger. Tendon nodule.

800 mg of advil can really help with the pain if that is what it is. Icing is good to help reduce inflammation too.

Randy & Abby,
Do either of you have any numbness to go along with the pain? This is could men it's carpal tunnel syndrome. When my neuro first started to work me he did an EMG, all was OK except for carpal tunnel! He gave me exercises to do daily and also advised me to take Vit B6 daily. He does routine blood work to monitor my B12, B6, and Vit D levels.
Hope you both get to the bottom of your discomfort!
Rachel

Thanks, Rachel and everyone. My finger-pain went away after a successful course of IVIG. My fingers got stronger at the same time. So I think the pain was caused by strain caused by MG weakness.

Hey, I was diagnosed at one point with carpal tunnel, but what I actually had, apparently, was some sort of tendinitis. It went away completely when I got me a VERTICAL MOUSE for the computer! Fantastic. I couldn't do without it.

Abby

Finger tendons
 

Thanks Confused, I had no idea! After looking at anatomy diagrams, you are absolutely correct that it's my tendons. So I will try your Advil and ice therapy. Mine must be tendonitis, though, since it flares up whenever I overdo it during weakness, then it goes away.

Abby, thanks for the tip about the vertical mouse!!!! It's exactly what I need.

Geode