Severe nerve pain

[Mariah]

Hi,

For the last weeks I`ve been having really severe and crippling pain in my right arm, particularly in my right hand. The pain is both burning, pins and needles and aching and it is so painful that I don`t know what to do with myself. There are also a lot of muscle spasms and spasm-like pain in the arm and hand, a lot more than in the rest of my body. I assume it is nerve pain and/or nerve-related. I`m used to pain with my ME, but in a much lower intensity and more symmertrical than this, so it is both familiar and not familiar at the same time. I also assume it is ME-related. I`m at my wits end, and I`m starting to have suicidal thoughts (would never do anything). I will see my doctor about this tuesday (if I can manage that long on my Tramadol), but wondering if anyone is familiar with this pain and/or has any tips?

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Hi,

For the last weeks I`ve been having really severe and crippling pain in my right arm, particularly in my right hand. The pain is both burning, pins and needles and aching and it is so painful that I don`t know what to do with myself. There are also a lot of muscle spasms and spasm-like pain in the arm and hand, a lot more than in the rest of my body. I assume it is nerve pain and/or nerve-related. I`m used to pain with my ME, but in a much lower intensity and more symmertrical than this, so it is both familiar and not familiar at the same time. I also assume it is ME-related. I`m at my wits end, and I`m starting to have suicidal thoughts (would never do anything). I will see my doctor about this tuesday (if I can manage that long on my Tramadol), but wondering if anyone is familiar with this pain and/or has any tips?

I doubt that severe nerve pain in a hand has anything to do with ME. There are two very common causes for what you describe. One is carpal tunnel syndrome. The other is nerve root pressure from a disc in the neck. What you describe sounds more like a nerve root pain. A good proportion of people will get this at least once. Nerve root pain is pretty intolerable. I have only ever had it in a leg but it was nearly as bad as renal colic (they say the worst pain a man can have). In almost all cases it gets better on its own but it can take its time and in a few cases it is worth specific intervention.

I should not be trying to diagnose you instead of your doctor but I might be able to guide what to do a bit more if you could say which digits are affected (or even half digits). Seeing a doctor on Tuesday is probably fair enough but if the pain is really intolerable there may be ways to ease it sooner if you get emergency help.

 

[Mariah]

Thanks for the informative reply!

You could be right, and I would pray that you are, but it`s been like this for quite some time now, and sometimes increasingly so. I also don`t have any particular numbness or weakness in my hand or arm. But it alternates a lot between intense pain and then tingling (like a restless limb) and then intense pain and it is only in my right arm and hand and parts of the right side of the shoulder/back area where my right arm ends, no other places on my body. No particular change with any movement, but I would say it is much more painful when resting, so have been trying to do chores all day. My whole hand and arm is affected, but it moves around a lot. I would say I feel it`s worst in the thumb, index and middle finger a long with parts of my upper arm. Could it still be a specific nerve (root) issue? I`m familiar with this type of pain (burning, pins and needles, aching) with my ME, but not this strong and certainly not this one-sided. I appreciate suggestions even though I know to not self diagnose!

 

[Misfit Toy]

Mariah, that sounds like a herniated disc in the neck and I would have to agree with the doc...I really doubt it has anything to do with CFS/ME. You need to go to a doc and have an MRI of your neck. I have a herniated disc and that is the pain I have. It is not always numb. Numbness for me is rare. Mine is as you describe..in my shoulder and goes down my one arm. It hurts most when I am resting because the neck or disc is affected more to be honest..you are laying down and on a pillow which affects the neck and the arm and in particular...nerve kills. Yup. I know it well.

I would see an orthopedic doc. Or, go to your GP and see about getting a referral.

I am in PT right now for mine and wear a traction device at times. ps) with time, meds and physical therapy...it has gotten better. I was also feeling suicidal.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Thanks for the informative reply!

You could be right, and I would pray that you are, but it`s been like this for quite some time now, and sometimes increasingly so. I also don`t have any particular numbness or weakness in my hand or arm. But it alternates a lot between intense pain and then tingling (like a restless limb) and then intense pain and it is only in my right arm and hand and parts of the right side of the shoulder/back area where my right arm ends, no other places on my body. No particular change with any movement, but I would say it is much more painful when resting, so have been trying to do chores all day. My whole hand and arm is affected, but it moves around a lot. I would say I feel it`s worst in the thumb, index and middle finger a long with parts of my upper arm. Could it still be a specific nerve (root) issue? I`m familiar with this type of pain (burning, pins and needles, aching) with my ME, but not this strong and certainly not this one-sided. I appreciate suggestions even though I know to not self diagnose!

It all sounds like pressure on the sixth cervical root from a C5-6 disc but ask your doctor. At least one person in four and maybe one in two will get this at some time.

 

[rosamary]

Whilst you are waiting to see your GP:

I have a problem with a nerve root around that c5/c6. It comes and goes. But I have found that if someone massages my spine as I stand (just circular movements with thumbs on either side of the spine) it can ease it.

But as you don't know until you see your GP what you are dealing with, I am just throwing that snippet into the pot.

 

[Mariah]

I hope you are all right allthough I have some doubts when reading up on this kind of nerve root pain. I hurt more in my armpits and where the lower part of my upper arm meets my shoulder/back, than in my neck area (allthough I have chronic neck pain), and also my whole hand and arm hurts and it moves around a lot, which seems to not correspond with any of the "maps" of nerve root pain originating in the neck. It also does not hurt any more if I turn my neck towards the painful arm. But I am no doctor and have no exprience with this, so I will see what my doctor says next week. I`ve also had a what I`ve thought was a chronic inflammation of some tendons in my wrist and elbow which`ve made my hand quite stiff and may be contributing to the pain, but it obviously is not the whole explanation. Thanks so much for all the input! I hope my doctor has an explanation and suggestions for what to do, or else I really don`t know what to do as it is intolerable at its worst.

 

[Little Bluestem]

Nerve pain will do what it d**n well pleases. If it gets really bad, go to the ER.

I have an extruded disc at L5-S1 that gets into my sciatic nerve. It got REALLY BAD at one point.

A physical therapist is the best thing for low back problems. I don't know if that is true for the upper back.