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Bumps on fingers...

Messages
43
Does anyone else get little bumps on your fingers, near the joints, that itch and hurt (at different times). They come and go and often remind me of cold sores, but without the weeping blisters. The bumps just are hard and sometimes come in small clusters. My doctor called them "stress bumps," and said they were benign. Anyone else? They drive me NUTS!
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I dont get them at all nowdays but used to get them early in my ME. The ones I used to get would all cluster on my fingers in the same place as yours, very little hard like tapioca looking bumps. Sounds like the same thing. I too got told they are due to stress but another doctor said it was thought to be some kind of viral cause for bumps like this.

I wish I knew the proper name for these.
 
Messages
15,786
I get them from touching mango sap. But I also have had random cases that don't seem connected with mango-groping. When I read about the mechanism, I think the general gist was that it was an immune response to the irritant, with the body creating the little pockets under the skin to isolate the irritant. The mango ones would weep and spread if I scratched and broke them, and sometimes spread under the skin without breaking if there was too much pressure on them. The non-mango ones seem to start and stay under the skin for me, but look and feel exactly the same.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I just found a picture of what the bumps I had looked like esp on this persons finger. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dyshidrosis.JPG (but my patches of them on fingers were probably a bit closer together thou that person has a few close on their finger).

If that is what I used to get on and off.. I have to laugh as the prevalence for this problem is apparently only one person in every 5000. (ironically I always seem to get uncommon illnesses and nothing common).

Anyone else have any ideas of what lumps like this could be. (they'd only last a couple of weeks in my case but would reincur at times).
 
Messages
15,786
Yeah, that's the buggers :p Mine only show up on the sides of my fingers and toes (I kicked a fallen mango once), never had it on my palms despite plenty of contact there.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
Hi, another one of my weird symptoms that appears to be more common than I thought. I used to get it very bad, regularly, but now I get it sometimes. They are like raised bumps with hollow centres. They itch, they hurt, they are so annoying. I have never got them anywhere but my fingers. Nobody has ever figured out what they are. It might be dyshidrosis as suggested, but for me the bumps cluster - very many in small areas, bump on top of bump. I find it hurts more when on the knuckles as it hurts when I flex my fingers. Bye, Alex
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
God i love this forum! Another strange symptom that appeared wehn i was first ill with M.E and then went down as i got better, cleared up in remmission and came back 3 years ago just before my severe and long lasting relapse.
Mine are only on the sides of my fingers and only on 2 of them, mine never cracked or looked like eczema, but did itch and weep slightly. I had large bumpy ones and also smaller tapioca like ones with hollow centres. Ive never mentioned it to a doctor as i know they allready think im crazy enough!
I wonder how many more of us have had this and wether those of us who do have other things in common with our illness -like a subset thing. I personally think it could be viral, a bit like warts is.
All the best, Justy.
 
Messages
43
Wow!

This is unbelievable! I searched the internet for days and couldn't find anything about them, but what you all have described is exactly what I experience! The picture is similar to mine, but like others, I only get them on the SIDES of my fingers, mostly near the joints. They get worse when my other symptoms get worse, and they will ALMOST go away (one or two are ALWAYS there) for a few weeks at a time. Amazing!

Michelle in CA
 

Enid

Senior Member
Messages
3,309
Location
UK
I also had bumps/nodules in odd places - when very ill in the nose - felt exactly like herpes pains but just very sore and never broke the surface. Felt certain it was related to the Herpes virus. (not simplex)
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
Hi Enid, when i was at my most ill i had horrible reccuring nasal ulcers that were very painful, that was back when i had continous lung infections or stomach viruses - i never seem to get any of those things now but still am not anywhere near well.

Michelle -its so reassuring isn't it to know that others have the same weird symptoms as ourselves, for me it validates my experience and makes me feel less neurotic.
All the best, Justy.
 

RustyJ

Contaminated Cell Line 'RustyJ'
Messages
1,200
Location
Mackay, Aust
I got them regularly twice a year, beginning and end of summer on hands and feet. In the final stages they would crust over and get a fairly sore. Had them for ten years or more, prior to real onset of ME and for some years after. I always associated them with ME, but I think I developed ME years before I got the major onset. Doctor said they were sweat rash. I don't think he knew. Why would I get them at the end of summer when things were cooling down?
 

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
I just found a picture of what the bumps I had looked like esp on this persons finger. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dyshidrosis.JPG (but my patches of them on fingers were probably a bit closer together thou that person has a few close on their finger).

If that is what I used to get on and off.. I have to laugh as the prevalence for this problem is apparently only one person in every 5000. (ironically I always seem to get uncommon illnesses and nothing common).

Anyone else have any ideas of what lumps like this could be. (they'd only last a couple of weeks in my case but would reincur at times).

Interesting pic, happy I never had that.

GG
 

merylg

Senior Member
Messages
841
Location
Sydney, NSW, Australia
I have also had these itching little weeping blisters! on fingers & palms of hands at times, usually with red & raw rash as well. Looks like contact dermatitis and would sometimes be exacerbated by detergents & hospital handwashes etc.

I found it to be a manifestation of a true allergy to white potato (potatin protein) in certain varieties of white potatoes, which I consumed nearly every day of my life!!!

Rash would heal from red raw & weeping, in one week off these white potatoes (the ones that are sold with dirt still on them). My Allergist/Immunologist said it was a "true" allergy. I think, but cannot be sure, that it is a type of Psoriasis called Palmar Psoriasis. Growing up I used to get flexural eczema too at elbows and knee joints. I now think that was also an unusual form of Psoriasis called Invert Psoriasis...but once again I am not sure.

I don't have the classic white shiny scaley Psoriasis, but my brother does have it.

All very weird!!! I have had residual bit of rash on hand, which is clearing on wheat-free diet now!

meryl
 
Messages
36
Does anyone else get little bumps on your fingers, near the joints, that itch and hurt (at different times). They come and go and often remind me of cold sores, but without the weeping blisters. The bumps just are hard and sometimes come in small clusters. My doctor called them "stress bumps," and said they were benign. Anyone else? They drive me NUTS!

These may be associated with a herpes viral infection (HSV 1 or 2). HSV can be contracted from contact with saliva or other body fluids. It is possible to infect oneself (autoinoculation). I use drops of lugol's iodine directly on these bumps, once a day for two or three days running, and it quickly stops them from continuing/progressing. Iodine has strong antiviral properties.