Sore Arm

[dodo50]

I was diagnosed with MS 7 years ago and up to now seem to be coping very well, but recently  i have had a sore left arm, not the right arm just the left, i worry as this can be a sign of heart issues, but then again this may be a result of my MS, as i am new to all this i`m not sure if this is normal part of MS, it`s a dull ache and is in the middle of the arm, can anyone give any help or advice regarding this, i would be very grateful.

[doublevision1]

Dodo, to answer your further questions, yes I do actually get that heaviness sensation, numbs fingers and cold hands, again more on the left side.  I just have so much going on in that arm and those symptoms are less pronounced and less troublesome compared to the raw and squeezing sensations.

[doublevision1]

I should add, I'm in the process of applying for medical marijuana which is legal throughout Canada.  It's possible that the side effects won't be as troublesome as the synthetic THC.  Although legal, I understand that many patients in Alberta have a hard time getting their doc to sign the federal government forms.  And given I'm in the process of moving (within the province), I will hold off till I have a new doc, and of course i will need to develop a relationship first before I raise the issue.

[doublevision1]

Hey Kyle, yes I was on amitriptyline up to 60 mg in conjunction with the gabapenin for years.  I'm also at 3600 mg daily of the gaba.  The amitriptyline was causing urinary retention which was mostly just annoying but I was concerned it might start leading to infections, soi switched to the nortriptyline.  It gives me about the same degree of relief without the annoying side effect.

I've also tried Sativex, a synthetic form of THC, which I don't think you can get in the U.S., and also a pill form of this THC, the name of which is escaping me, and Lyrica.  Had to stop all due to stop all due to side effects.  I've tried several sessions of acupuncture with zero benefit.  Like I said, I think this frustrating symptom and the lack of much relief will drive me mad.  Thank you though, Kyle, for the suggestion, and I'm glad to hear you do well with the addition of amitriptyline.

Sorry dodo, for hijacking your thread!

[kwarendorf]

When my hands get cold it seems like it takes forever for them to warm up ince I'n inside. Sometimes just sitting in side I notice my hands are cold. I don't get the numbness though. Once upon a time I was afraid this was a circulation issue. Seems my circulation is just fine, which leaves MS :-)

DV- Have you tried other med cocktails for you pain? I had pretty annoying neuropathic foot pain. i stated with 300mg Gabapentin alone, which did nothing. I worked my way up to 3600mg/day and still not much relief. Then I added amitriptilyne (also an anti-depressant like nortriptyline) to the gabapentin, 25mg/day at first and now 50mg/day. That seems to have been the magic combo! Maybe switiching the nortriptyline for amitriptilyne might help?

Kyle

[dodo50]

Hi, thank you for your reply, your information did help some what, but the pain is like my left arm is very heavy feeling and the tips of my fingers on this arm also go numb and my hand feels really cold, is this some thing you experience as well?

[doublevision1]

Hi dodo50,
you should probably be seeing your GP/primary care doctor for an evaluation.  There are probably many possible culprits, MS being just one of them.  If this is a new MS symptom, this may indicate an acute relapse and IV steroids might be useful.  However it might be something else entirely.

I have chronic pain in both hands and arms, though mild on the right and much worse on the left side.  My pain is diffuse, from my fingertips to my elbow, and waxes and wanes in intensity throughout the day.  The best way I can describe it is that the skin feels raw, as if from an abrasion, and feels like there's something gritty all over it like grains of sand, and feels like I'm wearing a glove on top of all that, then feels like it's permanently squeezed in a vise grip.  I also feel a pinching sensation on my fingertips, like there are clothespins stuck on them.  And there are large patches of numbness.  It's like layers if various weird sensations.  

I treat it with modest relief from a combo of gabapentin and nortriptyline.  Sometimes wrapping it in an Ace bandage helps (seems counterintuitive but sometimes helps); sometimes an ice pack helps; sometimes taking a bath and immersing my limbs in tepid water helps, sometimes all of these tricks only make it worse.  This started with a relapse in 2008 and has been continuous, as in 24/7, since onset.  Sometimes I think it will truly drive me mad!  Does any of this sound familiar or is your pain entirely different?