Can't Control Handwriting - Hands

Question

I'm a 27 year old healthy female. I do data entry for work so I type a lot. Well about a year ago I noticed I started losing control of my handwriting (right handed). I have no pain any other time, typing, doing anything else except handwriting. 

I can't describe it other than it feels like I've lost control of my writing. I visualize the letter I'm going to write...and it's as if my hand just jumps and it doesn't make the shape I'm looking to make. Almost like my brain isn't communicating with my hand...I have to concentrate really hard to write. Lots of white-out and erasing, and frustration.

The only way I feel I have control is to squeeze really hard, or put my elbow in the air, but either way it gets so tight and the pain shoots up to my elbow, and I have to stop almost after every letter. It's so frustrating! I've tried different pens, ballpoint, gel, ones with large grips on them..nothing helps. I don't have any reading or learning disabilities, was a straight A student and great speller. I have to go VERY slow when I write or it just looks like scribbling. 

What could this be? I'm afraid if I talk to my doctor they'll think I'm crazy. I spoke with my mother and she said she had something called Chorea or St. Vitus' dance when she was a teen which spawned from Rheumatic fever. Could it be that I got something genetically from that?

prismperfect · Answer

Hi all! I wanted to update since I've gotten several messages. Since then I was able to get help and a diagnosis. I had a neurologist who was trying me on many medications, Prednisone, Lyrica, Klonopin, etc. They made me feel awful and didn't help. I went to physical therapy and they didn't know what to do with me. I kept pushing the Focal Hand Dystonia diagnosis through lots of research, and the doctor diagnosed me, I was right! O found that the only fix to date that I've seen is Botox injections. Finally they forwarded me to a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic that handles dystonia. They started by disabling the muscle with botox in my arm that handles the trigger finger (pointer finger), that didn't help. I suggested we try to disable the muscle that's involved in the wrist extensor (lifting my wrist in the air). Finally this worked, I could write again! I can't tell you how much I cried, I was so happy after a year of being shoved from doctor to doctor. You really do have to be your own advocate and do the research and tell them what you want to try, this problem is such an anomaly that it comes across so little they just don't know what to do. Luckily my insurance covers the injections as they aren't cheap, after my deductible I think I end up paying about $400 a year for 2 of them. I get them every 5 months in my forearm and I'm good as new.   BONUS UPDATE: They're free! Botox will reimburse if their product is used for Dystonia.  Just file your EOB with insurance and they load it onto a card that can be used for the next treatment: botoxsavingscard.com

I can't lift my middle finger and that arm is weak lifting things, and sometimes I have trouble moving the computer mouse, but at least I can work! It's not a cure but it's a patch for me. If your doctor or family thinks you're crazy, go to a neurologist and mention Focal Hand Dystonia and proceed after that.  Hope that helps!

salman9211 · Answer

ahhh thank you so much for sharing this, I have the same problem and I though a lot about changing my writing hand. I am a lefty and INSHALLAH now I will try to be a righty as well. Could you pl tell me how long u took for this shift.

din190837 · Answer

hi..nw hope u got the solution of your problem.Not only u some others r also there who r facing such a frustrated problem .i was aldo suffering from this problem.There was problem in holding pen n lack of control while writing .it seems that something is there which is against wht u want to write .Finger loose its control n sometimes cant hold the pen firmly.Fingers not supporting what we want to write.Do many things to solve the problem bt totally waste.i was totally demoralised n it also seems to be effect my carrier.i was suffering from.this problem sibce my school life.Finally one idea come in my mind.As i m righty I write with my right hand.then i changed my hand instead of writing with right hand i use my left hand for writing purpose.initially it look very odd in doing so.But after regular practice u can overcome this.nw i got this standby option.i think that this problem is my right hand only.nw after long practice i can write with my left hand very well n very fast.its rise a new hope inside me.so it is suggested u to try to write with ur left hand.and if u hv any other better permanent solution please intimate me....bye tc

anuragsrivastava · Answer

Hi, Thank you for your question. Your symptoms could be due to writer's cramp that is due to involuntary muscle contraction called dystonia. This may be affected by writing specific letters, the position of the hand, and is often relieved when you stop writing. It is difficult to find any specific cause for writer's cramp, however Botox injections may be some help to prevent the contraction from occurring. I would recommend evaluation by a neurologist that may benefit you. I hope you find the information I have provided useful. Take Care.

Juliesw · Answer

OMG!! This post from 2010 about Focal hand dystonia just made my day! My hand just keeps getting weaker with my writing and I get severe cramp after each letter! So excited I was right thinking I had this. Now I can talk to my doctor about it!

cantgetwrite · Answer

Is the weakness very noticeable with your grasp using the Botox? I have the same thing. Death grip on the pen, and elbow in the air to keep my hand from jerking around when writing. First thought dysgraphia because that's the first and most common topic that pops up. But I never really thought I had problems with organizing thoughts when writing, so now I'm digging deeper. I've always had terrible handwriting and HEAVY pressure. Handwriting was decent in HS due to more frequent writing, but it was VERY slow in order to be pretty. Started noticing it becoming more difficult to control my hand when I was writing less. I went to dental hygiene school in my 30's and had classmates "jokingly" ask if I'd had a stroke because of my writing. I don't know what possessed me to choose this profession as it is impacted by the same fine motor control issues. I'm slower than most. I guess it only occurred to me as a handwriting problem before. I'm 45 now and have my elbow in the air when I'm cleaning people's teeth, which I believe is causing shoulder problems and now developing into finger tingling/numbness. I would totally do Botox.

djaponezu · Answer

Hello! I'm 55 yo and I've had this problem since I was 18-19 or so. It got worse in time until I almost totally lost control of my right hand when trying to write. Apart from that, I have full control of it. I regularly go to the gym and lift weights. At work, I'm using a computer most of the time. During the past 15 years I have been practicing writing with my left hand, which I can control 100%. However, when writing with my left hand, my right hand has spasms as if trying to burst into writing, if you understand what I mean. Anyway, I'm currently using my left hand when I need to write smth. down but for most of the time I work on the computer so it's OK. 
I totally quit drinking alcohol in 2007 but before that I had noticed that a certain amount of alcohol was making those symtoms disappear. I was able to write again when under the influence. 
Now I would not in any case advise you to take up drinking. Learning to write with your other hand would be a solution.

apotheke · Answer

I have the same condition. I went through Landau-Kleffer Syndrome as a child. I was never able to write properly or string a sentence together. At 42 I had a temporal lobectomy. Things got worse. I sign stuff but that's about it. Pain in my thumb after a couple of words, letters slung forwards and backwards. At 60 they tell me I've fibromyalgia. No cure. Just lyrica to ease the pain.

fabiancashboy · Answer

Hi everyone, I'm Fabian Chima 26 years of age, from Nigeria. I'm a 300L student of the University of Lagos (unilag). I have the same hand writing problem which made me drop out of school. I'm so frustrated and depressed because of this HR problem. I need help please. Thank you!

tahir183 · Answer

Please drink water after each and every half hour. You will feel much better. . InshAAllah. Ok.  Tahir

Shoaib02 · Answer

I am facing the same problem since few years. Had been a brilliant student throughput my academic.Now feeling a huge upset, because cannot write with fluency. Even pen drops from my grip during writing. Someone to suggest a practicable solution please.

Juliahsun · Answer

All the medications and treatments mentioned by people here do not solve the root cause of the problem but may make it worse in the long term!
I had the same handwriting and other related hand (arm) problems before and saw doctor and neurologist. Nothing helped. But I finally figured out the ways to return my arm and hand back to normal. The symptoms show in your hands, but the problems are most likely in your shoulders, neck, or spine that affect your arm and hand nerves. It may be not easy, but you do need to find the real spot in your body that caused the problem and know the ways to cure. Julia H. Sun

sabutu · Answer

i am a 26 yr old Ghanaian with the same inability to control my hand. I graduated from University for Development Studies as a nurse but now i have to go through serious frustrations day in day out as i strangle to write. people laugh at my writing n i sometimes have cry in my room cos i can just  withstand it.
i tried learning with d left but it might take longer than i think. 
please where can i fine the doctor n if possible the treatment?
thank you

malcorry · Answer

If I wrote a comment it would be exactly as you explained. I'm 46 and lost my RH writing over 5 days when 17 in final school year. Single, living alone, no relationships, it has controlled my life. In late 1980's Doctors checked for Parkinson's and MS but had no idea so I found work which did not require much hand writing.

Kloeks · Answer

I am a 51-year old male. It happened to me when I was 20. During that time I was working in a Bank. I was a normal person living a normal life, until one day I suddenly could not write my name. I was shocked and confused. I had to develop new ways to handle a pen, because I was not able to write like I used to. In fact I couldn’t write anything at all. But I kept it a secret. I didn’t want anyone to know about it. That made me nervous and anxious. 

2 Years later I went for full time studies to become a teacher. My years of studies were difficult times. When socializing I was in the centre of things, but in class I was quiet and anxious.  Other students wouldn’t understand what I was going through. It was even harder when I started to work as a teacher. I always withdrew from other teachers. When writing or doing admin, I always wanted to be alone, too scared they would find out I have a “disability”.  Life was never easy. 

I went to see a doctor once, but he just laughed at me. Then he referred me to a psychologist, but she wanted to treat me for depression. That is when I decided to accept my problem and to live with it. It was only 5 years ago when I started to tell my employers, family and closest friends about my problem. I should have done it years ago. 

I do my signature and the marking of my pupils books with my left hand. All my admin is done on computer. My headmaster and some of my colleagues (those who know) are very supportive. I’m have a wonderful loving wife.

prismperfect · Answer

Hi, since then I was able to get help. I had a neurologist who was trying me on many medications, Prednisone, Lyrica, Klonopin, etc. They made me feel awful and didn't help. I went to physical therapy and they didn't know what to do with me. I kept pushing the Focal Hand Dystonia diagnosis through lots of research, found that the only fix to date that I've seen is botox injections. Finally they forwarded me to a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic that handles dystonia. They started by disabling the muscle with botox in my arm that handles the trigger finger (pointer finger), that didn't help. I suggested we try to disable the muscle that's involved in the wrist extensor (lifting my wrist in the air). Finally this worked, I could write again! I can't tell you how much I cried, I was so happy after a year of being shoved from doctor to doctor. You really do have to be your own advocate and do the research and tell them what you want to try, this problem is such an anomaly that it comes across so little they just don't know what to do. Luckily my insurance covers the injections as they aren't cheap, after my deductible I think I end up paying about $400 a year for 2 of them. I get them every 5 months in my forearm and I'm good as new. I can't lift my middle finger and that arm is weak lifting things, and sometimes I have trouble moving the computer mouse, but at least I can work! It's not a cure but it's a patch for me. Hope that helps!

TCurtice · Answer

I know your comments were posted several years ago and I hope that you are possibly still on this site.  I have the same exact problem as you.  Right now my doctor as me on methotrexate because he said my RA factor was elevated. I've only taken it for two weeks and my handwritting seems to be even worse.   I STILL think it's a disconnect between my hand and brain.  This is extremely frustrating!

prismperfect · Answer

Oh my god...thank you Dr. Srivastava. I started looking online about what you described, focal hand dystonia (writer's cramp)...all the descriptions describe it EXACTLY. I'm going to print this out and show the doctor when I have the followup for the MRI. I tried looking online before but could never really figure out what to search for to get something that matched.

Thank you thank you...I hope now I can get a fix for it!

prismperfect · Answer

Just as an update to this, I've since had nerve conductive tests done, those came back normal. They did an x-ray, nothing was found. I had an MRI done today and I'm waiting to hear back on it. 

My general doctor even started me on Prednisone for two weeks and that was a nightmare..NEVER again. Horrible pill, made me paranoid, depressed, hallucinate, extremely anxious, and hyperactive all at the same time. And didn't help at all, don't know why they gave it to me, they said it was for swelling of which I had none so that irritated me a lot!

I'm just so frustrated, I know this isn't in my head and something is wrong, it's very uncomfortable to write. Hopefully I'll get an answer from this MRI, the orthopedic doctor feels it may be a small cyst so hopefully it's as simple as that!

morning319 · Answer

This sounds like you should see a neurologist, it doesn't sound like carpel tunnel to me.  Your GP won't think your crazy, type your notes and questions so when you see your Dr. you will have all your symptoms in order. Try to remember exactly when it started and how long you have been dealing with this problem.  This is serious because it affects work, which could make working impossible if it continues.  They will most likely to an EMG to see if nerves in your arm are affected.  Good luck!  Oh and if you don't get taken seriously get another opinion.

prismperfect · Answer

I could be wrong but I don't think it's carpal tunnel, I don't have any pain when typing at all, no tingling or any of the normal CT symptoms. It's almost like a mis-communication is how I can describe it, in that split second my brain is going "okay make the letter 8", and I concentrate on doing that, and it comes out looking all crooked and wobbly, that's the only way I can describe it. Almost like the letters aren't coming out as I intended or visualized, or mid-letter my hand just does a tiny jump and screws up the letter that way..so weird!

rumpled · Answer

You do a lot of data entry - what about carpel tunnel? It may be something more physical than mental.
Try getting a wrist support and sleeping with that, and seeing if that helps your writing.

Your doc may not think you are crazy - it is pretty common.