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903476 tn?1242237037

Why are my fingers so skinny?

I have noticed that over the past few months my ring size has changed I was a comfortable size 10 for the past decade since my hypothyroid diagnosis so it's likely not water retention since I lost 3 sizes and water it's normally half a size. I've worked in the jewelry industry for years and I know it's very not normal to drop 3 sizes nearly 4 since a size 7 fits loosely now without any dramatic weight loss and as far as I'm aware I have not lost any weight.  I have a problem with clothing sizes because I can wear a 16 to a 22 depending on what the item is so I wear a lot of stretchy stuff cant tell if my yoga pants are and looser.
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Avatar universal
I can only say that if you lose weight, your fingers will indeed lose fat as well.  I have a problem with my wedding ring because I got married while taking a medication that had caused me to gain a lot of weight and when I stopped the med I lost most of that weight quickly and my ring no longer fit.
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4 Comments
Problem is all my clothes still fit just fine jeans and what not just my fingers are getting smaller this is why I'm confused you cant lose weight off your hands unless you lose body weight. I am not losing body weight just hand weight.
Check out this. It suggests that there is something that was causing them to swell in the first place that is now better, so they are not swelling.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/385753-can-you-lose-weight-in-your-hands/
I already read that before I even posted because nothing in the article helped me.
I took from the article that if the hands unexpectedly go from larger to a more average size, it's often more of a positive signal than a negative signal; can't remember the exact words but the article said that when there is a problem, the effect is usually the hands swelling, not shrinking. Maybe your new meds have improved something about water in the tissues but somehow it shows up mostly in your hands. I know you said this cannot be because you haven't lost weight elsewhere, but I can tell you from personal experience that it's possible for the hands to respond to a bodily condition by swelling even when much of the rest of the body isn't showing the same effect. Maybe something has changed for the better.
973741 tn?1342342773
That is very strange.  I agree.  My fingers reflect what else is going on with me weight wise and don't usually go rogue like that.  I lost about 35 pounds a few years ago and was surprised and shocked when all of my shoes were then too large.  My shoe size went from 7/7.5 to 8 only after I had my two kids and stayed that way.  I had always heard that feet often got bigger do to pregnancy due to the hormones that prepare the body for birth.  Just assumed that was what happened. Nope.  I am just a chub chub.  Hey, I'm back in size 8.  What does that tell you.  Ha.

Okay, back to your finger. What about temperature changes?  When cold, my fingers shrink.  However, this would not be the first season for that to happen to you, I'm sure. The process of that is blood vessel constriction which happens to keep your core warm.  Could you have blood vessel constriction for some other reason causing the fingers to shrink? Think they call this vasoconstriction. Are you on a low sodium diet?  Doing any diuretics?

I do think it is worth mentioning this to your doctor.  I hope you let me know what they say!  
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1 Comments
Well I live in Alberta so major temperature changes and massive drop in temp are normal it's -25c right now.  As for diuretics nope none of my meds or supplements should have any in them it's mostly just vitamin d and collagen. As for my diet I've been on a "thyroid" diet from my doctor for 14 years but no it's not low sodium but as I said water retention will only give you about a half a size change and I've gone down almost 4 sizes. That like losing 8 dress sizes. Look like I'm gonna have to drag my ass to the clinic in a dead of a Canadian  winter.
134578 tn?1693250592
Are you doing less with your hands than you used to? (Like, have you dropped a hobby that is done with the hands?)
Helpful - 0
5 Comments
Well I have gotten De Quervain's tenosynovitis but that in my thumbs and wrists but that shouldn't cause shrinking it causes swelling.  
Maybe it has gotten better. The website I referenced above suggests that the problem that hands get is swelling, and if they are shrinking it means something has improved, as in, meds are changed and the new one doesn't cause the swelling, or medical condition that caused the swelling is improved. A size 7 ring is more or less average, the larger size ring is the size that suggests an issue versus a size 7.
Except I was a size 10 for years like more then a decade the I only got the De Quervain's tenosynovitis three years ago and it is far from better it's much worse and yes I'm on new meds but my fingers were a sized 10 before I was even given the old drug let alone the new one. Yes size 7 is average size for woman but I don't have average body  4"9 and over 200lbs I think I don't own a scale.
Maybe the new meds are simply having a positive impact on your hands (even if not your whole body). I'd certainly talk to the doctor about it, but from reading people's blogs about weight and the look of their hands, them going down in size is often an improvement signal, not worrisome like the hands going up in size can be. See what the doc says.
"...the problem that hands get is swelling, and if they are shrinking it means something has improved..."
That's very compelling logic, Annie. Good thinking.
363281 tn?1643235611
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hello~I would talk to the doctor about this. It may just be a water-retention issue, I have lost weight in my tummy but my ring size stays the same due to humidity, etc. I think it is worth mentioning.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Water retention wouldn't last my whole life then suddenly stop for no reason in my 40's.  Swelling due to water weight will give you half a size not nearly 4 sizes losing that it like losing 8 dress sizes that like easy a 60lbs loss.  It not my rings are a little tight I can put rings that I couldn't even get half way down my pinky now fit my ring finger loosely. And I live in Alberta we don't have humidity here it's just always dry AF damn winter cold.
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