My finger hurts!

[Sidesteps]

This is absolutely the silliest thing to me but I'm a bit uncomfortable and wondering if someone here might have an idea what this could be... I have no idea the cause but it's similar to a couple other issues I've had during "flares" in the past.

A little history: My last Neuro treated my tremors.  I was getting some pains that felt like a deep throbbing in my fore-arm and bicep. I have been a good girl in taking my tremor medicine up until this last week and then I've missed a few doses. I take propanolol. It definitely helps my trermors but not really any other symptoms the doctor thought might be related to migraines. I am not sure of the timing but I haven't really had that deep throbbing pain since starting to take this medicine. The Neuro said the pain I spoke about was related to tremors but I've never heard of them being painful. Have you?

Anyway --- last Thursday I took some photo's at my kids football/cheer practice and later noticed a throbbing pain in my right middle finger. I thought it was related to holding the camera in a strange position. The throbbing pain is pretty bad, enough to wake me at night. My finger/hand feels heavy and like it doesn't want to "work" right now...and it seemed to be affecting my forearm a bit as well.  Ibuprophen doesn't help. Propanolol doesn't help. It doesn't hurt to the touch. I can pinch, push and pull the finger.  It does seem to be uncoordinated and sometimes aches when I move it certain directions. Mostly, it's just this throbbing pain in between the two joints...and a strange heaviness to it.

My tremor's are worse when I don't take the medicine but since the medicine doesn't seem to help the finger/hand/forearm I'm thinking these are unrelated.

I have had an increase symptoms and it's been hot here. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any ideas?

[michelleric]

Ok, wierd.  I had this EXACT thing happen many months back.  I should go try to find this post.  In my mind I thought I was starting to have RA and freaked out. (My mind tends to go to the worst scenarios these days )

Went to PCP, thought I might have knocked it hard or something. (Yes, the pain kept me up at night as well).  Couldn't bend it, finger throbbed, just awful.

I had an appt with Neuro about 2 weeks later, finger didnt "hurt" the same way any longer, but the skin felt like it was on fire.  Kind of like my TN but on my finger.  

I mentioned it, and she said it most likely was an MS thing because of the "skin" sensation. She thought is was strange, and of course went away, and never returned.

So thats the long story.  My finger was also my middle finger on my right hand? (Maybe the 2 of us are using that finger to often?! ;)

Gotta go look for my post,
Feel better,
Michelle

[angela5674]

I can't speak for the heaviness feeling, but maybe the throbbing is actually nerve pain?  I get that off and on (more currently "on" nowadays).  I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a throbbing...to me I describe it as feeling like an ice pick is poking around my finger (or wherever it randomly creeps up) from the inside.  Sometimes this can be VERY painful and last several minutes or more!  Other times it's just a minor annoyance and last a few seconds.

Either way, sorry you're having to deal with this!
Angela

[Sidesteps]

Thank you Ren... I will check it out.

[rendean]

The origin of the tendons in the hand are found in the forearm extending to the elbow. If your spasms were in the forearm then it only stands to reason that a malfunction anywhere along this tract may cause symptoms in spots that seem unrelated. Wikipedia has an excellent illustration of the tendon origins and the muscles of the forearm:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensor_digitorum_muscle

Maybe this tidbit of information can help you figure out the cause and description so your doc can help you with treatment.

Ren

[Sidesteps]

I just would have thought if it was a sprang the ibuprophen would have helped. It didn't touch it. Odd.

[Sidesteps]

I am wondering that as well. :) It's just the strangest throb. It pulses, kinda like a spasm.

I am so terrible at describing stuff like this. lol

[momma2494]

Hope you feel better soon.  I don't have an answer to your question.  Maybe it is just a sprain from holding the camera in a weird way?