paresthesias in fingers

[doublevision1]

Those of you who know me know that I'm constantly complaining about my paresthesias.  It is by far the worst in my left hand.  That hand hasn't had normal sensation in over five years, and I don't expect it ever will again. My question is for those who may also have this symptom.  I have a constant feeling of pressure in my fingers, like they've got clothespins stuck on them.  Like MS hug of the hand.  The intensity ofthe pressure varies in finger to finger, from day to day, eg right now, my thumb and index finger feel like they're being squeezed the tightest, yesterday it was my pinkie finger.  I find it odd how it moves around.  I don't notice any kind of pattern or re: my level of fatigue or activity, time of day, timing or dose of medication (I take gabapentin and nortriptyline for it), etc.  

Any idea why it would vary in different fingers, and has anyone else experienced this?  I'm just curious about what others may have noticed.  I'm well beyond the point of ever expecting this symptom in general to remit or respond much to meds.  It is bloody relentless!

[Sierra28]

Yes!

And oddly enough, it seems to be the sx that baffles doctors most, that pressure feeling moving from one finger to the next. I also get this feeling like someone smashed my fingertip with a hammer...the ache, but without the throbbing. I'll just get it out of nowhere in one fingertip...it will eventually subside, then later it might happen to a different fingertip.

In my case, it's my left hand. Half of it is numb and I can never relax my fingers or make them totally flat/straight. If someone forces them straight, you can watch them slowly curl back up on their own. I drop everything I try to hold, especially small things -- lost a whole group of pills down the sink just yesterday because of it!

Most of the time it just aches the deepest most painful ache. Sometimes it's in my arm too, up to just past my elbow. And tremors in that hands never go away.

Sorry, that got lengthy -- it's just rare I can find someone who can relate!

[Runner999]

Regarding pain killers- prior to taking pills, I learned drugs like hydrocodone are potentially useful because they, like MS, act on the central nervous system. The research I found said that hydrocodone has been shown to mask the symptoms of MS. When I read that, I was like, that sounds like what I am looking for. It worked for me. And as for the weed smoking, it definitely relaxes the muscles in my hand. It's difficult to explain. I have pain in other parts of my body as well: my neck, back, knee, hip, the electric shock neck-to-spine thing, constant pain behind my eyes. Smoking takes the edge off of all the discomfort.

It's probably worth noting that, prior to my diagnosis, I was never a person who took prescription pills. Not ever. The only thing I dislike more than pills is needles. I am not taking MS medications of any kind so I don't have to worry about any adverse reactions between medications and any pain killers I might chose to use.  

[essdipity]

I haven't had trouble with my hands, I'm glad to say, but I do understand about paresthesias moving around somewhat. I have the same thing with my legs, especially the right leg. Severe burning pain on the skin, that can range from hip to toe sometimes, and more often, strips along the shin and inside of knee.

Apparently this is pretty much par for the course, from what I've been told. Nerve pain can migrate and change somewhat for reasons only it knows.

I haven't had a lot of luck with Lyrica, etc. Sometimes I don't need all that med, with its accompanying weight gain, and even high doses don't necessarily help with the worst times. I have found that cold packs take the edge off for me, so I always keep a few in the freezer. It's only temporary, of course, but sometimes that's enough.

ess

[normanclyde]

Great description.  Add doughy type..with the claw.
Clonidine was used to reset the nerves. Use 0.2  It unclawed my hands. Gabapentin gave some feeling back to fingers.
Hope others respond with solutions.

[doublevision1]

Wow, all of that sounds so familiar, that's the closest description to what I've got going on that I've ever heard.  Now i dont feel like such a freak, lol.  I had that claw hand thing too during an attack, and even now my hand just seems to revert to that claw position unless I consciously think about not doing that.

Funny you mention opiates.  The literature seems to suggest that they aren't beneficial for neurological pain, but the few times I've been on them for various other reasons, my hand felt so much more relaxed.  Not normal, but better.  

I've tried medical MJ (not mine, a friend's), and again, not normal sensation but more relaxed, and a different state of mind in which it didn't bother me that it didn't feel normal.  I was in the process of working with my GP to apply for approval for medical MJ from Health Canada, but moved to another city before it was done, so I need to restart the process with new GP or new neuro but not something I can bring up at first appt lest they think I'm a doctor shopping recreational user.  

I have also used Sativex, which is a synthetic form of THC in a mouth spray, but couldn't handle the taste or the mess it made of my mouth.

Well if you find something that helps you,I'd love to hear about it.  I've also tried Lyrica, Cesamet and Elavil, but couldn't the side effects.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Runner999]

Mid 40s male, similar symptoms in the same hand. Was officially diagnosed with MS in Oct. 2012 tho I suspect I may have had the disease for 20 years or more. Left arm is numb from my elbow to my fingertips. At all times, it feels like I have a tight glove covering my my entire hand and forearm. The feeling is slightly less bothersome when I first wake up in the morning. I do get pains in my fingers. Sometimes its a general soreness, other times its more of a shooting pain. When I experienced my first major exacerbation late last year, my hand turned into a claw and it hurt like hell 24/7 for a couple of months. Thats also the first time the banding or "hug" thing first appeared. So far, I've gotten it around my wrist and around my forearm just below my elbow. Feels like something about an inch wide is constantly squeezing those areas. Totally *****. Been researching drugs that lessen the discomfort. Opiate based pain killers definitely work. So does smoking weed, but ymmv.