Severe pain and stiffness in hands upon waking and at night

[CindyLee146]

I am a 44 year old woman who had a level one spinal fusion 3 months ago.  I have been on percocets daily ever since and about a month ago was put on lyrica.   I noticed severe pain and stiffness in my hands beginning once while in the hospital, then maybe once a week or so.  But about 2 weeks ago, it started happening everyday, especially worse in the morning when I wake and in the evenings when I finally sit back to relax and get still.  I am not sure if the pain is from one of the medications or from the surgery itself.  I am thinking either the percocet or the surgery though since I was experiencing the pain occasionally before the lyrica but it is hard for me to give up the percocet because I still have so much pain from the surgery without it.  Anyone else had this problem with percocet or lyrica or the ALIF surgery?  Any ideas or comments are welcome.  I am scheduled to visit my back dr next Tuesday.

[CindyLee146]

Thank you all for your response to my question.  The pain and stiffness is still there every morning and comes back at night.  It feels like my hands and feet are 10 times the size they really are and feels like i have concrete inside them when I try to move, making it very painful to use my hands or walk.  My back doctor said it sounded like arthritis to him and he prescribed Relafen twice a day and so far it isn't helping one bit.  He upped my Lyrica to 75mg twice a day now and I am still taking the percocet as well.  I have looked online and my symptoms seem to be just like the ones listed as fibromyalgia symptoms so I am going to make an appointment with my regular doctor on Monday and see if she can maybe run some tests to see what can be found and ruled out and go from there.  I am just worried that this is something I may have to get used to and it really scares me because it makes me miserable.

[namnam46]

Hi CindyLee,

First I want to welcome you to the Pain Management Forum and let you know that we are glad you found this Forum. I want to let you know that there are NO Doctors on this Forum only CP - Chronic Pain - Patients that help each other with our OWN expertise and experiences that we have developed through our OWN CP Issues.

I'm terribly sorry to hear about your hands.  I've been having the VERY same problems with my hands.  My PM Doctor is scheduling an MRI of my neck and middle back. There's ALSO the possibility that it could be Carpal Tunnel.  I will just have to wait to see.  I've been using Percocet 10/325 since last March.  I REALLY doubt that your meds are causing this BUT I'm NOT a Doctor.

As Mellie suggested, it sure wouldn't HURT to check with your Pharmacist. They are and UNBELIEVABLE fountain of knowledge!!  

PLEASE let us know what you find out as we are concerned about you.  :)

Looking forward to your update..........Sherry

[teacher517]

Have you seen a physical therapist?  Mine can usually figure it out.  Usually mine is due to my neck being so tight it cuts off the circulation to my hands.  You might want to try sleeping in a wrist splint.,  You may be bending it under you at night, compressing the nerves.  Good luck!

[mellie4]

Sorry to hear about your hands.  My most troublesome spot now is my hands and it's constant.  Maybe the problems with your hands is a separate issue not related to your surgery or your meds?  And you could call the pharmacist to see if the meds would cause that kind of side effect, though it sounds unusual.

The only suggestion I have in the meantime, until you see your doctor, is to try the ThermaCare hand wraps.  I've used them in the past and found them really helpful, especially for the stiffness.

Best of luck.