I wake up in the morning and my hands are very swollen and red, from being hot while I sleep. My right side always more than my left. Lately there have been lots of bumps so I was possibly suspecting chilblains but I don't think that's what it is. Either way, here's a picture of my right hand and the swelling particularly in my pinky.
And my fingers aren't usually sausage fingers.
490-IMAG0515.jpg (944 KB)Kalamazoo,
Do your hands also ache? I've been flaring at night in both my feet and hands and both are pretty sore in the morning... achy down deep inside. Since I'm newly diagnosed, I'm still figuring out what comes with it and what's still to come.
Thanks,
KC
Do you find any correlation between the amount of pain and the amount of computer keyboard work you do?
No I wish there was a correlation, then I would know how to reduce the swelling. But yes they ache pretty badly especially with I move them at all. My feet used to be the same but now I feel like it just localized in my hands.
Do you no longer have symptoms in your feet?
I wake every morning with swollen hands and feet. It hurts to walk or bend my fingers. It takes a few hours for the swelling to go completely down, then it returns when my hands or feet get too warm, especially after 4pm.
I usually wake up with red, swollen feet even tho I always sleep with them elevated. They usually get back to normal after having a cup or two of coffee. It has to be a mild coffee or one that isn't roasted very much. If I have something like Starbucks or Seattles Best or any flavored coffee then it will cause a very severely painful flare. The caffeine constricts the bloodvessels which seems to help me. I also have EM in my hands but the pain is completely different. My fingers get red but not swollen and the pain is more right to the bones and not quite so burning as in my feet. I found that by taking 2 regular aspirin that my pain will be relieved within 5 or 10 min. in my fingers. It doesn't seem to do anything when my feet are flaring. Strange, isn't it? Have you tried aspirin for your EM?
I tried aspirin when I first started getting symptoms but it never helped. That was three years ago and I haven’t taken anything since. Caffeine makes me heart go crazy so o avoid it at all cost. My feet and hands get the same symptoms but my hands almost always hurt because I use them more. My pinkies are both almost always swollen and when I wake up Im the morning its ten times worse. It’s weird because mostly my ring fingers and pinkies are affected. If I lower my hands below my heart at all when Im flaring they instantly pool and turn bright red, mg veins pop too.
Have you tried any anti-inflammatory diet changes? I've had some limited success with reducing sodium.
Yeah I have completely changed my diet. I get flares if I eat such foot or temperature wise hot foot or high fats. I had my see rate checked which tests for inflammation, what came back normal. I take plenty of vitamins but I think at this point I am just at a dead end. It keeps getting worse too. And I eat a very low sodium, fat, cholesterol and processed food diets. Also I barely eat any meat and try to rely on nuts and soy.
Have you tried meditating? I've had some success with brief meditation - for about 10-15 minutes. It seems to help speed up the process of getting over the flares.
My veins always pop out on my hands too and they go down when I put them up rather than down or horizontal. They usually aren't painful tho unless I am having an allergic reaction to something I have eaten or drank.
I don't eat processed foods or anything that is made with added salt & spices. I have found out from past experiences that I get severe flares from eggs and hydrogenated fats like margarine. Sometimes if I eat something that someone else has made I get swollen, inflamed feet the next day (about 20 to 24 hrs later). I think it's from the extra salt that I wouldn't have added if I had made it.
I do yoga for exercise and there is meditation involved in that which helps too!
I know this won't help much but I"ll share anyway.... my hands are always red, hot and swollen and sometihen mes I'm very self concious of it. My feet every night and every morning are red hot and sizzling I dread winter coming where we have to wear closed in shoes! When my hands get very hot they also get very tight. My whole body seems to be retaining fluid and when the rest of me gets hot, that too feels like its swollen up. No matter what I do I can't relieve it and just try to accept that this is the way its going to be. It's very depressing, when your body feels bloated, hot and uncomfortable.
Does the swelling only effect your fingers or does it effect your whole hand?
Good luck
I experience swelling, stiff fingers during a flare. But recently I have been experiencing achy, swollen, stiff fingers after a bad flare too. At times, my fingers are so swollen and sore, it is almost impossible to move them. I teach Kindergarten so this is very frustrating because I need to be able to move my hands freely to zip up coats, tie shoes, etc… I take aspirin and anti-inflams daily but it does not seem to help with the post flare swelling and pain in my fingers. I haven’t found anything that particularly helps me other than time between flares. I plan to ask the team of doctors that treat my EM if they have any ideas how to help. I’ll let you know if they do. In the meantime, hang in there.
I experience swollen, stiff fingers during a flare. But recently I have been experiencing achy, swollen, stiff fingers after a bad flare too. At times, my fingers are so swollen and sore, it is almost impossible to move them. I teach Kindergarten so this is very frustrating because I need to be able to move my hands freely to zip up coats, tie shoes, etc… I take aspirin and anti-inflams daily but it does not seem to help with the post flare swelling and pain in my fingers. I haven’t found anything that particularly helps me other than time between flares. I plan to ask the team of doctors that treat my EM if they have any ideas to help. I’ll let you know if they do. In the meantime, hang in there.
Have you tried lidocaine? It reduces the blood vessel dilation?
I use lidocaine patches and a topical aloe gel that has lidocaine. It helps the pain. But my fingers are still really hard to move. It is almost like an arthritic pain but it only happens after severe em flares so I’m sure it is related to the EM. Thanks for the suggestion. I appreciate all the help/insight I can get.
Both of you might want to consider some type of electrical stimulation to interfere with the pain process. I recently came across a paper here. http://www.painmed.org/2012posters/poster110.pdf
This was an invasive procedure for a severe case in legs. My thought in the case of pain in the hands, you could potentially do "noninvasive" electrical stimulation at the first sign of redness/pain and attaching electrodes to the outside of your wrists would interfere with the pain signals from the hands. It would be easy enough to get a trial prescribed by your EM doc through a physical therapist. PTs do this all the time for other injuries.
At any rate, something to think about.
Yes, I own a TENS unit so would be easy for me to try. Definitely worth a shot. Thanks!
Yes, I own a TENS unit so would be easy for me to try. Definitely worth a shot. Thanks!
And let us know what your results are… 
