Pregnancy Carpal Tunnel?

[Carrie12345]

Have any of you dealt with this? How did you cope?

 

When I told my mw about my arm/hand issues, she immediately suggested carpal tunnel. I thought she was nuts b/c 1- it's in my non-dominant arm, and 2- I'm really not one for repetitive motions. :tongue_smilie:

Yet, after poking around online, it really does all add up! And it's flipping miserable!!!

 

My mw recommended an herbal supplement, but I haven't been able to find any matching advice online, and I'm really not one to take much of anything during pregnancy. The idea of splinting at night sounds nearly as uncomfortable as the tingling, but I'm thinking of trying an ace bandage tonight, just to serve as a reminder to keep my wrist in a neutral position.

 

I'm not due until the end of Dec/beginning of Jan, and I'm really starting to worry about dealing with this for the next few months... if not longer!

[Heatherwith4]

I did with my first two pregnancies. With the first one, I was working and having to do a lot of typing. To be honest, I didn't really do anything for it. So, no advice, but :grouphug: It is seriously no fun!

Are you having any swelling? My Dr. mentioned that the tingling was often related to swelling. I had severe pre-eclampsia with both of those pg.

[TN Mama]

:grouphug: I experienced this with my first pregnancy. It was so uncomfortable I did use the splint and though it took a few nights to get used to having it on, I felt better using it.

 

Good luck!

[Sara in AZ]

I had some trouble with this at the end of my first pregnancy. It was just one more miserable thing to put up with. I think I did wear a splint that I had lying around and it helped. Otherwise I am no help. Hang in there, though. There are so many ways to be miserable in pregnancy. :-(

[runmiarun]

I have this only when I am pregnant. I wear the splint at night. It makes a huge difference. I don't have the patience during the day to wear it but I do limit my keyboarding/mousing time. Mine has typically gone away about 2 weeks after delivery. It switches hands with each pregnancy, which I find disconcerting. It was my right hand with dc1, left hand with dc2, left hand with dc3, and now right hand with dc4. I'm a righty so I have no clue how to explain the occurrence in my left hand unless it's related to the way I sleep at night. I don't take anything for it, either. I have taken a Tylenol or generic Tylenol occasionally if it tends to wake me up at night.

[tiredbuthappy]

I had terrible Carpel with my first and last, but the first was by far the worst. It was really only at night. I would wake up with throbbing wrists and I just didn't understand it - how could I get Carpel at night in both hands??? Anyway, the doc gave me a "soft" splint. It was like a brace, I guess, but without a hard splint in it. It really did help to have it on. With my last pregnancy, it wasn't as bad. I just made sure to rest my hands level with my body when sleeping, not to rest them up on my pillow. If they were up on my pillow, the Carpel was really bad.

 

HTH. Good luck!

[tampamommy]

Yes, I had this the last couple months of my first pregnancy. It is not pleasant. The best thing I found is to try to avoid the movements that caused the most pain (I know that means almost everything!) It is very slow to heal. Sorry.:grouphug:

 

You might want to try drinking decaffeinated green tea (cold or hot). Used daily, it's pretty good at reducing inflammation in the body.

[jenL]

I had this pretty severely with both of my pregnancies, so I slept with my splint on every night. It helped tremendously.

[hillfarm]

Consider getting massage therapy for the scalene muscles in your neck and the flexors and extensors in your forearm and use an ice pack on your wrist area. Often times when I was a massage therapist, I had people come in with carpal tunnel pain that was actually being referred from nerve entrapment or impingement elsewhere.

 

Be aware of how you are sleeping at night and whether you are placing any unusual strain on your neck trying to get comfortable with your changing body. Also, any wringing or twisting motions with your hand often translate into trouble with the forearm muscles, which could be compressing the nerve. HTH

[Guest ajfarnes]

I also had numbness in my hand during multiple pregnancies. The first time my doctor told me that I needed to use the splint and go to physical therapy three times a week for 6 weeks. Well, there was no way that was going to work for me with a two year old and a two week old. I went to the chiropractor and found out that my neck was out and was causing the pain/numbness. I was adjusted a few times and could tell it was getting better after the first adjustment. I have gone back during and after each pregnancy with the same results. I hope you figure it out soon and find some relief to the pain.

[achristean]

I hate to even suggest it. But ask your doctor about ibuprofen. I'm afraid I'm not medically savvy and don't know if you can even have it during pregnancy. My doctor had me take 3 ibuprofen 3 times a day (it might have even been 4 ibuprofen 3 times a day). I just remember that it was a lot - especially since I seldom ever take ibuprofen. This was while I was nursing and he said it was okay.

 

I got Fifth's Disease. One of the symptoms is that your joints swell and ache. It especially attacked my wrists. At night I would wake 3 or 4 times and my hands felt like they were 3 times their normal size. As I would shake them the tingling felt icy hot, like a burning. It's hard to describe until you actually go through it.

 

My doctor said that the carpal tunnel area was swollen. During the day, while I was moving around, the blood flow kept the area "open." At night, when circulation slowed the swelling would pinch off the nerve and my hands would go numb. Only by shaking them could I revive them.

 

He had me take the ibuprofen to reduce the swelling. But please talk to your doctor before you try this. I don't know the dangers of taking that much ibuprofen. You will probably need to use a bandage wrap or something for now. And then after your baby is born, see about the ibuprofen approach.

 

Good luck. And I am so very sorry. I hope you find relief soon.

[gaillardia]

With each successive pregnancy our bodies are depleted in B vitamins. Taking a B complex may help relieve it.

My husband had work-related carpal tunnel and cut out salty foods and began taking a B complex as well as B6 and B12. It truly helped.

Caffeine depletes our calcium stores, and you really do need the extra calcium right now, that will help also.:)

[Pippen]

Mine started during pregnancy, but didn't go away afterwards.

 

I wear the soft ACE bandages I got at Walgreens or a lighter weight pair from a medical supply pharmacy. If I use them at night, when I drive and for any heavier or very repetitive jobs (painting, lifting) then I'm fine most of the time.

[Carrie12345]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences! I can't get over how common this actually is, when I'd never heard a single word about it (or dealt with it) during FOUR previous pregnancies and more than 12 years!!!! :001_huh:

 

I did wind up using a loosely wrapped ace bandage last night, and it *really* helped! I think I will hit CVS for a splint and try that out, since that's probably easier. If it bothers me, I'll just go back to the bandage.

 

I've also been considering finding a good chiropractor anyway, in hopes of improving my odds on this baby turning, so perhaps there will be an added bonus.

 

Now to convince dh that I shouldn't be doing dishes... :D

[Prudent]

No advice, but you have my total sympathy.

 

I had severe CT during my last pregnancy. It was WAY worse than 24 hour nausea and vomiting or anything else I've ever experienced in life. Truly, it was total agony and a type of pain I could not get any relief from. After experiencing that, I really couldn't believe morning sickness and labor and other pregnancy ailments get so much attention.

 

My pain was so bad I couldn't do everyday things like cook. Driving the car even hurt. I am definitely not a wimp, but CT got the best of me.

 

The good news is that the problem completely resolved itself shortly after birth!