Major Hand Pain! Is This Normal?

[Frances03]

I'm only a little into this new gluten free diet, and my hands used to hurt just a little here and there like when opening a jar or a prescription bottle. and that has only gone on for about a month or two. but now, all the sudden my hands hurt REALLY BAD, and they feel like they are partly asleep too, not tingly but more numb and swollen like. and ALL the fingers hurt now, not just my thumb and forefinger. I can't even make a good fist! they are so sore!! do you think this is from going gluten free, or something else entirely I have to deal with now?? I really dont want to have something else wrong with me and I hate taking drugs at all so I'm not sure what I should do about this. I should have mentioned it when I was at the doctor today but it wasn't as bad this morning as it is now! I can't even do anything else tonight now because they are so sore. This is dumb!

[ohsotired]

Is it joint pain? I got this too, just before going gluten free. It started in my pinky on my right hand, and then spread to my ring finger, and then into my middle finger. Once in a while my entire right arm will ache - feels-like-my-bones-are-about-to-explode aching. And the pain will radiate down into my thumb too. But only in my right hand/arm with any consistency. Once in a great while, my left side will ache, but nothing like the pain I feel on the right.

I had xrays done by a chiropractor (he said he would be able to tell if it was RA on an xray) and they said it looked like the beginning of osteoarthritis. I started taking glucosamine-condroitin, and in just a couple of short weeks, the pain is better. Not gone, but better.

Hope you can figure it out and get it solved soon!

[Frances03]

yeah it's in the joints, more on the right hand than the left but still in both. It seems to be in all the fingers and in the back of the hand area too. warm water seemed to help a bit but it's still hurting. maybe I could try the glucosamine if it doesn't go away. Thank you!

Is it joint pain? I got this too, just before going gluten free. It started in my pinky on my right hand, and then spread to my ring finger, and then into my middle finger. Once in a while my entire right arm will ache - feels-like-my-bones-are-about-to-explode aching. And the pain will radiate down into my thumb too. But only in my right hand/arm with any consistency. Once in a great while, my left side will ache, but nothing like the pain I feel on the right.

I had xrays done by a chiropractor (he said he would be able to tell if it was RA on an xray) and they said it looked like the beginning of osteoarthritis. I started taking glucosamine-condroitin, and in just a couple of short weeks, the pain is better. Not gone, but better.

Hope you can figure it out and get it solved soon!

[ang1e0251]

I've read that nightshades can cause small joint pain in persons who are sensitive. Are you eating a lot more nightshades on the gluten-free diet? They are potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and paprika.

[OptimisticMom42]

I always get pain in my left wrist and hand (and left ankle/foot) a couple days after a glutening.

There is an article somewhere about how vitamins and minerals effect different sides of the body. Like left hand pain may be low vitamin B. And during a glutening my insides are swollen, maybe unable to get vitamins from my food so my vitamin levels drop causing the pain.

I need to do some more reading about this. I know that when my 17yr old gets sick he gets restless leg. Taking iron makes the restless leg go away. So it seems his iron levels drop when he is sick.

I don't believe that the pain you are having is forever. I think it's just a vitamin defiency or gluten withdrawal.

Hope this helps,

RA

just found this.

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[Frances03]

Well, I have been eating more potatoes than I used to. I dont really like potatoes much, and it seems like when I eat potato CHIPS, the roof of my mouth starts itching like crazy. But I dont think ti happens with baked potato. I've always had a lot of tomato stuff like salsa and tomato sauce

and I dont know of any problems from it, other than it irritates all the reflux problems I have!

I have been having restless leg for about 2 weeks now!!! It's driving me NUTS! I didn't even think about it being related to anything else, but since I just found out my iron is low, maybe that is it! Hopefully it will get better when I start the supplements. It starts every night as soon as I go to relax and my left leg gets all JUMPY and I have to wiggle it and it really is the most irritating feeling, I feel sorry for anyone who has this!!

By the way, my hands are a lot better today than they were last night!

[ang1e0251]

I seem to get restless leg when I forget to take my magnesium, that's key for me. It sounds to me like your body is telling you tomatoes and potatoes are a problem for you. Why not drop them for a few days and see how you feel?

[txplowgirl]

I've always had a lot of tomato stuff like salsa and tomato sauce

and I dont know of any problems from it, other than it irritates all the reflux problems I have!

I have a problem with nightshade vegetables and yes they will aggravate your symptoms and cause a lot of joint pain. I would recomend dropping them for a month and see what happens and my leg jerks went away when I got rid of the nightshades.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Both gluten and dairy are major triggers for rheumatoid arthritis. You may need to go off dairy as well. Some people are able to add it back in after their intestines have completely healed. Some aren't.

If you're one of the unlucky ones who can't, you can find dairy-free GOOD milk substitutes pretty easily these days. Our local grocery store just started carrying Blue Diamond Almond milk in 1/2 gallon containers in the regular milk section. And I know several people who can't handle commercial milk at all, but who are just fine with raw milk (milk that has been not been pasteurized) and raw milk cheeses.

[mushroom]

I agree with txplowgirl, the nightshades are inflammation-inducing and not good for people with arthritic-type pains. If you have upped your potato intake and eat a lot of concentrated tomato that could be contributing to your problem. Try cutting them out and see what happens. I didn't really think I had a problem with potatoes other than their inflammatory problems, but once I cut them out for a while,and then had half a baked potato I broke out in major itching immediately. You will probably,unfortunately, find you have problem foods other than gluten.

[Frances03]

man, I just bought a new can of lays stax too! I just got them because I needed immediate food and I knew they were safe. I'm so HUNGRY lately and I'm not eating much either because it's hard to figure out what to eat. But while I was eating them the roof of my mouth started to itch so bad I used the crushed up chips in my mouth to scratch it and now it's raw. so I would have to give up the tomatoes altogether and never have them again? I love tomatoes, and salsa is my favorite food on earth. I could give up potatoes I think, but tomatoes would be hard!! I've been having all over body itching for that past couple weeks, it's horrible! I wonder if it's going gluten free or could it be the tomatoes and potatoes! I have no rash or anything, but I just itch to death. I guess I will try giving them up and see what happens. poo.

[txplowgirl]

Just for a little while hopefully, until your insides have healed. The itching in your mouth sounds like possible potato problems.

Oh man, when I eat potatoes or tomatoes now I get the itchies so bad across my shoulder blades. I try scrating my back against a corner. My sweetie starts laughing at me because he'll tell me I remind him of an ol bear scratching it's back against a tree. OH MAN, it drives me wild Then the next morning I wake up and all my joints really hurt bad and my fingers and wrists are really swollen.

[mushroom]

After the baked potato itching wake up call, I realized that the residual itching I had had all along since gluten free (yeah, across the tops of my shoulders and back of my neck ) was probably coming from the potato starch in the flour mixes. Sure enuf!! That has been the hardest part, finding recipes that don't use potato starch (nearly all the mixes have it). Means a lot more "from scratch" stuff But I no longer have ANY itchies--hooray!

[Frances03]

It's weird because I have been eating whatever I wanted my whole life and now right when I give up gluten I start itching all the time like crazy!!! I can not take this itching any more. I think I will give up the nightshades then and see if the itching goes away. If that doesn't work, I dont know what. My hands are fine now btw, totally fine. That is really weird I think. I'm still totally bloated up like a basketball too!

[mushroom]

It's weird because I have been eating whatever I wanted my whole life and now right when I give up gluten I start itching all the time like crazy!!!

Yeah, that's what happened to me too. Well, not my whole life because I did have to give up some things before gluten, but I had never itched from foods before. First it was soy, then citric acid, then nightshades I gave up because of itching. All hidden by the gluten

[George206]

I'm only a little into this new gluten free diet, and my hands used to hurt just a little here and there like when opening a jar or a prescription bottle. and that has only gone on for about a month or two. but now, all the sudden my hands hurt REALLY BAD, and they feel like they are partly asleep too, not tingly but more numb and swollen like. and ALL the fingers hurt now, not just my thumb and forefinger. I can't even make a good fist! they are so sore!! do you think this is from going gluten free, or something else entirely I have to deal with now?? I really dont want to have something else wrong with me and I hate taking drugs at all so I'm not sure what I should do about this. I should have mentioned it when I was at the doctor today but it wasn't as bad this morning as it is now! I can't even do anything else tonight now because they are so sore. This is dumb!

Oh yeah! My hands were numb and killing me for about a year before I went to the doctor (I thought I had carpal tunnel syndrome). I was soon diagnosed with a major B12 deficiency and possible Pernicious Anemia (although likely a false positive on the PA due to testing after a week of B12 shots). Major daily doses of B12 (15,000 mcg sublingual) made my hands feel much better for about 6 weeks. I was then diagnosed with a gluten intolerance and stopped gluten. I also lowered my B12 intake after my anxiety went through the roof (ND recommendation). My hands got much worse and still really hurt at night and in the early morning. I think I'll try magnesium and lay low on the potatoes and tomatoes.