need some help from any medical gurus

Been having some serious issues lately, and two primary care doctors can't figure it out. One wasn't interested in pursuing it, and one sent me to a specialist...however, none of the specialists in the state can get me in until June or later. I'm trying to avoid the E.R. as best as possible, but it is nearing the point where I may need to suck it up and go. I'll describe everything the best I can, if I miss anything just ask. I'm hoping someone knows someone who had similair issues and can give me some ideas.

About three years ago, I had the pinky finger on my left hand swell up the size of my thumb, and obviously, get very painful. Doctor suggested a strained tendon and sent me to therapy. I was on an anti imflammatory for a month, and it didn't do anything (visually) to resolve it. A month after that, it fixed itself and I forgot it ever happened.

Last year, a few times throughout the year it happened again, but this time the ring and pinky fingers. Short bouts of about a week or so each time. I dealt with it, then again,out of sight out of mind.

This year, it's the final go around for me. For the last three months it's been near constant. It'll go away for a couple days then return. It's now affected both hands, and every finger but the thumb. They get extremely swollen, purple/white/and VERY hot. At times, one or two will go numb, either the entire finger, or just a random section will go numb and only that spot will be totally white. During this time, there is no capillary refill at the nail bed.

I can generally tell when it's about to flare up, it will completely floor me. If I sit down, I will almost surely fall right asleep as if i've been up for a week straight, and sleep for 12+ hours. Then wake up to my hands on fire. I also can't take hot showers, or it sends my hands into shock where I just want to cut them off. If you've ever been outside in the cold so long your hands hurt, and you made the poor decision of putting them under hot water...picture that times two.

Blood work shows the following, surely some of you can understand it better than i can. i'll pick out the parts that seem important due to either being over/under/near the range:

Alkaline phosphates 10 points lower than range.
chloride 10 points over range
monocytes 10 points over range
neutrophiles 12 points under range
sedimentation rate 1 out of a range of 0-15

It seems clear that I have some type of infection. But what? I've dropped 10lbs over the last few months, and I first contributed that to not being able to lift or be active anymore but i'm wondering if it's something affecting my nervous system? Lyme, lupus? Anyone have experience with these? My memory is shot, my vision has been changing monthly, and my insurance won't cover the frequent prescription changes.

Right now, my fingers are blotchy pale white/red and extremely swollen. I naturally have darker skin so it's very noticeable. Ideas ideas ideas?

actually your body can produce excess white blood cells (sign of infection) for any type of inflammation

this is going to sound kind of stupid but have you tried a mega high dose of an antihistamine when it happens?
you kind of sound like me right before I break out in huge inflamed hives ...for which cause was never known


for me it always starts on my elbows and knees...the joints get swollen before the rest of me breaks out

about a million other things come to mind though...pseudo-gout, raynauds, some sort of vascular disorder causing a break down in capillary walls..spilling plasma everywhere...actual physio-mechanical problems

I start with a double dose of one of the new generation antihistamines though and see how the swelling responds

for any of the other things I mentioned
high dose b6 (vascular issues)
cherry extract (pseudo-gout)

I haven't heard of raynauds necessarily present like that and theres really no treatment for it aside from avoiding extreme temperatures and vibration of any kind (think air tools)

Oh, also tested negative for gout. I'll check out the b6 for sure. What type of anti histamines can I look into?

zyrtec, claritin, things like that...

zyrtec works best for me

pesudo gout doesn't test the same as regular gout

Interesting. I'll keep some on hand for the next flare up and give it a shot. They're feeling much better today, but it's only a matter of time.

Yeah...its worth a shot and not expensive. When I get home on my computer and not on my phone Ill post upm more info about what I'm thinking here

Sounds great, thanks. I took 1 claritin (10mg), 2 b6 (100mg ea) and 2 cherry extract (500mg ea) too much? too little?

lolol...well I'd try to weed it out and try one at a time that way you can go by process of elimination...the b6 can't hurt though

heres one of the things Im thinking but its remaining localised
Dermographism - Information About Dermographism or Skin Writing


something similar
Delayed Pressure Urticaria - What is Delayed Pressure Urticaria

theyre all caused by the bodies overreaction to a perceived "threat" that basically makes capillaries leak into the psace around cells...causing swelling
in a tight area like the hands or fingers it will also result in enough swelling that circulation is cut off

I could be way off base...but from what you've described and the lack of an obvious red flag...im thinking along the lines of when you hear hoof beats look for horses not zebras

Well you're def helping. My primary care just said "well whatever it is aint killed ya yet right?" It took some pushing for a referral.

By looking at pictures of those two, doesn't seem like what I have. And the swelling I have never hits the palm side. Have you ever been outside in a snowy cold day that your hands end up hurting, and you run inside and make the stupid choice of putting them under hot water? That horrible aching is what happens when my fingers are already swollen and hot, and I take a hot shower, or wash with warm/hot water. Like they go into some kind of shock.

Here's a picture of a finger on my left hand randomly going numb with a patch of pale white skin (it's not just camera glare) and the other hand at a moderate level of what usually occurs.

Also, when it first started occuring this year, it seemed likeit was "coming through" the hair follicles. If I stared closely, it was the base of them that were initially red and swelling. Could it be releasing something then the other pores are sucking it in when under hot water and then an "allergic reaction" type deal?

http://i50.tinypic.com/29wtv0z.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/w168zq.jpg



ps. I jumped the gun and took all three supplements after I posted the last post lol. It's a complete 180 from what they were this morning. Color is normal,feeling is normal, and swelling has greatly reduced. Still a little pudgy, but MUCH MUCH better, and I can almost bend enough to make a fist.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SheriV

actually your body can produce excess white blood cells (sign of infection) for any type of inflammation

this is going to sound kind of stupid but have you tried a mega high dose of an antihistamine when it happens?
you kind of sound like me right before I break out in huge inflamed hives ...for which cause was never known


for me it always starts on my elbows and knees...the joints get swollen before the rest of me breaks out

about a million other things come to mind though...pseudo-gout, raynauds, some sort of vascular disorder causing a break down in capillary walls..spilling plasma everywhere...actual physio-mechanical problems

I start with a double dose of one of the new generation antihistamines though and see how the swelling responds

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^^^Very sound advice.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

flex...whenever I would just start to break out in hives it never looked like hives

then it progressed over the years and just turned into all out freaking hives...from my scalp to the soles of my feet
it was so bad a friend found me in my apartment naked...he wrapped me in a sheet carried me down several flights of stairs and took me to the emergency room
they gave me benadryl..haha... embarrassing because he wasn't that kind of friend!


the first picture definitely looks like raynauds to me though....but it doesn't usually present will swelling

Im gonna go with my first thought, an allergic type reaction

are you a mechanic?

well that's interesting....semi good luck for your friend though! haha.

Not a mechanic by trade, but hobby. Been working on a diesel pickup the past few months, no air tools. Usual fluid spillage or grease, oil, power steering fluid, and tranny fluid. Last year I can't recall having any projects going on, the year before working on a mustang..again no air tools (though god dammit I wish i had some) and that time only interior work (plastics, vinyl, carpeting etc).

No special mechanic soap or anything. Just whatever i happened to have at the time. Tools are the same, and always some new ones. What about a pressure type thing?

No past injuries that seem pertinent. Broke my left pinky 7, 8, maybe 9 times over my life. No wrist, back, or elbow injuries or pain that I can remember. I do have a tendon that "pops" in my neck any time my chin is down and i turn left or right. You can feel it roll over the bone.

Just trying to think of anything and everything. Appreciate your help already!

actually neck injuries are significant when it comes to hands...very significant

but I asked if you were a mechanic because of the imbeded impossible to scrub out grease and the cuts...i may have fixed a car or 100 in my life and know the battle scars...lol

I am thinking this IS a pressure thing actually and what you saw around the hair follicles was the "leaking" I mentioned.... really give the antihistamines a go
and stop breaking your left pinky finger!

haha yeah, the past few times i just left the grease until it wore off naturally lol. It was far too painful to even run water on them too long. BUT. I started googling different things on the basis of what you've been mentioning with the pressure stuff and tried to think of different injuries and stressors i've done to my hands...Long story short I found this:

http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GAR...rythromelalgia

Erythromelalgia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Whatcha think? Closer to the right direction or way off base?

it fits in some ways but you're looking for zebras again....stick with horses for now.

keep at the antihistamines first to eliminate it as a possible cause. I would double the recommended dose at bedtime and keep a consistent normal recommended dose during the day and evaluate where you're at in a couple of days.
and probably stick with the B6. It will help a variety of things, not least of which are vascular and neuropathy in nature.

If you don't find horses to go with your hoof beats we'll look for zebras next :)

I've been keeping at all three of the pills we talked about. The past two days my ring finger tip felt like I had a bunch of slivers (still feels that way) and now both hands are swollen, painful, and hot. All but the index and thumb on either hand. Today is the first day since it all began, that it's swelling the pads of my fingers as well. It feels like I tightly wrapped tape around them all. The thumb and index are fairly cold to touch, and the rest are very very warm, and feel like i'm holding them over a candle/pushing a bunch of hot needles into them.

It's certainly strange, but if anything is getting worse. They felt fine for two days minus the strange sliver feeling. Then poof, woke up with them feeling strange, and progressively throughout the day worse and worse. Haven't eaten anything different than usual, havent touched anything different or anything. If it's an allergic reaction, I can't guess what it could be, or why it would not have affected the pads of my hands a long time before today.

where are you at with this today?

my wife has a sore pinky from a totally different reason hehe

i cant offer nothing better than SheriV, but hope u get it sorted soon cause it looks painful

It got to it's worse point it's ever been, then disapeared and is like it never happened. This is the normal routine, and may last a few days or a few months. Still taking the meds you suggested. We'll see what happens...

lol thanks griffith

if it flairs up again, change brands of antihistamine...some work better than others and I'd take a DOUBLE dose of it.

keeping up on the other stuff isn't gonna hurt ya any so you might as well