August 2011 Moms

OWWWWW!!!

ok- I think i've posted this in 3rd trimester before....but i really need some help here

I've tried EVERYTHING- and no matter what i do i wake up with my hands  literally STUCK in a claw like fashion and they hurt so bad they put me into tears for at least an hour every morning.

My doc just tells me to stop eatting salt....and I've cut out a lot of my salt intake- but seriously...unless I'm going to eat nothing but salad for the next 2 weeks- almost everything has salt in it, and i cant imagine a little bit thats in normal food causing me this much pain.

I've literally tired everything except sleeping upright...which i simply cannot do. Obsessively i cant sleep on my back, I've tried wrapping my wrists at night before i go to sleep, i sleep on my side and never on my hands- i leave them out in front of me and flat, I've tried propping them up with pillows- which is uncomfortable but doable-but no matter what I do I wake up with my hands in a fist and the worst pain ever.

Has anyone tried anything else that might help? I dont see a difference between wrapping my hands and a brace....do they work? Should i try wrapping my hands tighter? I dont know what to do......
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Re: OWWWWW!!!

  • I would talk to the Dr. again... but in the mean time, possibly up your intake of potassium? More bananas, apricots, cantaloupe, raisins, beans, spinach... Potassium aids in smooth muscle contraction & movement.
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  • Awww...I'm sorry you're going through this.  I had to cut salt mostly out of my diet too.  My dr had a good idea...be careful of sweet drinks like sodas.  They have a TON of sodium in them and the bottled drinks (the 20oz sized ones) are actually two servings...so basically double whatever the amount says on the nutrition label if you want to drink a whole bottle.  I found that to be a revelation.  I just never assumed that a sweet drink would be so bad.  Also seasonings other than salt taste pretty good.  But eating out is a challenge!  Ironically cutting out the sodas... other than the rare one that I have... has actually helped me the most.

    As for your hand...it sounds a bit like my tmj.  No matter what I tried, I ended up with pain in my jaws and a bad headache.  I ended up getting a kind of mouth guard that kept it from clamping down.  I'm thinking that the basic theory of this might help you.  I'm thinking that if you can manage to wrap your hand around something (like a tennis ball or a small towel) it might help.  You won't be able to get as much as a death grip on those.

    I hope that helps a little.  **hug**

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  • While mine never got quite that bad, I definitely did have sore, stiff fingers quite often. It really helped to run them under cold cold water for a few minutes, especially at night, when they were the worst.
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  • Sounds like carpal tunnel (which in pregnancy is induced by swelling) - actually I think the splints/braces may be worth a try.  They should have more resistance than just wrapping your hands.
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  • Is it like a charley horse in your hands?   If so, try drinking fresh lemonade---my mom gets cramps all the time and her doc recommended making freshly squeezed lemonade and it REALLY WORKS!  Not sure why, but it does...I tried it a few weeks back when I was waking up with cramps in my legs that were horrible.

    Hope this helps you too!

  • imageairforcewife331:

    Is it like a charley horse in your hands?   If so, try drinking fresh lemonade---my mom gets cramps all the time and her doc recommended making freshly squeezed lemonade and it REALLY WORKS!  Not sure why, but it does...I tried it a few weeks back when I was waking up with cramps in my legs that were horrible.

    Hope this helps you too!

    Yep, I've been squeezing limes in my water.  I ran out a couple days ago and yesterday I swelled up more than I ever have before.  Something about the lemons and limes helps your body deal with water retention.  

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