Is this an MS thing or not?

A few weeks ago I started getting a ripping pain in my wrist when I reach for something. I thought nothing of it until it got worse and the pain is now more in my arm (from the ball of my thumb down my arm). When I am sitting I can feel the tendon/muscle (not sure what it is in that part of arm) tightening up and then relaxing. Also my fingers don’t always open after holding things eg. brush. I have to manually open them with my other hand.

I saw my GP about it last week and she didn’t say as much but I know she has just put it down to the MS and I was convinced that it has nothing to do with it until now. I have been getting a “wet patch” on my hand just above where this pain is. It’s not wet, just feels that way. This alone with a hightening of all my other symptoms including fatigue so bad I actually wish I was dead makes me think I am having a relapse.

My arm is slowly getting worse. When I walk and it hangs down I can feel a pulling sensation because of gravity. I know I probably don’t make any sence but I am shattered.

Thanks in advance x

It could be an MS thing but it could also be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, an inflamed tendon, a pulled muscle, a ruptured tendon sheath, a sprain, a strain, a torn ligament… You get my point. It could be any one of a number of things. Just because we have MS doesn’t mean we don’t also have all the normal ailments other people have too.

Can you go back to your GP and ask her to examine it more thoroughly and if neccessary get some scans done of it?

Really MS should be assumed AFTER everything else is ruled out.

In the meantime try using an ice pack for 10 minutes on it at a time (no longer, you don’t want frostbite!) and try that every hour or so and see if keeping it elevated in a sling eases it a bit.

Hope it settles soon,

B