Sore knuckles

[firstfreakout]

I have a strange symptom that appeared a few weeks ago but is getting progressively worse.

I'm currently nearing 35 weeks pregnant. In the heat wave this month, my fingers and feet started to swell, but my feet only really swell when it's hot or if I've been standing for too long. However my hands and knuckles are incredibly sore all the time and my fingers are a little chubbier than normal, which I know it a normal symptom.

However I didn't realise pain was normal? It's the joints between the knuckles when you make a fist and the tips of your fingers, where your fingers bend. During the day they're incredibly sore and feel similar to when you have to "crack" your knuckles, but it makes no difference.
When I wake up in the morning they're so painful it takes a while before I can bend my fingers.

Does anyone else know what I'm talking about or experienced this before?

 

[KHTW]

Can't say I experienced anything like that... it sound painful. Maybe give you MW a call? x

 

[firstfreakout]

I saw mw yesterday but didn't mention it as it slipped my mind and I had to squeeze a lot in at the appointment. I'm trying to get a GP appointment for tomorrow morning at the same time as my whooping cough jab, so I'll mention it then, but was wondering if it's a normal thing in the mean time.
Such a weird symptom?! lol

I also forgot to mention that I wake up with pins and needles in my hands a lot, but I think that's contributed to sleeping on my side and lying on my arm, as I was a stomach sleeper before being pregnant!

 

[candymycandy]

It could be carpel tunnel syndrome which is normal in pregnancy but agree you'll need to see your gp x

 

[russellmuscle]

I had sore joints (Inc knuckles).

Before and after baby my joints and pelvis was quite bad. Mine was caused due to excess lactic acid in my system preparing for baby to be born and bones/joints to manipulate easier for baby arrival. I was told my pgp would actually be better for labour and was for me.

Carpal tunnel is usually throbbing numbness or tingling of the nerve/hands. Joints usually not affected unless it's a pseudo symptom ie feeling like your knuckles are sore or tingling but it's hands causing it.

I'd lean more to excess lactic acid but could be either at this stage of the game.

Still mention to mw. X

 

[candymycandy]

I had sore joints (Inc knuckles).

Before and after baby my joints and pelvis was quite bad. Mine was caused due to excess lactic acid in my system preparing for baby to be born and bones/joints to manipulate easier for baby arrival. I was told my pgp would actually be better for labour and was for me.

Carpal tunnel is usually throbbing numbness or tingling of the nerve/hands. Joints usually not affected unless it's a pseudo symptom ie feeling like your knuckles are sore or tingling but it's hands causing it.

I'd lean more to excess lactic acid but could be either at this stage of the game.

Still mention to mw. X

Agree those are CP symptoms but so is pain, I only know this as suffered in last Pg! x

 

[russellmuscle]

I would include the throbbing as pain.

I used to work in neurophysiology that does the emg and ncs on patients for carpal tunnel.

The pgp unfortunately I suffered that myself. The carpal tunnel comes and goes with the nature of my job. Alot of secretaries I know have had the surgery and it still can come back! Ouch.

xxxx

 

[Kimi89]

I have the exact same problem. It started after the heat wave when I had a lot of swelling in my hands. It's been diagnosed as carpal tunnel. I have it in both hands. Little finger and ring finger are always stiff, my left wrist is really sore, sometimes I can't use it. At night my fingers go numb and when I wake up it takes a while for my hands to relax so I can move them properly. I've been told it will go after the baby is born.

 

[firstfreakout]

Kimi I was told the same thing pretty much at my appointment today. It's mostly my middle fingers and my wrists don't hurt yet, but GP was adamant it'll go away after baby is evicted.
Just uncomfortable and irritating for now!

 

[Kimi89]

It's annoying, my hands feel like they belong to a 70 year old lol! My main worry is will I struggle to pick my baby up with my wrist being so bad, I have a wrist support but it only helps a little.

 

[MissCharli]

Sore knuckles were the first symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome for me, at about 28 weeks. MW suggested that it was carpal tunnel, not heard of the lactic acid thing. It settled down but now its my wrists that are sore, especially at night I also get lots of pins and needles in my hands at night, as well as the wrist pain. Probably due to how I sleep more than anything, but rarely happened before pregnancy!

But it should resolve after birth and there's not long left really x

 

[firstfreakout]

Ah glad to know it's more common than I thought! OH gave me such a weird look when I started saying my knuckles were sore. He joked "are you blaming this on pregnancy too?" and I was like UM YES ACTUALLY IT'S A THING YO

Oh the things we never knew about the wonders of pregnancy!
This baby better be damn cute

 

[Pemsy]

Hey

I know this threads a bit old now but I have the exact same thing. Every morning I make and have to move my fingers so slowly as I'm so sure it feels like they are all dislocated.

I spoke to my midwife and she said that basically because my body is now realising hormones that relax my muscles to ease my body through birth. That's why my joints in my hands are hurting.

I found that explanation put me at ease x

 

[Eryinera]

Adding another thing into the mix. I have a similar feeling in my knuckles and it's down to a gene disorder I got diagnosed in pregnancy. I over load on iron and it builds up on the joints. It's not normally found in women til the 50s as we lose iron in menstruation. But pregnant women are often told to take iron supliments in pregnancy whic makes the issue worse. Get your iron checked in paticular the saturation level of iron in the vloof. It's more common if you have Irish in your history.

 

[firstfreakout]

Eryinera that's really interesting! I'm sure I've had my iron levels checked recently and they were fine, but I'll bring it up at my next appointment just to triple check.
Still getting seizing up in the mornings after waking but then it eases off during the day after moving fingers etc.

Apparently it's just something that will go away when the baby is born!

 

[kinkers]

You get bloods done at 34 weeks I think and they would have checked your iron levels through that. I've got low iron and been put on tablets but haven't experienced any knuckle pain.

 

[Eryinera]

So to be cleat my iron levels are "fine". Not anemic at all at a good result. But my tsat result is high and it's not something most people know about. The conventional tests only flag up a problem if it's too low but fortunately my cardio also looked at the result and he noticed it was too high I had twice the normal amount of iron levels but my saturation was at 80% when it should have been around 25%. I'm waiting now on my appointment to drain some blood and reduce my iron levels which will help some symptoms but usually the damage to certain areas (the joints and libido in paticular) can be permanently damaged. It also explainseems an anomalous liver result I had years at go where they told n off for drinking too much (I rarely drink at all alcohol goes out of date in my house lol)

 

[kinkers]

Ohhhhh I see, sorry! Do you have to cut out any iron from your diet or is draining blood the only option?

 

[Eryinera]

I can't have any iron suppliments but the only option is blood draining. Milk and tea help slow down the absorption vit c increases absorption rates.

 

[kinkers]

Oh fingers crossed that draining the blood helps Then! Poor you, that must be frustrating to deal with x