Topic: Carpel Tunnel and Misdiagnosis

Thread initiated by Deirdre on 7/12/03.

Hello
I am 29 years old and just got an EMG on my left hand/arm. So far all they can see is Carpel tunnel syndrome and will get a final diagnosis next week. The funny thing is I am right handed. How can I have Carpel Tunnel in my nondominant hand? I can not even think of something I repetively do with my left hand.
Since October of 2002 my left hand was starting have weakeness and some numbness in my ring and pinky fingers. I couldn't make a complete fist. As the months have gone by my wrist and forarm are getting more and more tired and sore. I have some swelling in my wrist and a ganglion cyst in my pinky finger. My hand twitches from time to time and goes mumb when I drive or push a stroller. Now I can feel a little tiredness and stiffness in my right arm (maybe due to over use). I have also started to notice that I have been dropping things more often. What I keep reading is that carpel tunnel syndrome can be a mis diagnosis of ALS. Has Anybody experienced this????

Thanks
Deirdre

My mother had similar diagnosis'. She went from docter to docter and had four different docters give her four different answers (diseases). Finally a specialist in Westchester Community Hospital ran numerous tests on her and finally found out it was ALS. My advice to you would be to find a specialist and not give up hope.

by R

Deirdre,

My mother in law was diagnosed with ALS in May of 2002. She started with similar sympthoms of Capel Tunnel Syndrome. She had a surgery performed on her and it turned out not to be carpel tunnel syndrome because she never recovered from the surgery. My advise to you is see a specaialist who will officially diagnosed you with carpel tunnel or als. My mother in law was seeing docotors and more doctors until she finally saw Dr. Lovvet in San Antonio, Texas and he was the one who diagnosed her with the horrific disease. The surgery my mother in law had for carpel tunnel just made the ALS disease worse and it even progressed it faster, but she did not know that she had ALS the doctors thought it was carpel tunnel syndrome, so please see a specialist first. Don't give up hope and may god bless you and your family. Keep us posted.

by Macy

Hi Deidre and Macy,

I am told I have carpel tunnel but dont think so myself.
I'd really be grateful if you'd update me on your progress
To: Gritwhip@aol.com
Many thanks

by Karen Dinsdale

I have also been told I have carpel tunnel. The strange thing is that I have never done any sort of repettitive work and I am now beginning to feel numbness in my tongue, lips and sometimes my lips.I am contacting my doctor for him to recommend a specialist but for those with experience in ALS, does this sound like ALS?. I pray it does not..

Many thanks,

by Fran Maristany

Wow, I have been having the same problem, I am right handed but started having problems with my left hand last year and now my right hand. I have been seeing doctors(Neurologist, Rheumatologist,Hand Specialist)and still no diagnosis...I am doing as much research on my own as I can....We have to educate ourselves as doctors only have 15 to 30 minutes to give you per visit now a days....best of luck to you...I will try to update if and when I get more definite info. Hang in there :-)

by Beverly

Comment added by janine on 1/21/04
I'm 23yrs old and last year the docs told me i had carpel tunnel in both my hands,its worse in my left.I had the test done then i had the steroids in my left hand nothing worked,then i went back to the hospital for another appointment and told i needed the electrobe test done AGAIN the consultant just wanted shut of me because they were busy,i've been waiting months for this appointment and i finally go next week.it was funny because the consultant tried to convince me that the pain i was getting was coming from my elbow,the pain starts from my wrist i get the tingling,numbness and total pain my hand can go really cold.my older sister has cts and she had the op and both hers 2 years ago.i've tried wearing the wrist brace it makes it worse.

Comment added by Sal on 2/23/04
I have been told that i have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. I am only 17 years old, and i have extreme pain in my right hand, and some of my fingers stay really cold. Sometimes, the joints in my fingers feel like they are bruised. if any one can give me more information.
steensen_75@hotmail.com

Comment added by Kim on 4/5/04
Has anyone heard of carpel tunnel in the leg? I know this has nothing to do with carpel tunnel in the wrist but, I've been to 3 diff. Dr.'s. First one says I have carpal tunnel in the front of my upper thigh, never tested for it, gave me anti-inflamm. said if that doesn't help will need surgery.Second Dr. did an Emg on me and said there's no carpel tunnel in my leg\was left at that, third Dr. said I have carpel tunnel in my leg and I need to lose a few lbs. to make it go away. Mind you, the two Dr.s who said I have carpel tunnel didn't even test me for it.
In the beginning, my leg had a burning sensation, tingling, and numbness and also felt bruised to the touch. I felt like something was crawling around in my leg, if you ride a motorcyle, then you know what this feels like when you get off the motorcyle. Now, it's just a constant pain and numbness. The more I'm on it, the more painful it gets. Even when I'm sleeping it continues to hurt. Has anyone else experienced this?

Comment added by Malcolm Jones on 4/8/04
What is ALS? I have had an opp for Carpel Tunnel Six weeks ago and its still not right

Comment added by Malcolm Jones on 4/8/04
What is ALS? I have had an opp for Carpel Tunnel Six weeks ago and its still not right, still got a lot of pain.

Comment added by Mae Marie on 4/11/04
I was never engaged in repetitive work with my hands. Three weeks after a serious fall in which I injured my upper back, both my hands became numb, painful, and use was impaired. I was tested for carpel tunnel three months later and results were negative. I was again tested three months after that and had the most severe rating for carpel tunnel in both hands...this was six months after my back injury to both Cervical and Thorasic vertebrate. Surgery to both hands aleviated the numbness but the pain remains and radiates up both arms (especially sharp in the elbow and shoulders). Are these symptoms related to nerves from the back injuries or something else or maybe it was just poor recovery from the surgeries (it has been one year).

Comment added by trisha on 4/24/04
I have almost constant numbness in both arms from the elbow down, mostly the left my non-dominant arm. Pain in both hands. Stabbing pains at times throughout my body. At times I get numbness in my legs from the knee down. Thios all started with a stifff and sore let thumb. But the symptoms have changed and worsened over the last 3 months. I have seen my regular dr, an orthopedist, and arthritis specialist, many blood tests, next appts are for a neurologist and an emg. I am in pain about 85-90 percent of te day. It almost seems to come in 20-30 minutes waves of pain.It will lessen and almost go away only to return soon. I have read about carpel tummel, MS. als. what do you think? Sound familiar?

Comment added by Connie on 4/27/04
This comment is to Kim. My 32 year old daughter woke up one morning and could not move her right leg. She had pain and tingling in it. Her MD referred her to a neurologist who performed an MRI and discovered a herniated disc in the small of her back. She had to go thru two doctors and two operations in order to get her back repaired and we are not sure if her sciatic nerve will ever repair itself. She is 35 now and still has pain off and on in her leg. She does not have all of the feeling in her foot. Find you a good neurologist in your area and have them check you out thoroughly. Maybe the problem is in your back. Good luck!

Comment added by raye on 5/10/04
I was rear-ended last july 2003, and now suffer from carpel tunnel symptoms/tendonitis, but I do not have tingling in fingers. Could I have been mis-diagnosed?

Comment added by Sheena on 5/13/04
I am 21 years old an am having symptons of carpel tunnel in my left arm. I am right handed. About 6 months ago my left arm went completely numb for 2 weeks straight. I was completely freaked out. I am a hairdresser so I wasnt sure if it was caused by that. I experience tingling, aches, and my hand is constantly cold now. I had an mri and it came back negative. The neuroligist thinks everything is fine, but Im not convinced. I am experiencing spasms in my arm that cause my pinky finger to move. It is very frusrtating to be dealing with this at an early age.
Sheena

Comment added by Jim on 5/14/04
I have just the oppisite. I think I have Carpel tunnel but the dr's disagree. The dr's do not know what is wrong. I have had every test imagine from MRI's, CT, EMG's to spinal taps. I have seen many different Neurologists, Rheumatologists, Hand Specialists, Chiro's. Is the problem my back, neck, limes, MS, RSD etc...? No body on this earth it seems can find out. Unfortunately I'm just a number at the clinics and on my own. Its been 2 years now. everyday is a struggle in life but I am determined to beat this. I do not know how yet but I will figure this out! Good luck everybody and hang in there!

Comment added by Carolyn on 5/18/04
I started with pain in both of my hands last Nov. It has gotten worse. My dr. tested for Rheumatoid arthritis, that came back neg. My daughter told me of a woman she works with that has had Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and undergone several different treatments. She was told to take B complex, it took her 2 weeks to see any help but help did come. I've been on it for a week now and I don't hurt nearly as much, my fingers still lock up during the night and first thing in the morning, but the pain is almost gone. Some of you may want to try it.

Comment added by Rachel Foote on 5/25/04
Response to Malcom Jones - My mother recently passed away from ALS, which is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. If you go to http://www.se-wis-als.org/ and click on "questions and answers" on the right-hand side of the screen, it will answer all of your questions. I book the Q&A's together for the site.

Comment added by Jennifer on 6/3/04
I myself do not suffer from ALS, nor do I personally know anyone who does, but I wanted to share something with those of you reading this.
Have any of you (or your loved ones) gone to see an ND (Doctor of Naturopathy)? I used to think that Naturopathy and Holistic medicine was all a bunch of hooey, hogwash, and hippie stuff. Boy, was I wrong. Here me out, this story may be long, but I'll try to get to the point ASAP.
I am 34 years old, and breast cancer runs in my family. I'm always open to learning about early detection of this disease, as I do not want to repeat what my mother, aunt and other family members have gone through. Last year, upon a referral from a friend, I went to a ND for a breast thermography screening. As far as I'm concerned, this is THE BEST early detection device I have ever seen. It can pick up stuff YEARS before a mamogram can, but I digress....
The device they used can actually do a full body screening. Anyway, the doctor I saw takes this device on the road, and does several screenings in diffent cities. He told me of a case of a man in Austin that came to one of his screenings.
The man suffered from ALS, and was practically on his death bed. He said the man was in a wheelchair, unable to walk at all, and grossly under weight. He looked so bad, the doctor did not think the man would make it through the weekend. The doctor did an exam (I don't know what all was involved or the man's results), and recommended some natural suppliments and herbs for the man to incorporate into his diet. He did not promise the man anything, but was trying to help him out. The man left, and the doctor never expected to see him again.
Three months later, the doctor did another round of screenings in Austin. The man suffering from ALS....who appeared to be near death...walked up to the doctor - YES...WALKED up to the doctor (with the help of crutches) to personally thank him. He was on the road to recovery. He had gained a little weight, and was out of the wheelchair. The story gets better....
Three months after that...another trip to Austin for the doctor. The man suffering from ALS walked up to the doctor, with his arm around his wife..no crutches, no wheelchair, and he was not leaning on his wife for balance. He had driven himself and his wife to see the doctor.
I'm not saying the doctor is a miracle worker, or that this would work for anyone that far advanced in ALS or any other disease. I am not a doctor and I am not hear to treat, diagnose or cure anyone.
My point is this: Traditional MD's only treat our symptoms NOT the cause. Naturopathy and Holistic medicine is about prevention. If you have not thought about or already seen a ND or Holistic doctor, look into it. Our earth is full of natural and wonderful resources to help heal and prevent things that happen to our bodies.
I hope I have not overstepped my bounds or offended anyone. I just wanted to share an alternative for those who may still be looking for answers. I'm not saying it's THE answer, but it's most definitely worth looking into.

Comment added by Janice on 8/3/04
My EMG revealed I did not have carpel tunnel syndrome in my right hand but that I had neuropothy in my feet and hands but worse in my feed. In 2002 I went through breast cancer with chemo and radiation. The chemo has seemed to have left a few things wrong with my immune system, thus I have had to deal with shingles and now neruopothy. The neurosurgeon still thinks it is carpel tunnel but I don't want to spend more money on an orthopedic surgeon to tell me it is or isn't. I am looking for more natural things to help my immune system at this point. I don't have the amount of pain in my hand that some people have experienced, just a numbness that comes and goes in my thumb and first two fingers. So, right now I am not into any more surgery. Oh, btw, radiation seems to have caused nodules on my thyroid also. But, I passed the two year mark with my cancer, so I can deal with this other stuff.

Comment added by Virginia on 9/8/04
I have read some of the above articles and I would like to know what in the world does "ALS" mean?? About one year ago I started feeling tingling in my middle finger and thumb also my index finger shortly after that it started little by little on my right hand same fingers. I have gone to a hand specialist at UCLA and he tried to convince me that it is carpal tunnel - it is not because I still have a lot of strength in mly hands I only suffer from the tingling in my fingers, however, sometimes now I am beginning to feel strange sensations in my hands around the wrist or in the middle of my hand. I say I do not have carpal tunnel because I do not do anythng repetitive neither at work or at home. Please give me some advise as I would like to take care of the problem ASAP!
Please send to my email address: AWF@earthlink.net
Thank you.

Comment added by wendystudio@charter.net on 9/11/04
i just had cpt surgery on my left hand,i am right handed and have noticed relief from numbness,i never had much pain,just instant numbness when putting hands up,such as painting,i am a hairstylist.i have pain at touch of surgery site and cannot put my full weight on it such as a push up position.its been 3 months now and i wonder if i should have the other one done it seems ive traded one set of symptoms for another!my doctor said i could return to full schedule within a week,even encouraged my regular weight lifting<heavy weights>tae-kwon-do&yoga,which i did but now im left wondering how long til complete recory can anyone advise me?????

Comment added by PanneWolf on 11/9/04
I read all the comments with a great deal of interest. But no one seems to have solved anything with MD, natural treatments, or anything.
Was anyone helped at all?

Comment added by Emily on 11/14/04
My Dad had a serious back injury about 2 years ago. It took the doctors one year to figure out which surgery would help him. Ever since he has had tingling and numbness in his hands. He still has strength in his hands however the pain, numbness has been getting worse. He also has started getting some tingling in his neck. His orthopedic surgeon says that this is carpel tunnel. He is scheduled to have surgery on the 19th of November (less than one week). After reading some of the comments by others I am wondering if this is the correct thing for him to do. If anyone has any imput/reasons why not to please e-mail me.
barnes99@altelco.net

Comment added by Pam on 1/26/05
I was also diagnosed with carpal tunal (by two specialist).
I turned out to be cervical disc damage and arthritis.
This diagnosis came from a sports medicine doctor after
exam and a simple back X-ray. Back strengthing exercises
(thru use of weight machines)helped a lot. I still have
occasional flare-ups, but its nothing like before

Comment added by STEVE III on 1/31/05
I JUST HAD MY SURGERY ON 1/20/05. IT HAS BEEN 11 DAYS AND I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO FEELING IN THAT HAND, EXCEPT FOR MY PINKY.TOTAL NUMBNESS AND TINGLING,SOMETIMES SHARP ELECTRICAL SHOCKS,THE KIND THAT JUST MAKES YOU JUMP FROM SURPRISE.I CANNOT LIFT OR FEEL WHAT I AM TRYING TO GRAB. I CAN'T PICKUP A PENNY OR A PIECE OF PAPER. AFTER VISITING MY HAND SURGEON, HIS RESPONSE WAS IT WILL GET BETTER SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS, AS I ONLY SAW HIS BACK AND THE EXAM ROOM DOOR CLOSING.

Comment added by Barb on 3/15/05
A specialist told me that the sure indicator of carpal tunnel is that the tingling or numbness does NOT extend to the pinkie finger. The nerves to the other fingers go through the carpal tunnel in the wrist, but the pinkie's nerve does not go through that tunnel, and is thus unaffected.
Hope this helps.

Comment added by Char Staton on 5/8/05
I have the tingling and numbness in my left arm and hand from my thumb and first finger. I cannot sleep on my right side w/o it going numb. or let it drop.
I have a nerve cionduction test scheduled for wednesday. I really don"t think it is carpel tunnel but I am just a lay person in pain. I also have diabetic neuraopthy too. about 3 months ago I sprained that thumb, and it seemed to take forever for it to be ok. I was wondering if that could have caused this problem? Thank You.

Comment added by Paulette on 5/30/05
Wow! How do I say anything different? I am using one finger to type with now, left hand is in a cast, yeah, cast! I was told I had carpel tunnel in 2003. Likewise, my left hand, and I am right handed. Surgery was mentioned by my neurogolist, but I wanted to put it off. I suffered with tingleing, numbness, and wearing the brace, even took vit B-6. Finally I couldn't take it no more, I thought I had sprained my wrist about 3 months ago, and it never got better, so off to the opthepedic dr I go. I told him I was ready for surgery. I explained how my left thumb and the wrist felt sprained, and ask if it was part of the carpel tunnel syndrome. He told me that this was something totally different. He called it DeQuervain disease, and it is serious. He would do surgery on both things at the same time. (thank God it was all on my left wrist) I had surgery on May 2, 2005 and I have been in pain ever since.
I was casted up for 2 weeks, and then went and had stitches out on the 19th, and a new cast was put on. He said I "COULD NOT MOVE MY THUMB" for a month. My middle finger is numb, I mean NUMB, cold and has no blood flow. (I usually check my blood sugar in that finger, I can't get a drop out of it) When I told him about the pain, and numbness, he said it was the nerves trying to regenerate, it will get better he said. What I can't understand is that before the operation, "I could at least feel my fingers" I had no "total numbness" I get the cast off tomorrow and then it is one month of thearapy. Anyone interested in the DeQuervain disease, it is a lot like carpel tunnel, but in your wrist and involves the tendons.
Anyone wanting to tell me about their cts, I can be written to at lilbanditbulldog@aol.com Good luck to all of you

Comment added by aziccy@295.ca on 5/31/05
Hello:
It started over a year ago, my index finger swelled up and I could not bend it. Doctor sent me to a rhemotoid specialist he gave me a cortosone injection. It worked after two or three days no more pain. After several months, I started getting numbness when I slept during the night. Later on I started with pain and numbness in my right hand. Had lots of tests, ie. xray, blood work, two different kinds of body scans with negative results for arthritis. Anyway, he sent me to another doctor for carpel tunnel test. I thought after a year and negative results for athritis it was time to move on. Saw a neurologist asked me lots of questions, he then referred me to the surgeon etc. I now have this some pain on my left hand. The surgeon told me that the hands are (copy cats) Finally, I am going to have my surgery for Carpel Tunnel on June 4th, 2005. Also the splinter does help by wearing it while you sleep at night.

Comment added by aziccy@295.ca on 7/15/05 (165.154.9.76)

I had my surgery for capel tunnel in June/05 right now I do not get numbness on my right hand. But even after this surgery my joints in all my fingers ie. right hand and left awakes me with pain. If I sleep with splinters on its o.k. Anyway I am going to the specialist Aug.4/05 to see why all the joints hurt and it awakes me at night. During the day my fingers are a bit swollen and hurts a tiny bit.
Xray show no arthritis????? I worked in the office and did alot of typing in my life.
Does anyone have this problem.?

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