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Post Op CTS

Posted , 5 users are following.

john95466
john95466

Hi, fellow sufferer's

Had my surgery 12/16/14 numbness, tingling still present in thumb forefinger and middle finger. The throbing which kept me from getting a decent sleep has diminished somewhat. I would be lying if i said that im not worried. My condition was severe, but my surgeon said no issues. Just wait and see. Pain medication is Norco 1 pill every 4 hours.

 

1 like, 43 replies

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  • Guest
    Guest john95466

    Posted

    Nine months here too. Today one of the worst days, pain my thumb plus other symptoms. Yes, there are absolutely ups and downs. The trouble though is that when I have the downs it's sometimes even worse than before surgery. When it's good I feel totally recovered 100%, last time 1 whole hour last week. Still total sensation loss in the palm around the scar - is that normal?

    But I also have constant tinglings, pain of different sort and/or numbness in both hands, arms, legs and feet plus cheek now. Plus severe temperature dips that no way only can be addressed to carpal tunnel syndrome. Freezing to pieces. No fever or other symptoms, but I can't sit on my exercise bike to keep a normal body temperature 24 h a day. The surgeon already in March 2014 thought I might have another disease going on simultaneously. What could it be? Lack of some vitamins or minerals? I'm gluten intolerant.

    • growser
      growser Guest

      Posted

      Ken, has your doctor done any thyroid tests? Thyroid desease can often mimicking carpal tunnel.
    • Guest
      Guest growser

      Posted

      My ordinary doctor ordered a thyroid blood test on me in Sep 2013, before the carpal tunnel surgery in March 2014. But I had a strange value. My folic acid value was explosively toxic (not even measureable on two different techniques) and kept being that. They still have no idea why it is so high. My surgeon told me in February 2014 they must do a follow up on that, but they don't. Perhaps I have to move?
  • Guest
    Guest john95466

    Posted

    John! Keep in mind the rule: recovery might at least take the time you've had the carpal tunnel syndrome. And often these things can gradually and slowly appear. Therefore it's not always easy to tell a certain date when it all began.
  • rob_43989
    rob_43989 john95466

    Posted

    I'm 4.5 weeks with one hand and 1.5 weeks with the other. As I've mentioned before, with the 2nd surgery, I kept taking the pain meds thru the 3rd day and made it a point to use the hand as much as I could-especially making a tight fist often(do it slowly). As long as you take your time to adjust to the pressure, try brushing your teeth, holding things, etc. The difference is incredible! I have almost full grip strength with the 2nd hand while I still can't make a closed fist with the first. I think they need to give you more direction than to just "keep moving your fingers". I took that to mean I should keep wiggling them. Then after wearing the brace for a week with the 1st hand, I think it makes your muscles atrophy. The second hand feels almost normal already while I'm having lots of difficulty using the first one, and the 2nd hand was done less than 2 weeks ago. 
    • Guest
      Guest rob_43989

      Posted

      Wearing the brace for too long could be just what you wrote, bad for the muscles. I keep this to a minimum, only for the first nights during a setbeck. I always becomes clumpsy the next day after wearing a bracelet during the night! Simultaneoulsy, I have a bad habit or bending my wrists during the night. Tricky one!
    • elaine02726
      elaine02726 Guest

      Posted

      I pop my hand under the pillow and put my head on it to try and keep it straight in the night!

      Regards Elaine 

    • Guest
      Guest elaine02726

      Posted

      Oohh!! That's a BIG no-no according to my surgeon! I've did the same since I was born. No wonder You have developed cts if You sleep like that, he said. It means unnatural forced pressure on the carpal tunnel for hours, he said. I got the advice to keep tha hand beside me next to the pillow. My physio therapist adviced me to put it ON another pillow beside me.
    • elaine02726
      elaine02726 Guest

      Posted

      I can't see what is exciting him so much, the moment you drop of you are going to move it, turn over or whatever,. I found it helped a lot when I was suffering with CTS, it let me get off to sleep. Fortunately I 

      didn't need anything after op. as the symptoms were gone.

      regards Elaine

    • Guest
      Guest elaine02726

      Posted

      Great Elaine! Regarding what we do with our body parts when we fall asleep made me think of someting today to figure it out. I might put up my video camera one of these nights and record myself to see what I'm doing. I ask my ordinarie doctor about such an experiment, and he said it would cost too much if they provided for it.  smile

      I also got two other suggestions from the physio therapist team I could follow if I wanted: 1) Attach a tennis ball with tape on my right side (sweater) so I wake up and don't try to sleep on that side. 2) Borrow a metallic frame with a harness from them to put my hand in high above my head for some weeks after surgery.

  • mark26805
    mark26805 john95466

    Posted

    I think we can safely assume that EVERYONE reacts differently to this operation and that is why there is a huge amount of difference in advice given by the surgeons and doctors.

    In the UK for me it was local anaesthetic only, bandages off after 48 hours, dressing removed after 4 days, stitches out at two weeks. Use paracetamol if you have any pain and a brace or splint was never mentioned.

    This is completely different to advice that others were given even in the UK. What I can say is time is the great healer, it takes a few days from not being able to brush your teeth with the hand, to brushing again as normal; turning your car ignition on, flicking a light switch, tieing your shoelaces, buttoning your shirt....one day it's very hard/impossible but two days later you realise you are doing it pain free again.

    Some nerves must be cut, but they all come good again later, isn't the body wonderful. Further problems do need to be shown to your medical team as our bodies are slowly deteriating and it may be nothing to do with the surgery performed.

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