a R - Carpal Tunnel in RA

[Guest guest]

a R,

I'm glad you are taking the folic acid along with your MTX. It can only

help.

Please do call your doctor and ask for something to control your pain. There

is no point in suffering when there are so many drugs that can make you more

comfortable.

The last time you asked me about carpal tunnel, a directed you to some

great information before I had a chance to answer. I don't know if you had

time to read any of it. Here is a little article on carpal tunnel that I

like. The illustrations are a bit goofy, but the content is very clear and

good:

http://www.sechrest.com/mmg/reflib/ctd/cts/cts.html

Here are some other worthwhile ones:

http://www.hand-surg.org/brochures/carpal.asp

http://www.arthritis.org/answers/diseasecenter/carpal_tunnel_syndrome.asp

http://www.medscape.com/SMA/JSOA/1999/v08.n03/soa0803.07.slat/soa0803.07.slat-01\

..html

This is also some relevant information from " Arthritis and Allied

Conditions " (Koopman; Lippincott & Wilkins, 2001):

" If one follows up 1,000 adults for 1 year, one expects one case of carpal

tunnel syndrome to be diagnosed. Of these 1/1,000, an associated condition

will be recognized in half; diabetes, RA, myxedema, and pregnancy lead the

list. "

So, as you can see, carpal tunnel syndrome has quite a close link with RA.

You can have inflammation and swelling of the tenosynovium that isn't

outwardly visible but that causes symptoms. That fact that your physician

believes that your wrist doesn't look noticeably swollen wouldn't be enough

to rule out carpal tunnel syndrome.

Hope you can get some pain relief very soon, a. And thanks very much for

the compliment. I'm most happy to help get you the information you need.

----- Original Message -----

From: " a R " <mquiltn@...>

< >

Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 2:02 PM

Subject: [ ] Re: still in pain

> ,

> I am taking folic acid daily. I think the doc wants me to stay at 7.5

> until i get past my 3 months. I go back on the 25th june, and if i am

> not doing better i will see if we should increase it.

>

> I was diagnosed with CT in January and RA in February by my regular

> doctor and then sent the interninst. the internist thought that it

> was not related to the RA because it didnt appear that my wrist

> joints were swallon.

>

> When i first went to the internist he put me on relefen. but that

> didnt seem to work as well.

>

> thanks for being such a great source of knowledge.

>

> aR