Hand Weakness

[pete82]

Hi all,

I have been umming and erring over whether to post this or not for a while but think it is one of the rare occasions that a few words of encouragement will actually help (hmm, I think I have probably said that before :winks:).

So, my problem is a general feeling of weakness in both hands. Kind of like the feeling you sometimes get when you wake up but not as severe. Just a feeling of clumsiness and not having the strength I used too. There is no noticable muscle deterioration, no demonstrable evidence of a decline in strength, I can still open tight bottle lids, can type with little problem but of course am picking up on any small mistakes I am making like holding down a button for too long on a chip and pin machine etc.

Does anyone else have this? Even writing it out it sounds like I am just focussing on a symptom that isn't really there but I feel I am circling the drain and don't want to descend into some MS/ALS health anxiety 'binge' (one of my go to type of diseases unfortunately!)

Thanks for any help!

Cheers
Pete

[JaneC]

Hi Pete, I've been noticing this about myself recently and tend to think it might be RSI. You don't happen to spend a lot of time at a keyboard do you? x

[pete82]

Yep, i'm a research analyst so pretty much all day every day (not to mention being very adapt at getting the best out of google! An unfortunate skill given the health anxiety). That's a good point that I hadn't really considered. Thanks.

[Gareth]

Hi there

I totally get this - it was the first symptom that really worried me and kicked off a panic attack back in last August and since then I've been really ill with anxiety, health anxiety, etc.

I still get this now and find myself looking at my hands a lot and flexing the fingers to make sure I can still move them. A pretty uncomfortable experience.

Don't let it send you into a spiral like it has done with me.

Gareth

[Rachel W]

I have it too, especially after I have used the computer a lot and can even cause me to start mis-typing. I then started to twitch A LOT in the hands so I was convinced that I had ALS and even started getting speech problems which I still notice, especially when i am tired. I went to an ALS specialist and he gave me a thorough clinical exam and told me right there that he was 99% sure there was nothing wrong and that it was anxiety but he gave me further tests to be 100% sure. I had an NCV and EMG on my hands and arms, right leg up to my hip and then he said that there was no point going further. When I got dressed I reiterated my concern about speech so he stuck the needle in my tongue. Again nothing wrong.

It has now been 18 months with nothing else and twitching reduced once I stopped worrying as much.

It is amazing what computer use and anxiety can do to someone. I am sure that you are fine.

Please take care.

Rachel

[pete82]

Wow, thanks for all the quick comments guys that is really reassuring.

Fortunately I am not getting any twitches at the moment, I pretty much ruined a holiday this time last year worrying about sever twitching and jerking limbs. It's amazing what the mind can do, as soon as I stopped worrying about it the twitches have almost completely stopped.

I too notice problems with my speech, I have always had a slight lisp (so my friends tell me, I hadn't noticed for years!) but that doesn't bother me. Mainly I find myself pausing in conversation either looking for the right word or... well, for no reason. I think it is down to a lack of confidence caused by the anxiety rather than anything symptomatic but of course it has pulled me into the whole MS/ALS issue in the past!