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Arthritis in thumbs: symtoms question?
01-07-2008, 04:30 PM
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#1
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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Arthritis in thumbs: symtoms question?
If at the base of your thumb the pad there gets hot, swells and turns a little red, this is just a symptom of arthritis, right?
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01-07-2008, 04:41 PM
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#2
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Orchid, the term arthritis is pretty generic and just means inflammation of a joint. So, inflammation from infection, gout, rheumatoid or other specific cause are all considered arthritis.
In laymen's terms, most people mean osteoarthritis when the just say arthritis. That's the wear-and-tear kind that so many of us mature people develop. While it can cause painless bumps (really bone callouses), it does not generally cause redness or swelling.
Going waaayyy out on a limb here, but what you describe could arise from prolonged use of a computer mouse, painting the walls, or other repetitive stress. If it lasts more than a couple or 3 weeks, worth checking out with your internist.
Sorry for a long answer to a simple question.
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Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
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01-08-2008, 06:12 AM
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#3
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If it was your big toe it would sound like gout. Can you get gout in your thumb?
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Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
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01-08-2008, 06:34 AM
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#4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donheff
If it was your big toe it would sound like gout. Can you get gout in your thumb?
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Absolutely. And wrist, ankle, knee, elbow, and kidney stones and other exciting venues. Toe is most common ("podagra") but not the only target.
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Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
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01-08-2008, 09:27 AM
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#5
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Thank you for the information. And sorry I left the "p" out of symptom in the heading. I type much slower than I think and never proof half the time.
Gout does run in my family, but I eat little red meat now. When I started to get painful shooting pains in my big toe I knew it was gout (and, hey! it hurts, too!), quit eating much red meat and the pains quit totally. My food is not that rich, so I feel I am safe from getting full blown gout like my cousin has--who has to walk with a cane now and is often in severe pain! Who needs that kind of pain...not me.
I suspect from what you say, Rich, that it is from the computer mouse. I do stay on this computer alot, am right handed and the pain is only in the right hand. Makes sense! Thank you again for your information!
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01-08-2008, 10:12 AM
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#6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Orchidflower
Gout does run in my family, but I eat little red meat now. When I started to get painful shooting pains in my big toe I knew it was gout (and, hey! it hurts, too!), quit eating much red meat and the pains quit totally. My food is not that rich, so I feel I am safe from getting full blown gout like my cousin has--who has to walk with a cane now and is often in severe pain! Who needs that kind of pain...not me.
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It runs in my family too. I believe the red meat bugaboo is a myth. Tell your cousin that a daily dose of Allopurinol keeps it at bay. No need for pain.
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Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
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01-08-2008, 11:56 AM
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#7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donheff
It runs in my family too. I believe the red meat bugaboo is a myth. Tell your cousin that a daily dose of Allopurinol keeps it at bay. No need for pain.
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I think strss is a factor also. I had one attack- I had a stressful situation trying to make sales quotas, and I went out at night and had a huge plate of fried chicken livers. I think by the nest day my big toe looked like Rudolf's nose. I quite the job, and slowed way down on chicken livers and it cleared up.
Ha
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01-08-2008, 01:13 PM
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#8
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Precipitators of gout in predisposed people include gluttony, non-wine alcohol, low doses of aspirin, weight gain, rapid weight loss, meat and fish.
Gout is often felt to be a sure sign of higher intelligence and wit. To wit: Julius Caesar, Alexander Graham Bell, Ben Franklin among others.
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Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
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01-08-2008, 02:37 PM
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#9
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa
Precipitators of gout in predisposed people include gluttony, non-wine alcohol, low doses of aspirin, weight gain, rapid weight loss, meat and fish.
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I've also heard that gout can be a side effect of some BP medications (in particular, diuretics). Is this true?
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01-08-2008, 02:39 PM
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#10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FIRE'd@51
I've also heard that gout can be a side effect of some BP medications (in particular, diuretics). Is this true?
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Thiazides raise uric acid levels and can precipitate gout in susceptible people. Same with furosemide (lasix). But thiazides are great drugs for BP treatment and in low doses are very well tolerated (and inexpensive).
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
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01-08-2008, 04:43 PM
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#11
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Full time employment: Posting here.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Orchidflower
Thank you for the information. And sorry I left the "p" out of symptom in the heading. I type much slower than I think and never proof half the time.
Gout does run in my family, but I eat little red meat now. When I started to get painful shooting pains in my big toe I knew it was gout (and, hey! it hurts, too!), quit eating much red meat and the pains quit totally. My food is not that rich, so I feel I am safe from getting full blown gout like my cousin has--who has to walk with a cane now and is often in severe pain! Who needs that kind of pain...not me.
I suspect from what you say, Rich, that it is from the computer mouse. I do stay on this computer alot, am right handed and the pain is only in the right hand. Makes sense! Thank you again for your information!
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Back when I was w*rking at a computer full time, I found switching the mouse from my right to my left hand every week or two helped spread out the wear and tear on achy joints. It's easier than it sounds.
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01-08-2008, 05:00 PM
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#12
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Gone but not forgotten
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Quote:
Originally Posted by toofrugalformycat
Back when I was w*rking at a computer full time, I found switching the mouse from my right to my left hand every week or two helped spread out the wear and tear on achy joints. It's easier than it sounds.
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Or switch to a laptop with a touchpad (works for me).
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01-08-2008, 06:24 PM
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#13
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I've been taking 81 mg. of aspirin for ages. Why? I have no idea, but I started so long ago that I have just kept it up.
Are you saying that low doses of aspirin can kick off gout Yikes!
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01-08-2008, 07:02 PM
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#14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Orchidflower
I've been taking 81 mg. of aspirin for ages. Why? I have no idea, but I started so long ago that I have just kept it up.
Are you saying that low doses of aspirin can kick off gout Yikes!
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I'm saying that low doses of aspirin raise your uric acid level. If you have gout, that may make it worse. If you are one of the 95% of people who don't have gout, i won't "cause it."
Oddly, in high doses like we used to give for bad inflammatory conditions, it actually lowers uric acid levels.
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
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01-09-2008, 08:44 AM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa
Gout is often felt to be a sure sign of higher intelligence and wit. To wit: Julius Caesar, Alexander Graham Bell, Ben Franklin among others.
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I knew I had something going for me.
__________________
Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
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01-10-2008, 09:16 AM
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#16
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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Now that is interesting...thanks Rich_in_Tampa. Who knew?
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