To think this is sort of urgent?!

[sharkirasharkira]

Ok, I realise that it isn't an emergency situation but it is urgent in that it is impacting my day to day life and I need the problem resolves as soon as it's reasonably possible?

I've been having pain in my hands, radiating up to my elbows. Pain gets worse when I use my hands to grip/pick up things, has been causing problems at work for this reason. My fingers and joints feel puffy and swollen, I keep getting tinglyness/pins & needles and sometimes they go numb, from the fingertips up.

I noticed it the first time when I was riding my motorbike and the numbness got so intense that I almost couldn't feel my hand on the throttle. Fortunately I was nearly home so I managed but it has happened since in different circumstances.

I am worried and want to get it sorted but I was told since the problem isn't medically urgent I have to wait 5 working days for a call back, then god knows how long for an actual appointment. Aibu to think this is urgent enough to be seen sooner? I know GP's are stretched but my worry is if I lose feeling in my hands I might have an accident and I need to ride to get to work so I can't just stop doing it until I can get it sorted.

To be honest, the timeframe sounds fine to me.
It sounds like it could be raynauds/ vibration white finger - does it happen when it's cold and/or you're holding something that vibrates (like the bike)? If so you might find keeping your hands warm (lined leather gloves at a minimum, but heated are better), loosen your grip when it happens and try to increase your circulation (lots of exercises online on hire to do this).

You should see your GP about this. My partner has similar symptoms and was diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome which causes pain, numbness and tingling.. There was also signs of arthritis in his fingers.

Ask the surgery or your local pharmacy for advice on how to deal with the symptoms in the meantime but do see your GD

i have this and have been told its a trapped nerve.

It's reasonable to want to discuss this with a GP of course, but firstly it is not the sort of thing that is going to "get sorted" (it will either just go away or be a long term issue for you to manage) and secondly it is not clinically urgent, although your GP will want to run some blood tests and examine the hands to rule out serious underlying conditions.

However it is your responsibility not to ride if you honestly feel it is unsafe to do so. You may have to consider other ways of getting to work, regardless of when you see a GP.

To be honest it could be a number of conditions, carpal tunnel, B12 deficiency which can cause stocking and glove effect symptoms, Raynauds and a few others

It’s uncomfortable but not life threatening so a five day wait isn’t unreasonable

I live with it permanently due to nerve damage caused by B12 deficiency and it’s often worse if my levels drop

Not urgent, just inconvenient.

Sorry.

You are lucky to get an appointment in 5 days, frankly. You must live somewhere with good GP access.

Sounds totally reasonable, it isn't medically urgent but you need to stop driving until this is sorted for your safety and that of other people. I've had to stop driving permanently for medical reasons so know how inconvenient it is but when you think about the bin lorry driver in Glasgow who passed out at the wheel and killed 6 people, driving when you know you shouldn't doesn't really seem worth the risk, does it?

Sounds like nerve damage or something like that, I have similar pain in my knee after I fell over. It isn’t urgent - to me urgent is breathing, infection, pain that makes you vomit etc. This is routine but I know how uncomfortable it is. I hope you feel better soon.

I'm afraid it is not clinically urgent and so you cannot expect an urgent appointment. Of course, in an ideal world you would get to see the GP sooner and I can tell you most GPs I know would love to be able to see patients more quickly than many are able to at present.

However, it is highly unlikely to be something life threatening or something which the GP can fix in one appointment.

Most likely you would need examined, probably some blood tests done and perhaps physio (if it is nerve entrapment for the neck, or for splints and exercises if it is carpal tunnel) or possibly referral to rheumatology or orthopaedics if thought appropriate: all depends on what they think it is.

If you feel you are unsafe to drive your bike, then it is a legal and moral duty to stop driving and find an alternative mode of transport to work.

Did you see the report about GPs being paid if they don't refer people to hospital? They put off patients once their quota is filled.

You need Nerve conductivity tests, after bloods (which will only takes week), so the appointment can be requested.

Insist that the GP works towards a diagnosis. Mine was ignored and now I've got long term damage which is impacting on my working life.

My dad had this. Got worse tingly when he was riding. Carpal tunnel and small op, done by GP at surgery solved it.

It sounds like it could be something vibration related- I know welders/ people regularly using needle guns etc who have had similar. Riding your bike will be making it worse if it is vibration related. Look up hand arm vibration, and mention the motorbike when you get medical help. Are you female? I wonder if because HAVS is associated with make dominated jobs, a medic may be less likely to diagnose hand-arm vibration unless you mention it.

So you think its enough of a problem that you need seeing urgently BUT not bad enough that YOU should take responsibility and not ride your motor bike?

I've been shocked by how slow things are. I've just been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and people are waiting months to be seen. It's shocking. I guess they are prioritising the urgent cases, but still.... I've also seen around 10 different medical practitioners and it's taken a year to diagnose me, it's not quick, and it is crap when it's affecting your day to day life. I guess you don't realise how it works until you need to use it.

I was taking a high dose sublingual B12 tablet as there's evidence it's effective for nerve renewal if it's that - a Solgar or Jarrow formulas one, it's the methylcobalamin version 5000mcg - might be worth a try whilst you're waiting.

Please DONT do as Amaris suggests!

Amaris is quite correct about methylcobalamin, however if you have pernicious anaemia or a b12 deficiency and take this BEFORE blood tests it will completely distort the results

As treatment level in the UK is woefully below the rest of the world it would raise levels above treatment threshold

and I say this as someone who uses the Jarrow lozenges daily for this deficiency

I appreciate you're frustrated but it's not a medical emergency to be unable to drive. If you're not safe to do so then you don't.

Tbh it may be that you're in for a long recovery/management plan anyway so it's worth getting some strategies in place now.

My dp has not long had surgery for a badly damaged nerve and is still in recovery mode three weeks on. Imho your symptoms don't sound like they indicate anything fixable with a short course of medication tbh.

@sharkirasharkira I'm really sorry you are suffering with this. I think waiting five working days for a phone call is a long time.

If you are very worried you could call 111. This may just give you some reassurance.

Hope you get to the bottom of this.

Sounds what I have had recently. I was referred for physio who ensured it wasn't carpal tunnel and gave me a set of exercises - which largely sorted it out.

I had a nerve issue (thoracic outlet syndrome) in my arm from shoulder to fingers. I couldn’t move it after a week and was in agony.

GP didn’t know what it was so got a referral to a consultant. But the waiting list in my area was 26 weeks so I ended up seeing a private consultant just to get a diagnosis. I was unable to use my arm properly the entire time so was also off work.

I had the testing done on NHS which was an x-ray 6 months after GP refferal, nerve conductivity tests 8 months after and an mri scan almost 12 months later

Even though it impacted my daily life, and I was off work for 8 months in total by the time treatment and physio started working, it’s not a medical emergency.

Hope you get a quick diagnosis 💐

Good point Schrodingers, yes do ignore me. I've got so used to just experimenting with stuff through not getting my own issues sorted out through the doctors.

I appriciate that if I feel I'm not safe to ride then I shouldn't, which I haven't for the last few days due to the snow. But realistically the only way I can get to work without the bike (rural location), is a £12 taxi twice a day. I can't afford to do that every day.

I don't anticipate that I'll be 'fixed' after one appointment but if I at least know what the problem is I might be able to help it a bit in the mean time. The pain/tingling/numbness sometimes occurs when I'm cold/vibrating (ie, riding the bike) but not always. It has happened when I've just been walking around at work, sitting in bed, etc.

I am female, and I don't know if its relevant but I also wanted to see the GP about possible thyroid problems as I have a lot of underactive thyroid symptoms. I also had an accident where I damaged my shoulder about 6 months ago and still having pain so need to be re-referred for physio for that!

I think it would be less frustrating if I knew I could have an appointment in 5 days but its 5 days for a phone call, then I don't know how long for an actual appointment. It doesn't help that I tend to 'save up' my medical issues (as its so awkward to get an appoinment) so that when I do see the GP I can ask them about all of them but you are rushed through so quickly I inevitably miss something. Ah well, hopefully they'll get back to me asap.

If you do keep riding, look into vibration reducing gloves. Keeping your hands warm will also help protect against (but not prevent) vibration damage. It might not be HAVS but if it is then vibrations and cold will only make the problem worse.

Good luck, and hope you get an appointment soon!