Carpal tunnel - in agony feeding

[negrilbaby]

Please help.

I have severe carpal tunnel pain in my right wrist, brought on by breastfeeding and carrying my rather heavy baby and still lugging round a large 3 year old. I visited the hospital when DD was a month old and had a steroid injection in the wrist. The pain subsided almost over night. The clinician told me that it wouldn't disappear while I was still feeding DS and I'd probably need another injection in 6 months time. DS is now 7 months. I visited my GP, got a re-referral and called for an appointment. They can't see me until the end of March!!

At the moment I can sleep for a maximum of 2 hours at night before the burning pain wakes me up. I'm then awake for the rest of the night. I can doze but the the pain just starts up again. I spent most of last night sobbing with my hand in a bowl of warm water - it helps speed up the recovery.

I've tried every position possible in bed. I've got a wrist splint which help a couple of weeks ago - but doesn't any longer. Pain killers have no effect at all.

The most frightening part of it is that when the pain and numbness is at its maximum I cannot pick up DD, never mind feed her. The pain often becomes unbearable while I am in the middle of feeding and so I have to cut her feeds short. This means she wakes even more often during the night - which at the moment isn't a huge problem since I am already awake.

I've phoned the hospital 4 times last week begging for an earlier appointment. I've explained my situation and they always say they'll try to fit me in somewhere and will call back but they don't.

If I don't have some relief soon I don't know what to do. I'm scared that with so little sleep I am not in a position to be safe looking after the children during the day when DH is at work.

Any advice would be welcome.

Oh god you poor poor thing. Could you go to A and E? Sounds a bit draatic but surely if you can't pick your baby up and can't sleep at all they would have to give you the injection then and there?

I agree, wouldn't usually recommend bipassing the system but if you go to A and E their referral to the orthopedic Dr (who is still who will need to treat you - A and E not likely to be able to help much other than with pain relief, I'd be very suprised if thy could give you a steroid injection) might be quicker than the GP's. Orthopedic clinics often have slots reserved for A and E referrals. Hope that makes sense. Good luck. Alternatively ask your GP to ring the hospital to speed up the appointment (they CAN do this).

I am sorry to hear of your distress. It's important for you to know that the cause of your pain is not in your wrist--that is only where your symptoms are. Here are some tips I hope will help:

1. Prop nursing baby on a pillow or 2 that are high enough so you will not have to hold or lean.

1. Check if you hike your shoulder. That can aggravate the muscles in your neck that can cause pain in your hand. It also aggravates the nerves in your neck that send sensations to your hand. If you do hike your shoulder, make it a point to let it go down whenever you notice that you are doing that.

1. Massage or get someone to massage your whole arm and the muscles in your upper chest near your collar bone and arm. Those are good areas to apply cold or ice to, also.

1. While you might get relief now from an injection that won't help the long term problem. The root of your pain is in your lower arm, upper arm, chest, neck or upper back or many of those areas. Muscles press on nerves and both muscles and nerves can cause carpal tunnel symptoms. Posture can play a big part in carpal tunnel pain, too.

And there is a lot more information at CarpalTunnelPainReliefNow.com Look under the category 'Causes' and 'Self-help.'

I hope these suggestions help and that you will be feeling better soon.

Best,
Kathryn Merrow

Op I got this too although came on when pg. Have to say it didn't get to the level you have thank god. At it's worst I can remember picking dd up in the night fir a feed and realising I couldn't feel anything and that I couldn't grip properly, scared me as I think I nearly dropped her.

This might not be a popular view but if you have been told it will not improve till you finish bfing have you considered stopping? Your situation is so extreme I think you need to look at the whole picture. Btw I bf for over 8 mths so don't thong I am anti bfing.

Specialist myofascial release massage helps me - myofascial trigger points can press on nerves and cause carpal tunnel symptoms.

Propping baby up with cushions was good but feeding lying down is best.

Many thanks for the replies.
I'll try the GP again tomorrow and see if I get anywhere.
I've bought some heat pads for my neck because I do hunch when feeding and I know that this exacebates the situation.
I've tried feeding on pillows and even when I didn't have my hand on DD the numbness and pain started again.
Feeding lying down isn't an option because lying down on either side for any length of time also brings on symptoms.
Will look up myofascial release - haven't heard of it before - and may give it a go.
Really don't want to stop bf if I don't have to.
And will keep A&E for the last resort!

Hello, I read this last night and couldn't think of anything helpful to say apart from to sympathise, it sounds horrible.

I wondered this morning if you had tried feeding dd sitting up on your lap, facing you? It might reduce the stress on your wrists and elbows as they won't be supporting any weight.

It also occurred to me that switching to ff may not really solve anything because you'll still have to hold/support DD and hold a bottle too...

I hope it goes/has gone OK at the doctor's today.

Just a quick update.

Persistance pays off. I called the hospital again today and they called back with a cancellation appointment for Wednesday.
I can finally see an end to this pain!

Many thanks for all the help.

Mrsgordonfreeman - I tried feeding DD the way you suggested. It definitely made me sit up straighter - DD is very tall and I'm quite short. She wasn't too impressed. She latched on but then threw herself off sideways. May keep trying though!

ooh good!You must be so relieved. I do hope they sort you out.