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Original poster

Achenbach syndrome - help, please!

82 replies

ChipButty · 27/11/2008 04:59

Over the past month, I have twice experienced a sudden sharp pain - once in a finger and once in my thumb - followed by the sudden appearance of a bruise and slight redness and swelling. The pain recedes quite quickly and the bruising fades over a few days. I have found the name for this condition but cannot find much information about it. Don't know whether to see a doctor. Has anyone had any experience of this, please? TIA.

OP posts:

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Donetrying1 · 08/02/2021 03:57

Helloi
I am so glad l found this thread as l worry about my health and l have this too! So far it’s happened 3 times to me.
Anyone else??

NymphInYellow · 08/02/2021 16:40

This has happened to me twice recently, both times in my left thumb (I'm right handed). A sudden intense pain, followed by swelling and bruising that lasts a few days. It's very weird. Reassuring to know I'm not the only one!

Donetrying1 · 08/02/2021 19:13

Hi Nymphin
Yes it’s odd isn’t it?!
It happened to me on my thumb and palm of my right hand twice and then a couple of days ago on my left hand index finger! I’ve had a lot of illness recently so l completely freaked out-but then found this thread and l’ve calmed down a bit.
I also suffer from a skin condition called Lichen Sclerosis which is incredibly rare too so l’m not doing too brilliantly!

NymphInYellow · 08/02/2021 22:38

It sounds like something that might keep happening then, but I'll be less freaked out about it being something terrible now.

le0pardqueen · 28/02/2021 22:51

I get this too. I think the first time I experienced it was around 12 years ago and it happens to me maybe 3 times a year. It mainly affects my fingers but I’ve had it on my toes a couple of times. Still freaks me out a bit every time it happens!

Pparker8589 · 05/04/2021 17:58

So glad I found this forum. Had a spontaneous episode Thursday wasn’t sure exactly what was going on but sudden right index finger swelled and purple (no trauma). Pretty sure it is Achenbach syndrome. I am a 53 yr. old female thyroid has been removed. Resolved in about 3 days. My 23 yr old son has Reynaud’s syndrome. Am I going to continually have this the rest of my life?
How do I add pictures?

godmum56 · 27/06/2021 12:59

am ressurecting this because so many people have it yet its still described as rare I have it too. Achenbach's Syndrome

Indoctro · 01/07/2021 16:09

I'm glad I found this thread. I was just sitting and suddenly I had a sharp pain in my finger and it's started swelling and going blue . Definitely not hurt it . Dr google threw up Achenbach syndrome and I think that's exactly what it must be

I'm a over 40 female

Indoctro · 02/07/2021 13:07

So update on finger. I rang GP and they wanted to see me. Turns out it is achenbach and it's extremely rare, they had never seen a case of it. Tell tale sign was the tip of finger not being affected. If it happens again it would warrant further investigation as could be a clotting issue. Happens to right hand , 3/4th finger and mostly women. They said it was one for a medical journal as so rare.

Indoctro · 02/07/2021 13:15

Should of added he also said bursting of bloody vessels in fingers is reasonable common and will happen after heavy lifting or carrying shopping etc when this happens bruising it's more around the joint and on both sides of finger.

Achenbach only affects fingers and the 3rd/4th and it's spontaneous sudden sharp pain followed by swelling and as I mentioned the bruising will always travel on palm side of finger from palm up leaving just a white tip.

Applejelly145 · 28/08/2021 16:40

Hmm. The many responses here suggest it's not so rare...more likely that most people with this (myself included) are concerned whenever it happens but just carry on because we're busy and don't get round to getting it checked! It seems that it's benign, but I'd still like to know what causes it!

Theworldisquiethere · 28/08/2021 16:45

Oh this is very interesting, I get this too (though not for a few years currently). I also have hypermobility and raynauds and assumed it was related

jumpedintwice · 08/04/2022 12:53

I know this is an old thread...but I have this too so just posting to add to the info.

I've had it for a few years, since around 50ish. I get a sudden, spontaneous pain in a finger, usually close to the base of one of my ring or middle fingers, then a bruise and it's really painful to touch for a day or so. I think my mum had this too but assumed it was related to her Raynaud's.

I've never mentioned it to a GP, largely because it's so difficult to see a GP that I save it for things I think they might be able to do something about. So if others are like me, I can't imagine stats on this would be anywhere near accurate.

TaighNamGastaOrt · 17/06/2022 21:30

Ah, I've just started a thread on here about my finger doing exactly the same. Someone suggested Achenbach syndrome and a Google brought me here.
I'm so glad I found this thread! I honestly wondered what the heck had happened to my finger! I'm early 40's so similar age as everyone else. Always my middle or ring finger on left hand.
My only concern would be vascular issues run in my family but I've no other issues and GP's are rare just now. So it seems harmless and theres no treatment as such, just ice and time.
Good to know I'm not the only one who has this-I thought it was a blood clot!
Thanks for this thread!

KAYAKLIFE · 08/07/2022 21:54

I had this happen to me a month ago for the first time. I am F age 46. When it happened, I freaked out and thought my finger was going to need to be amputated. I had no clue what was happening.

I looked into it via my brother-in-law and google. Even though Google says it's rare, my brother-in-law is a nurse and he showed my photo to one of his doctors and the doc says it's pretty common and they see it often. He told me it is Achenbach syndrome.

After thinking about it, I think I got it from lifting weights. I started lifting weights a few months ago. Though it could be from doing the dishes. It happened directly when I was doing the dishes one evening.

Since then, I do get some swelling and a little bit of pain. I use an ice pack to take the swelling down.

I think there needs to be more research and documentation on this subject.

Take away: ice works great for both pain and swelling.

RockinHorseShit · 08/07/2022 22:04

I get this too, & if it's the same thing, it's due mini ruptured veins, I've been told it's a result of EDS, which is a collagen defect, so can affect veins etc & make them more fragile too

TaighNamGastaOrt · 08/07/2022 22:52

@RockinHorseShit can I ask whats EDS?

RockinHorseShit · 08/07/2022 23:16

Ehlers Danlos... I see now that someone mentioned Hypermobility up thread, it's related to joint Hypermobility syndrome. Basically we are, (or were if older) a bit more flexible than normal.

If you Google "Beighton Score" in images, you'll find a chart you can compare yourself against, which will give yiu an idea if this could be you too. I didn't think I was at all "bendy" until I heard of this, but often it runs in families, so it can seem quite normal to you.

TaighNamGastaOrt · 08/07/2022 23:51

Thanks @RockinHorseShit had a look. I'm not super bendy. Interesting reading though.
cool username

Ourlittleharmonica · 20/08/2022 14:03

I think this happened to me today, my rings were really hurting me all of a sudden and when I looked at my left hand, this is what I saw. It's not overly sore, more tender. I'm 39 & have recently started to have peri menopausal symptoms. I also have Crohn's but I dunno if that's relevant or not. I didn't get the sharp pain though so maybe this was just from some very over enthusiastic hoovering?

Lesterjosephgale · 20/08/2022 14:07

Omg so strange that this thread has just come up in active. This happened to me yesterday and Googling suggested this was the cause. Apparently rare. I also have crohns! Came on so suddenly, finger was sore and within minutes looked like this. Today no pain and bruising almost gone.

DiorForBreakfast · 20/08/2022 14:11

Me too, hands and feet. My GP referred me to a vascular consultant, who ran scans of hands and feet, and reported that all blood vessels appeared normal. She took an extensive history, told me she had never seen another person with the same symptoms, and then surprised me by saying that she also suffered from it. For me, at the first twinge (often a sharp stab, or itchy sensation) I run for the ice packs, and elevate the affected limb. If I treat it fast, I get no swelling, and minimal bruising. I got it once while driving, so could do nothing, and to this day the affected thumb is still bigger than it used to be, so swift treatment seems to be key.

picklemewalnuts · 20/08/2022 14:31

It's so not rare. It's just that we all just get on with it. Although I suppose I don't actually know anyone else that gets it...

Oh well. I was investigated for hypermobility/EDS and they said no. However people often comment on this joint or that being a bit too mobile. My collagen is awful- stretch marks from even thinking about them!

Anyone got Fibromyalgia too?

For me, it's thyroid, Fibro, meno... just a crock, basically. I've started getting sharp stabbing pains, like these blood rupture ones, in my finger tips when I play guitar. Blooming irritating!

Odfod · 12/11/2022 18:03

Found this after googling. I get the same! This week my finger went from nothing to this within an hour then completely purple then there was nothing the next day! Wondering whether to see GP but sounds like not much to be gained 🤷‍♀️

Pparker8589 · 13/11/2022 03:37

The time it happened to me at first I thought I was bitten by something. No point see a GP from everything I read just happens. Welcome to the club.

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