Hi JAB,

Thanks for all you do. Question: I've been having pains and spasms in my thumbs and joint areas. I suffer with myoclonous but I take meds for it. Have you heard anything about this?? Do you know if it's related or could it be a side effect of something?

Or am I just getting arthritis in those areas? lol.

Hi, Lisa. Are you talking just about joints in your hands, or generally all over your body? Are the spasms in the same places as the pain? Do the spasms seem to be painful, or is the pain there without the spasms? Are you taking a statin to control cholesterol levels (Lipitor, Crestor, etc)?

Hey JAB,

The pain and spasms are in the same places. It's hard to describe. They (Pain & spasms)are in both thumbs and run down into the thumb joints (balls of the thumbs) near the wrists.

Am I making any sense?

Dear Lisa, I'm not giving you medical advice, but, I have similar pains in the thumb and hand on the right. I think it's a repetitive strain from using the keyboard and the mouse so much. (sort of like carpal tunnel syndrome but of the thumb and hand). I treat it with anti-inflammatory medication (Advil, Aleve, etc) and rest. I know you spend a lot of time on the computer.

Iris L.

I'm seeing lots of things that could cause what you describe.

Iris is right, if you're using a computer a lot, "repetitive strain injury" could be your problem. People who use BlackBerries are now reporting a lot of this type of injury to both thumbs, since that's what they use to press the keypad. They're calling it "BlackBerry Thumb." This article talks about how to treat/prevent the problem:

http://www.ntid.rit.edu/media/...t.php?article_id=488

If you are taking a statin to control cholesterol levels (e.g., Lipitor, Crestor, etc), that could be causing your problem. If you continue to take the med, it can lead to permanent damage, so talk to your doctor about stopping it for a while, to see if the pain/spasms stop.

Some other meds can cause spasms/pain in the hands. What meds are you on?

Other things I'm finding on the web:

- Low levels of any of several minerals (calcium, potassium, or magnesium)

- Vitamin D deficiency

- Thyroid hormone deficiencies (hypothyroidism)

- Reduced function of the parathyroid glands (hypoparathyroidism)

Any of these should be detectable in standard blood and/or urine tests.

You should have your doctor check this out -- calcium deficiency can be caused by some serious disorders. Any of these can be treated pretty readily, and all of them should be treated before they lead to worse problems.

Or ... calcium deficiency can be caused by hyperventilation! When you get stressed, do you breathe rapidly and deeply?

See: http://adam.about.com/encyclop...d-or-foot-spasms.htm

Other possibilities: Excessive anxiety and fatigue, or depression

Pain due to arthritis in the thumb can be exacerbated by muscle spasms. It does strike me as a little strange that problems with arthritis and spasms would start up in both thumbs at the same time, though.

I also have severe pain in my thumb joints (not on a statin). Joe and Theresa Graedon, PH.D in their book The People's Pharmacy Guide recomend gin soaked white raisins. I find it helps a lot. Besides-great way to start your morning

Dear JAB,

Thanks so much for all the info. Could this be part of the myoclonus???

Iris,

I am on the computer but have a lap top and don't use a mouse.

Thanks, I'll speak with my doctor about it.

Lisa, from what I'm seeing, yes, it could be myoclonus. Spasms can be intensely painful. I had thought bilateral jerks would be unusual, but apparently they're common.

There are quite a few meds that can be tried, if this is due to myoclonus and your current meds are not controlling all of it any more. You're on clonazepam? One thing that's been suggested, either alone or in combination with clonazepam, is sodium valproate.


(Meeko, you are incorrigible.)

Thanks JAB,

I'll speak with my doctor!

You're terrific!

Hi Everyone

Lisa, I too am on Clonazapam. I was told by the Neurologist in VA that it has a side effect of creating dementia! Ever heard of this? I've looked on my paperwork from pharmacy, but, I don't see this.

I was put on it for shaking,anxiety and depression.

Mary, clonazepam is on the list of drugs that have anticholinergic properties. These drugs can have the opposite effect that the cholinesterase inhibitors (aricept, razadyne, exelon) have. Some people refer to this as having the potential to cause drug-induced dementia, but that's not accurate.

For one thing, any adverse side effects go away when the drug is discontinued.

In the case of clonazepam, the anticholinergic properties are relatively weak, and the med is prescribed for AD patients when needed.

Clonazepam is one of many drugs that can cause "paradoxical reactions", i.e., can produce side effects that are the same as the symptoms for which it was prescribed in the first place. Clonazepam can cause confusion, depression, amnesia, anxiety, agitation, etc. Those are side effects that are seen in only a very small percentage of patients who were prescribed the drug, of course.

But if some of your symptoms got worse when started on clonazepam, the drug might be the problem.