Carpal tunnel syndrome

steveo4

Well-Known Member
Messages
216
Does anyone suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome due to having type one diabetes? I'm getting bad pain in my hands , fingers and arms and my dsn told me it could be this.
 

TeddyTottie

Well-Known Member
Messages
394
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Does anyone suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome due to having type one diabetes? I'm getting bad pain in my hands , fingers and arms and my dsn told me it could be this.
I had carpal tunnel in both hands, and had surgery on both (one at a time!) to fix it, very successfully. Mine was pre-diabetes and due to the classic pinch of the nerve by a tight ligament at the base of the palm. Carpal tunnel causes pain, and numbness most specifically in thumb, index, middle and half of the ring finger. The little finger does not go numb in classic CTS.

If your nurse thinks it’s diabetes related, does she think it is a form of neuropathy rather than nerve entrapment?
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,796
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Does anyone suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome due to having type one diabetes? I'm getting bad pain in my hands , fingers and arms and my dsn told me it could be this.

I haven't got T1, but I had the surgery in 2008.
The relief afterwards is great, and no effects since, no pain, no problem.
Get your GP to get you booked in.
 

In Response

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,373
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
@steveo4 you may get more answers if you posted in more general,sub forum.
Your carpal tunnel is unlikely to be related to your insulin pump.
I recommend using the general topics.
 

Chas C

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1,044
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I did have it 15 yrs ago and changed to a roller ball mouse for work (computer), it went away and never came back. I've had trigger finger and got that repaired by surgery.
 
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23
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I did have it 15 yrs ago and changed to a roller ball mouse for work (computer), it went away and never came back. I've had trigger finger and got that repaired by surgery.
I've just been diagnosed with CTS, severe in my Right Hand and Minor in my left, I had the nerve tests in hospital recently. I've also had frozen shoulders in both, 3 operations to free them, which has taken away the pain but still have limited movement. As for trigger fingers, I have had all but 1 finger operated on over the years and both thumbs, 10 operations in total.
Oh the joy of being diabetic, but I am better of than a lot of people so I still count my blessings.
 

Beating-My-Betes

Well-Known Member
Messages
653
I had carpal tunnel in both hands, and had surgery on both (one at a time!) to fix it, very successfully. Mine was pre-diabetes

Exactly the same as me. Mine was probably about 14 years ago, so pre-dated my diagnoses by well over a decade. I still get trigger -fingers and arthritic symptoms, although most of that disappeared when going vegan. I have a hope that as I clean my diet up that I'll be able to lose these lingering issues.
 

Mrs T 123

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,800
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I had carpal tunnel in both hands, and had surgery on both (one at a time!) to fix it, very successfully. Mine was pre-diabetes and due to the classic pinch of the nerve by a tight ligament at the base of the palm. Carpal tunnel causes pain, and numbness most specifically in thumb, index, middle and half of the ring finger. The little finger does not go numb in classic CTS.

If your nurse thinks it’s diabetes related, does she think it is a form of neuropathy rather than nerve entrapment?
Thanks for that. Sometimes on wakening up in the morning my thumb, index, middle and possibly half of my ring finger is numb in one/both hands (never painful and I just give them a wiggle and they go back to normal in a second or two. My pinkie/little finger never goes numb. So you solved a mystery for me - much appreciated. As I too have wondered if it could be diabetes related. May I ask how you know the little finger does not go numb in classic CTS?
 

TeddyTottie

Well-Known Member
Messages
394
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thanks for that. Sometimes on wakening up in the morning my thumb, index, middle and possibly half of my ring finger is numb in one/both hands (never painful and I just give them a wiggle and they go back to normal in a second or two. My pinkie/little finger never goes numb. So you solved a mystery for me - much appreciated. As I too have wondered if it could be diabetes related. May I ask how you know the little finger does not go numb in classic CTS?
It’s because the nerve that goes through the centre of the wrist (median nerve) only supplies those fingers, so if it is compressed by the palm ligament then only those fingers are affected. The other side of the ring finger and the little finger are supplied by the ulna nerve which goes through a separate channel and can also be compressed in its own way, but shows a different pattern of numbness.

Edit to add - I watched my surgery because I am utterly unsqueamish and it was fascinating - the median nerve is really substantial, about the thickness of a pencil!

Oh, and I was sent for nerve conductivity tests before surgery to confirm the diagnosis because apparently the nerve can be trapped elsewhere which gives similar symptoms, but of course won’t be fixed by that particular op. Not that anyone really had any doubt!
 
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lindaburner

Active Member
Messages
32
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
T1 for 48yrs & got carpal tunnel when pregnant. I had both wrists & trigger thumb done in 2005 & 2006, but it’s come back in the right hand. I had revision surgery in December but it’s not fully fixed it this time round.
 

Skippy1

Well-Known Member
Messages
73
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Carpel tunnel symptoms (tingling, numbness, cramping) started in both of my wrists about 10 years ago, but came and went. It was much worse in the right, which I blamed on holding craft tools too tightly. The best way to deal with it was to 'shake out' the tingling - much to my family's amusement! When I went for the nerve conductivity tests, the technician said he needed to draw extra tick boxes for the severity! I had the operation on my left wrist first - recovery took a long time and months of physio, but it's fine now. Surgery on my right wrist is on hold as there are no symptoms at the moment.