arm and hand pain

Sounds like a shoulder problem

by ElectricFrank - 2011-12-01 02:12:19

One of the unintended consequences of being too careful about the arm above the head thing is that there is the risk of developing a frozen shoulder problem. This doesn't necessarily mean the shoulder isn't movable. It can wind up with pinched nerves when it is in certain positions. The nerves for the hand and wrist run though this area as well.

The same thing can happen if the pacemaker itself is pressing on a nerve bundle.

And one more I just thought of. During the implant surgery if you are sedated the OR team isn't always the most careful with position or movement of limbs. I've mentioned it before that I had my implant done with only local numbing shots in the incision area. Being wide awake during the whole thing I found someone in the OR using my chest for an elbow rest. If I hadn't been around to complain I would have wondered about my "chest pains".

You might try gentle rotational exercises of your shoulder to loosen it up. If that doesn't help the other possibility is some physical therapy.

frank

your pain

by Pookie - 2011-12-01 02:12:54

Hi Zeus:)

I noticed that you posted twice about this and understandably so since you are in a lot of pain.

My personal advice would be to talk to your family doctor if you feel your cardiologist isn’t listening to you. I’d ask for a CT scan and/or an ultrasound or at the very least a simple chest Xray....perhaps a nerve is being pinched which is causing this pain down your arm into your hand.

You are not the only one who has experienced this and you are not the only one who has been told it’s not your device, as some doctors just don’t want to admit it could actually be the device....so it’s up to you to get a bit more demanding....politely, of course.

Sometimes it’s the way in which we present our problems to the doctors and how they sometimes stop listening to you......so I guess if I were you, I’d simply go see him/her and say something like: "Ok, I’ve been to see you X number of times now and the pain is not getting any better, matter of fact it has gotten worse, so what kind of test can you do to see what is causing this pain as I don’t want the possibility of something serious being masked by a narcotic, I need to know what is actually causing me this pain." Something like that is what I would say.

The only other option - go to the ER and play your pain up to the Nth degree. Sad but true, but sometimes we have to really put on a song and a dance to get the attention we deserve.

I’m on Hydromorphone Contin (Dilaudid extended release) for another medical condition - nothing to do with my pacemaker, and when one is on a narcotic, eventually you will have to be weaned off.....so the faster you get this pain problem taken care of, the faster you can start the weaning off process. Don’t stop cold turkey or you will pay the price.

Another thought: when you go to see your doctor again about this pain (and I’d call tomorrow for another appt - why wait????) I’d take someone with you for support.

What Frank said above is another possibility.  But if after doing any physical therapy for this because Frozen Shoulder is very common after having a device - and it doesn’t get better, omg, that is when I’d be jumping up & down demanding a CT or ultrasound.  What did the doctor even say to you what he thought it was or did he simply write you an RX for that narcotic????  Personally, I think it’s wrong for a doctor to not know the root cause of the pain and just shove a narcotic at you.  If that is the case, he should be ashamed of himself.

Just my opinion people:)

Wishing you the best and please keep us posted.

Take care,
Pookie

thank you both

by zeus - 2011-12-01 03:12:41

Thank you so much for the well thought out replies. I have an appointment with a bone doctor tomorrow, and have printed out similar complaints from this site that I am taking with me. I am going to get to the bottom of this, your help is greatly appreciated.