Middle finger symptoms and conditions

I am 50 years old. Two years ago was diagnosed with very high LDL and low HDL. I told my doctor then that I did not want to go on statin drugs, but 3 months of Niaspan didn't help the cholesterol, and I hated the hot flashes and flushing that could come at any time after taking a dose. So my doc put my on Zocor.

Two years later I my bad cholesterol is within normal limits but my good cholesterol is still too low, even with fish oil and borage oil taken regularly. Almost immediately after starting the Zocor I started experiencing light-headedness and dizziness that would last for up to a minute--even lying down in bed! My doctor prescribed Meclizine for the dizzy spells--more stinking drugs! I get migraines at least twice a month. For the last six months now I have been experiencing increasing muscle pain, joint pains in the knees, elbows and fingers, and now have been having stabbing pains in lower back around the kidneys. I would wake up in the middle of the night with shooting pains and stiffness in my left knee and cramps in my calf muscles. The first joint of my middle finger had become extremely soar so that I could not make a fist or grip tightly. I have had a recurring stabbing pain in my chest under the left pectorals muscle. My feet and toes are soar--especially my left foot. When I exercise even the slightest or do some long walking or outside work, my muscles in the arms and legs get very soar and tender, then stiffen up. I had to see a massage therapist to loosen up my legs last week! Six months ago I would be up at the crack of dawn, ready to start my day, but recently I have become very lethargic and tired with little zeal for any physical activity. I have had intermittent pain in my left testicle. We recently moved and I started seeing a different doctor. After a physical exam, he brushes off these symptoms.

Well, I stopped taking the Zocor a week ago, and already my fingers are much better, although my knees and elbows are still soar. The dizziness has gotten worse but I'm hoping that after my body re-adjusts and flushes the simvistatin that that will subside, too. I have drastically changed my diet to drop 15 to 20 pounds and lower the cholesterol with better eating habits and swimming exercise; hopefully that will help alleviate the pain, too.

Hi, just wanted to give all an update....day 8 off the Doxy, by the end of the 6th day off the doxy, I began to get a clear head again....I would feel great, then all of a sudden a fog would come over me for about 5 minutes with ear ringing, and go away....this happened about 3-5 times...my left arm and left side of my face felt hot, but i did not have a fever....thats when I knew the doxy was leaving my system...day 7 i felt fine, but went into a slump...laid in bed for about 12 hours, I think this was due to still having no appetite and barely eating for 3 weeks, I lost a bunch of weight . I felt mentally clear finally, the bout of depression that the doxy put me in was lifting, but still felt physically weak. Today, I woke up feeling fine, ate a croissant for breakfast, forced 4 sliders down for lunch, and finally was able to eat some dinner. The good part is that another user on this board was kind enough to mail me letting me know that she went through the exact same side effects, and assured me that they would subside with time, especially the loss of appetite and depression/anxiety...takes about 2-3 weeks off the meds for everything to start getting back to normal....She also told me that the doxy has a very long half life...so it does stay in the system awhile....but im starting to feel slight improvements as the days go by...the bad news...i don't think the doxy cured everything. Im considering taking ionic silver instead of any more antibiotics....one other caution...beware of Levaquin...I was on this at first for 5 days along with the doxy, and that drug truly is (in my opinion) dangerous. I read some of the side effects people were having, including myself and was horrified....I thought something was weird when my middle finger on my left hand went numb for a day, left hand was warm, right hand was ICE COLD, sudden and sharp pains in the back, like I pulled a muscle, that left me unable to move for a few days, and severe diarrhea. Anyways, please feel free to mail me if you have any questions....support is the most important thing a person can have because of the fear and anxiety these drugs put you through.

I just received my Patient Medical Alert card from the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association. It is a wallet size card for me to carry with me that list drugs that have or possibly have severe side affects for people with CMT. Seeing MACROBID on it reminded me of my experience with it about 10 years ago.
I am very prone to UTIs. My GYN prescribed MACROBID. After only 1 pill, my right thumb went numb. It spread to my index finger and then my middle finger. I was scared and called my GYN who told me there was no way that the Macrobid was the cause. I didn't stop with that answer. I then called the drug store, where I purchased it from and spoke to the pharmacist. I explained what was happening. He also told me that the Macrobid couldn't be the problem. I didn't take his answer and asked him to please get the contra -indications list and read it. There, in fine print, was possible peripheral numbness that can lead to death. I had 4 small children at the time, so you can imagine my horror. He contacted the pharmaceutical company that makes MACROBID. They called me to record my side effect and told me to NEVER take it again, that I could die if I did. It took several weeks for the feeling to come back in my fingers and hand. They had told me it could have been permanent. I didn't know I had CMT then. And this little card didn't exist then. I am writing this to warn others. If you don't know what CMT is, go to ******. It is a neurological degenerative disease. I am affected worse in my hands. I have a postural tremor in both hands now.
I hope my story helps someone.

I saw my family doctor on May 16th for a new onset UTI. I hadn't had one of these in about 8 years but I knew how bad they could get if you didn't get them treated right away. I did the over the counter URISTAT for 2 days until I got an appointment. After doing the UA dipstick, they confirmed my UTI because of the high leukocytes and gave me sample packets of LEVAQUIN 500 mg. b.i.d. for 5 days. I went home thinking, "Hey, this will be easy and I will feel great in a few days." I WAS NEVER SO WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!!! I took my first dose that evening and went to bed. I woke up the next morning with a headache so bad that I almost passed out when I lifted my head off the pillow. The UTI went away after a few days, but the migraine stayed for over 2 weeks. The left side of my neck felt like I had been hit from behind with a baseball bat and my scalp became so sore from the pain that I couldn't even use a blow dryer on my hair. I made 2 more trips back to the doctor complaining of the horrible migraine headaches, light sensitivity, neck pain and joint pain. He put me on IMITREX, PROPANOLOL, APAP, and FLEXERIL to control the migraines. I MAXED OUT THE DAILY DOSAGE ON THESE MEDS EVERY DAY WITH NO RELIEF! I went back to the doctor again and he decided to run some lab tests. The next day, my headache had started to get better but I noticed a lump under my left armpit (large pea size) and that I had significant joint pain in my right middle and index finger. My middle finger would hardly bend in the mornings when I got up and the stiffness in my neck was still there. Later that day on my way out for a mini vacation with my family, my doctor called to tell me that my ANA had come back positive and he wanted to send me to a Rheumatologist to rule out things like LUPUS, RA, etc. Needless to say, I was totally freaked out for the remainder of my trip until I went back to the doctor to review my ANA Titer. My titer was high at 1:160, but he keeps telling me not to worry because this happens all of the time and an ANA and high titer is not definitive. I want to also note that one of my friends and my husband have also had very similar experiences. She was convinced by the physicians that she had Lymphoma because of her ANA and titer and my husband was certain that he had RA. Both are negative!
I am still concerned about all of this even though I am feeling better and it may be that I have permanent side effects from this. I was a totally healthy person and there was nothing going on besides a UTI until the LEVAQUIN was introduced. It has been almost a month since I took this drug and the things I have been reading online are horrible. I am sure that I will never take one of these antibiotics again. My advice to anyone else is to READ< READ> READ! There are some excellent websites out there and of coures the blogs are great for information from other patients. A good site for information about positive ANA's is:
http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/fana.asp
Also, read up on LEVAQUIN and the other FLUOROQUINOLONES. I did not know that these are the drugs that will be used to treat people in the event of a biological war. It's pretty scary....

I did not know that there were web sites like this, I stumbled on another web site last night looking for some help for my husband and realized these are out here.

I was on Zocor last year, I took a total of 29 pills from June 16, 07 to October 20, 07. I took them when I remembered. During that time I had many problems and did not relate them to Zocor since I did not take it on a regular basis. I'm 58, both my parents were sick and baby sitting 3 little kids from 6 mos. 2, and 4. Side effects did not come into my thoughts.

Anyway I am right handed and I begin to have (pain in my right hand, pain in knuckle of middle finger, lost all strength in (R) hand, and my hand would be very stiff). I could not longer squat down to get into cabnets or get low for any reason, pain was so severe in the back of my knees. I had pain in my hip, pain down my leg between my calf and ankle that was so pain ful I could not move or scream it was worst that labor pains.

I was given xrays for hand, finger and my hip. Still I didn't relate it to taking zocor. Finally the pain was so severe in my leg I went to the Dr. I told her that I have had pain in my leg off and on since June and how bad it was she looked at my chart and ask was I taking the zocor, I told her not regularly but I would start.

Then she said not to take it for a month and come back because the pain in my legs was a side effect other patients had had.

Well after 5 months my hand has come back to normal, no pain in hip, from time to time a lttle discomfort in my lower leg, and now I can squat still a little pain getting up.
Before I could not lower my body.

Oh yeah, I wasn't sleeping, and extreme constipation. I am sleeping now and constipation is long gone. My Dr. assured me that all the symptoms would leave eventually.

Through this I have learned that medication effects us all differently and just because it is not a side effect the Dr. is familiar with doesn't mean it does not exist.

If you are having musculo-skeletal symptoms such as soreness, arthritis, tendons, etc., they have known about those side effects for eleven years.

Toxicol Pathol. 1997 Nov-Dec;25(6):635-43.

Links Toxic effects of quinolone antibacterial agents on the musculoskeletal system in juvenile rats.Kashida Y, Kato M. Drug Safety Research Laboratory, Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. JDN07402@niftyserve.or.jp

Quinolone antibacterial agents have adverse effects on the musculoskeletal system in humans, consisting mainly of myalgia and arthralgia, and additionally of tendon disorders and rhabdomyolysis. The present study was conducted to examine the toxic effects of quinolones on the musculoskeletal system in juvenile rats using light microscopy, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Single oral administration of 900 mg/kg pefloxacin (PFLX) or levofloxacin (LVFX) was found to induce lesions in the muscle + fascia, tendon + sheath, and synovial membrane, in addition to articular cartilage in the fore- and hindlimbs. Articular cartilage lesions were not necessarily associated with changes in the muscle, tendon, and synovial membrane, or the reverse. Among all lesions, the ankle and elbow showed the highest incidence and severity. Changes were more severe in the PFLX than in the LVFX group. Lesions in the muscle + fascia, tendon + sheath, and synovial membrane were similar and characterized by edema and increased number of mononuclear cells, many of which were positively stained with BrdU, as well as vascular endothelial cells in the Achilles tendon sheath and synovial membrane in the ankle. Electron microscopic examination revealed an increased number of fibroblasts and macrophages and collagen deposition in the matrix of the synovial membrane and tendon sheath. Capillary endothelial cells were hypertrophied, increased in number, and stratified. These results suggest that quinolones have toxic potentials in the muscle, tendon, and synovial membrane in addition to articular cartilage, and that local vascular hyperpermeability may contribute to the development of these lesions. PMID: 9437810

I have a question to any and all of you who have posted. I have similar symptoms to just about all of you minus any rash but mostly I have pain and some weakness in my right side particularly my shoulder and arm with some tremors in my pinky and ring finger and some pain and weakness in my right thigh. Insomnia and anxiety have also been a big part of the symptoms. Additionally when I take a hot shower my fingers twitch really bad then subside after about an hour...weird. My question is to some of you who have been going through this for some time is does this subside or even better go away over time? I have been off this stuff for just about a month now and things seem to be a little better but it might be that I am just getting used to the symptoms. Thanks

I've been taking welchol for a little over a month... I notice that my stomach got bigger (is this what you call bloating) in a month's times... my whole body i still small. Also I always have gas...usually this happens when I drink regular milk (lactose intolerance), but I've switch to soy milk and gas is still there.. I used soy milk prior to taking welchol.

Also, I cannot bend my middle finger on my right hand and it is very tender.. This only happened recently..

I took the generic version of Claritin-D 24hour 1week ago today for sinus pressure. When I woke up the next morning, after taking the medication my arm started to hurt and an hour later my middle finger on my left hand went numb. I thought ok this will wear off soon, but later that day my entire arm started to go numb and I started having crazy thoughts. I started crying uncontrollably, having thoughts that i was dying, heart rate increased,started sweating. I called my mom crying because I thought I was loosing my mind. I thought i was really dying and i wanted to just so i wouldn't have to deal with what was happening to me. It all happened so fast. The numbness progressed over the next 2days and by Thurs. i was in a deep state of depression and in the ER with numbness in both arms, hands, and legs, also a high blood pressure of 170/112. After several hours in the ER and a few tests that showed nothing, my Blood pressure came down , but the numbness remained. The ER doctor, who i only saw once for 2mins during my entire stay, had no answers for and referred me to a neurologist(whom I waiting to see). The numbness has worn of some but is not completely gone.I will never take this medicine again.

I took Toprol for almost 2 years then in Aug generic came out Metoprolol and I switched over. I was taking 25mg. After a few weeks, I noticed numbness in my index finger and middle finger. Then it happened in other hand. Doc said I had tendinitis in one hand and slept wrong on the other...I was also depressed and having panic attacks. From the onset of taking Toprol my sleep was disturbed,but thought it was age related. Once I went on Metoprolol insomnia set in. Then my feet went cold and numb and my arms were so heavy and tingly and my joints hurt. My right shin hurt to touch as well. Vision was cloudy and had trouble adjusting to light changes. Finally it dawned on my that the changes occurred about the time I started the generic. I went back to doc and he pretty much told me I was crazy, prescribed Xanax and a session with a psychiatrist! He switched me back to Toprol and I felt no better then he switched me to
Atenolol with same result. By this time, my chest was on fire and I had extreme difficultly breathing. Called doc and he told me to stop cold turkey. I did and thought I was going to die one day. Throat closed up blood pressure soared. He stopped me on Nov 11 or 12th. I have been on nothing. Blood pressure is not leveled. When I first sit down it is like 140/93. If I wait a few minutes it goes down to 120/80 or a little lower. I was expecting to feel a lot better by this point in the game. I still have numbness in my pinky and ring finger and in my toes. If I take Advil it lessens to where it is not so bothersome. Anyone know how long this stuff takes to get out of your system? I am shopping for a new doc since mine know things I am a hypo. I am a 39 yr old female with no other health issues. Was originally put on for stress related palps.

I have been on Wellbutrin for two weeks. About four days ago I began having joint pain and swelling in just my left hand, middle and ring finger knuckles. It is swollen and getting worse, not better. Has anyone experienced joint pain in just a specific area and not all over with Wellbutrin?

I have taken Aromasin since October 2005. I've had problems with joint pain particularly in the fingers, right arm, hips and soles (yes soles!) of my feet. At one point my right arm would go numb when I was in bed at night. That has decreased. When I get out of bed I experience moderate pain in my fingers and feet. Middle finger on left hand,"pops" when I flex it first thing in the morning. It's painful to open my fingers when I get up, but with movement it gradually lessens in both hands & feet. During the day its okay. It is concerning. I question what the long term effects might be.

Started on Fosamax when I started Femara in Nov 2004. I did notice increased body stiffness but did not atribute to either drug. About two months ago I developed trigger finger on my right thumb and attributed it to mild lymphadema following flying without my jobst sleeve. However, that thumb is now fenlarged, frozen, and very painful and I have developed pain and triggering in the left thumb, middle finger and right toe. I know my oncologist and primary med physicians are going to be reluctant to attribute to Fosamax. They have the same information we have.

Tingling and numbing of thumb, forefinger and middle finger and adjoining portion of palm; vertigo various times - sometimes while descending stairs, sometimes when rounding a corner in a hallway; low back pain and inability to stand up straight after sitting for an hour in the car; spontaneous vomiting a couple of times when I first started; severe stomach pain; bleeding attributed to irritated stomach lining.
I have been on lisinipril for over 10 years.