On and off pain in left arm since the onset of winters

[HennaD]

First, best wishes to everyone and their loved ones for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year ahead!

Now, down to business. I got my MVR surgery done 9 months ago. Since, the onset of winters I have been experiencing on and off pain in left arm, with a varying intensity from upper arm to fingertip. I had suffered a stroke back in 2004 and was paralyzed on my left side.... fully recovered from the same. This is the first time ever since 2004 that I am feeling this kind of pain, not able to figure out a reason as I tried applying pain relieving creams but to no avail. My coronaries were perfect at the time of the surgery, so that I am inclined to rule that aspect out. I have my full cardiac check up scheduled for this Saturday. Anyone having any similar experience or any suggestions?

 

[dick0236]

Your timing is perfect. You have an appointment for a cardiac exam in just a few days and I would certainly tell the doc about the pain. Over the years I have experienced similar pains......always in the left arm and never the right. However, the pain has never been severe enough to use pain relieving cremes. Mine have always been more of a nuisance pain rather than real physical pain........and I do think it is cold weather related.

PS: I have been told that cremes that contain asparin type products can affect INR.

 

[HennaD]

and I do think it is cold weather related.

I do hope that it is cold weather related only and nothing else. More than pain it is the restriction of my arm movement and disturbance in sleep that is bothering me.

PS: I have been told that cremes that contain asparin type products can affect INR.

Thanks for pointing this out. Will keep in mind and check the ingredients. More than INR interaction, I would be worried about bleeding side effects of aspirin.

 

[HennaD]

Over the years I have experienced similar pains......always in the left arm and never the right. However, the pain has never been severe enough to use pain relieving cremes. Mine have always been more of a nuisance pain rather than real physical pain........and I do think it is cold weather related.

Forgot to ask, what did your doctor diagnose this pain as?

 

[tom in MO]

I have similar problems due to arthritis. Sometimes it's arm pain or neck pain. The worst was a painful shoulder and numb fingers on my left side and a lower back pain on my right. The orthopedist says my arthritis in my neck is pinching a nerve that is connected to all these places. It can happen if you "sleep wrong." It can be quite debilitating and require strong pain killers. It goes away with a thin pillow, time and ibuprofen. Even though I am on warfarin, my cardio lets me take it for no more than 2 months and no more than the over the counter dosage.

 

[Paleowoman]

IThe worst was a painful shoulder and numb fingers on my left side and a lower back pain on my right. The orthopedist says my arthritis in my neck is pinching a nerve that is connected to all these places. It can happen if you "sleep wrong." It can be quite debilitating and require strong pain killers. It goes away with a thin pillow, time and ibuprofen.

tom in MO that's really interesting you should say that. I am getting very sharp pain in my left shoulder, it just happens with certain movements, and I do have a nerve which is "irritated" in my cervical spine (neck) which was diganosed on MRI. I've been rying to figure out if the sudden, sharp, shoulder pains are due to a shoulder problem or a nerve problem.

 

[epstns]

Since my valve surgery, I've noted periodic episodes of pain in both shoulders - sometimes only one acts up, sometimes the other, and sometimes both. At one time, I was ready to be evaluated for rotator cuff injury. . . but the pain resolved. Many folks here used to believe that the pain was the result of injury caused by the manipulation the surgeons put patients through on the operating table -- they put us into some very strange positions to maximize access for OHS.

 

[Paleowoman]

Since my valve surgery, I've noted periodic episodes of pain in both shoulders - sometimes only one acts up, sometimes the other, and sometimes both. At one time, I was ready to be evaluated for rotator cuff injury. . . but the pain resolved. Many folks here used to believe that the pain was the result of injury caused by the manipulation the surgeons put patients through on the operating table -- they put us into some very strange positions to maximize access for OHS.

Hi Steve - due to the pain Ive been getting the last few days and the ongoing other issues resulting from AVR (symptoms of breathlessness and tiredness which I didn't have pre-surgery), and the results of recent echos compared with my pre-surgery echo, just make me think that this surgery was just a big mistake ("reading between the lines they made a cock up" as my GP said). I wouldn't be at all surprised if my neck and shoulder problem was precipitated by the manipulation during surgery - just during intubation the neck is put in quite an awkward position, never mind the manipulation during actual surgery. I still get pain along the sternum due to costochondritis which is due to all the manipulation and spreading of the sternum and ribs. I think surgeons sometimes forget to be physicians - what's the point of doing technically correct surgery if the patient ends up worse ? Remember the old adage "the operaton was a success but the patient died". I'm so agnry about it all - I know I wouldn't be dead if I hadn't had surgery, it was done much too soon and nothing was done to insert a bigger valve so I wouldn't have ended up with patient prosthesis mismatch.

Sorry to vent, probably due to the date being so near the date of my AVR and the ongoing problems I have had since surgery.

 

[epstns]

Anne - Feel free to vent here. We get it, for sure, and you are family. If we have no place to vent, we just bottle it all up and let it win. I'm here, and I'm an expert at venting - in both directions.

 

[Paleowoman]

epstns Thanks Steve !

 

[mikeccolella]

I am 11 months post surgery. The shoulder pain was intense on and of for many months. It has gradually gotten better. At this point it is almost entirely gone. I did do a lot of exercising the shoulders. I was amazed at how weak I was after surger. I do light weight lifting with a lot of reps rather than the heavier low rep type. I use the machines almost every day at the local gym. Light but very persistent. It seems to work for me.