Three days ago I thought I'd been bitten by an insect on the heel of my left hand. A small painful swelling with a red mark at the top was clearly visible. Then, yesterday, I suddenly had three more nodules on the same hand. A painful one at the base of the ring finger, another painful pea-sized one below the middle of the palm, and a relatively painless smaller one above the middle of the palm. What's going on here? I have no risk factors for Dupuytren's and am generally healthy. I did have two urinary bladder stones removed under general anesthesia 10 days ago and had a very uncomfortable recovery. Also, about a month ago I had severe left sided sub-clavicular pain diagnosed by an orthopod as "nerve problem in the neck." Pain disappeared quickly and uneventfully. I've never had shingles.

The pain has modified how I use my left hand.

Anything I should worry about or should I just follow my usual advice: NEVER go to the doctor except for profuse bleeding or unbearable pain?

P.S. Also an old left sided Achilles tendon injury recurred suddenly at the same time, putting a hitch in my get-along.

Edited 05/04/13 11:45

wgoodman3:

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Then, yesterday, I suddenly had three more nodules on the same hand. A painful one at the base of the ring finger, another painful pea-sized one below the middle of the palm, and a relatively painless smaller one above the middle of the palm. What's going on here?

Dupuytren's is generally not that spontaneous. Often months to develop, but sometimes quicker. Generally there is no pain or little pain with the first development of nodules.

When I first saw anything amiss in my palm it started with a red spot that developed overnight in my palm. i did not pay it much attention, other than the fact that it hurt. Since I was doing gardening I just thought I had hurt it where the shovel handle would dig into your palm. After a couple of weeks it still had not gone away, so I thought ...a callus. 2 more weeks went by and it became a hard knot under the skin. I still was in pain from it and the pain was getting worse. I watched it grow, get bigger, and the pain became so bad I finally went to the doctor. My GP had no idea what it was. She referred me to a hand specialist. I had to wait 6-8 weeks for an appointment. By the time I saw him I had developed a cord that ran from the base of my middle finger to almost my wrist. Mine DD developed rather quickly. I have learned over the years that my DD is atypical.

Take notes of how many nodules/bumps you have and document if changes occur and the time span that it occurs over. If you have DD or something else, at least with the documentation of changes or no changes you will have a great deal of information to provide a doctor.

Lori

Edited 05/06/13 17:11