I'm sorry you're having such pain..are your fingers clubbing?

I don't know if this would help but have you tried joint splints? I had pain similar and it was due to my joints dislocating just enough that it was restricting the blood flow. Hope this helps

I was allergic to Cardizem so I take minipress its an old drug but works ok for Raynauds. I had the sausage fingers bad a couple of years ago they was red and hot and very sensitive. I went to an allergist said it was angioedema from the Cardizem. I was given axid, allergra, and albuterol tabs. It did clear up and go away .My fingers are still alittle puffy all the time esp if i eat too much salt plus I still take 2mg of prednisone so i asked for a water pill and it has also helped . Sorry hope this is making sense . Good Luck -Michelle

Is clubbing when the nail grows over the end of the finger? My nails don't get long enough to know, so I guess not. It looks like I chew them to the bone, but I don't. At one point, my nails were only a fourth of an inch long. Then every last one of them got cellulitis! They are better right now. I used to take Cardizem with no results so today the doctor bumped me up to 360 mg and we shall see.

Prior to this disease, I never realized how much I use my fingertips. I mean I knew I used them to type, but everyday tasks like reaching for things in my purse or zipping my jeans is excruciating, and if I accidentally bump them on anything, the pain sends me through the roof! People ask if I need help because I don't move or talk through the pain. It stops me dead in my tracks. After seeing how small the ulcers are, I bet many of them think I have a screw loose.

I have never heard of joints dislocating like that but it sounds AWFUL! I'm going to checkout minipress in case the triple dose of Cardizem is a flop. My fingers will be cold for days and then as the infection builds momentum, they become red, swollen and hot. In addition to this wonderful condition, I wake up every morning with stiff painful joints, especially in my knee and my hands. The edema makes my normally tiny hands look big, so I call them man hands.

Thank you all for your comments. I was a little long-winded.

clubbing usually means that the finger tips broaden and flatten out and the nail would curve over the ends. It can cause pain in the finger tips..raynaulds could also cause pain.

I am newly diagnosed with no diagnosis but some form of connective tissue disease. One of my symptoms is my fingernails are crumbling, getting shorter and shorter as if I chew them, lifting off the nail bed and hurting like I can't believe. Predinsone eases the damage. But before I took pred, I started on 5000mcgs of Biotin vitamin and it really helps. Doesn't cure but it helps.

I also have been suffering from severe pain in my fingers. It is like an severe electric shockwave through my fingers if I touch them the wrong way. I also started on Biotin but I also got prenatal chewable vitamins and that has seemed to help my finger nails. I still have pain but it seems to come and go and the swelling seems to come as go as well. I was on prednisone but I gained to much weigh so I stopped, I was on plaquinil but I started having eye issues so I stopped. The dr. just put me on methotrexate but after reading everything about it I decided not to take it. I am not just trying to deal with the aches and pains and live on advil and phenergan.

Hi Tammi,
I also have Raynauds which caused severe pain, swelling in my hands and fingers. My fingers would go white. I was wearing gloves all the time to keep my fingers warm. My Rheumy put me on Adalat and it has been great. I also do Yoga to help improve my circulation. Hope this helps. Terry

Sorry you are having such a hard time. My dr. prescribed nifedipine for me, but it eventually got better and I never took it. I could not even reach into my purse, the pain was so bad. I wore alot of bandaids, it is so frustrating. I was lucky that after couple weeks it went away, hope you find some relief.