Hi - I just thought I'd chime in with with my experience. I was diagnosed with RA four years ago, and there was already serious damage in my right wrist & hand.  Although RA is supposed to be symmetrical, I have not had a lot of problems with my left, though I'm starting to get more pain now.  But while I was off Enbrel after ankle surgery a year ago, I noticed more problem with some numbness in my left hand, between 3rd and 4th finger.  I'd had it before, coming & going, but finally got tested for carpal tunnel - it was severe, as it turned out.  So, 5 months after my right ankle surgery, I had carpal tunnel release on my left hand, and am glad I did.  My local orthopedist is a perfectionist (so his nurses tell me) and did a beautiful job.  Now, less than a year later, you can't even see a scar.  Though my hand will sometimes be stiff in the morning, the numbness has not returned - it did take a full 7 weeks after the surgery for the numbness/tingling to go away - I'd just told the doctor at 6 week checkup that I was kind of discouraged - he said give it some more time, and he was right.

   The kicker is (and this related to the problem diagnosing between CTS & RA), that when my rheumatologist heard about it, he said a lot of times, the CT problem will go away when the patient gets on the biologic meds, because it decreases the inflammation of the nerves, I guess.  But I had still had some numbness/tingling, even with the Enbrel, so it was the right decision for me.

    There's one more note: irony!  With the nerves not compressed, I actually have more pain in my hand - someone else had told me this happened to them as well.  But I'll take the feeling in my fingers, even with a bit more pain...I can still play some piano and guitar (though much much less than before), and it's worth it to get the feel back!  All's well taht ends well.... on the other hand, literally and figuratively, I'm going to wait, even though the wrist is in bad shape, I've adapted to doing most things without bending my wrist - even strumming guitar.  And after 3 surgeries last year (the third one was taking out an orthopedic screw from my right ankle after it all healed), I hope I won't be seeing the operating room for a long time!  or at least until I'm darn sure it's the right thing to do.
Cheers -

Ellen

Thanks, Lisa.

I'm a college secretary (though never intended to be! trained as a teacher) and so I know a LOT of secretaries who have been through the carpal tunnel release - some with both wrists.  I actually was surprised to have this happen to me, because in my 30s, when I was under a lot of stress emotionally & physically, (before RA) I developed repetitive motion problems, but it was not carpal tunnel.  (I got pain in my wrist and the middle of my palm on Good Friday - boy, did that make me stop & think, what is this a sign of!)  But that was before ergonomics was well known, and they rearranged my work situation to be more healthy, and I never had any more serious trouble with my wrists that wouldn't go away with rest until the RA . (Though my neck difficulties started at the same time...)

    I have read that the CTS can come back if a person doesn't change their situation/habits/work patterns. I try to be careful.  I had switched to using the computer mouse from right hand to left hand to avoid the RA pain, so I ended up with CT in the other hand!