Well, seems like these forums are well dead. If anyone reads this, yes I'm still here. This is one of the few times you'll ever see me type on a computer these days. Actually, truth be told I'm not typing. Am using Dragon - a speech recognition software

Why?

Because both my arms are fucked from my fingers to my elbows.

This has been going on for a year now, and although it has gotten much better I think its now reached a point where that's it...it's never going to get better.

Have been looking around the web for foot mice - mice you use with your feet.
Doesn't seem to be too many going around.

Does anyone know of anyone who has used them before?

Guessing a "no" here, but I'll ask anyway.

:)

I didn't even know such things existed beyond bespoke products for individuals.

Wish I could be more help. Your condition sounds like a nightmare for a gamer (or even just a web surfer, really).

Do you know if anything specifically caused it? (say, as opposed to work vs home life).

In Reply To #2

I say a combination of work and home use. At work I use computers for just over 12 hours a day.
This has been going on for almost one year now and I definitely can't play any kind of games.
This Naturally Speaking dragon software is pretty cool though-it's great for dictating words such as this but it's pretty annoying giving windows commandments and moving the mouse around.

I have been told that people generally get RSI of those who are usually tall and lanky with not many back muscles. It basically comes to bad posture and bad ergonomic set up.... And too much computer use.

Well that's a big load of suck. Can't say I can even comprehend what that must be like.

In Reply To #3

I remember hearing about Dragon when I was still in high school (so, over a decade ago now). It's always been the top of the pack as far as dictation goes, I believe.

I don't know much about RSI so I might ask a dumb question: is using a touch screen device also too painful? I imagine it might depend on the size/position (say, the difference between an iPhone and a 27in touch screen), but then, it also just might be impossible regardless.

Well things are slowly progressing. It seems my brain is telling fibs. Since my condition turned chronic a year ago, my nerves have become hyper sensitive - meaning that my brain is in a constant state of fear whenever I do shit with my arms.

"Ohhhh it seems like you've picked up a cup - a rather painless motion...usually" said 'The Brain'
"I can't allow that" 'The Brain' continued
/induce sudden crippling pain

But after being put on some new meds called Lyrica for the last 2 weeks, the same drugs given to people who suffer from epilepsy, I'm here now actually typing this. It still hurts a bit, but the edge has been taken off. The idea is that by taking the new drugs and using my arms more, it should rewire the brain into behaving properly.

Still early days yet, and I know I'd be rolling around in excruciating pain right now if someone magically sucked all the Lyrica out of my system in an instant, but baby steps for now.

In short: Lyrica = life (+side effects sometimes)
& I won't have to worry about epilepsy (not that I'm an epileptic mind you)

:)

In Reply To #5

Touch screens also hurt a lot, but I can use them a little bit in short doses. I really fucked my fingers, hands, arms and elbows big time.

Since Mr. Lyrica came along though, touch screens are okay for a while before some pain comes by.

Oh dear... and now I read this.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread192315.html

I could be in for a roller coaster ride of withdrawl symptoms in the future, but luckily I'm having success using 150mg of Lyrica and not on 400mg+ some of the people on that link above are using.

I'm not worried at this stage though. My doctor has been treating RSI for over 30 years and he knows what he's talking about.

Mood: optimistic

=^_^= //

Seems Lyrica has only been around for a few years, pretty new stuff. Hooray for science!

In Reply To #9

I'm not too sure how long its been around for, but my understanding is that its only been the last few years or such (maybe less I dunno) since it's been approved for cases such as mine.

It really is wonderful stuff though.

In Reply To #10

Looks like it's only been on the PBS for less than 18 months.

Did your doc say if you'd need to be on it indefinitely, or does he know if your brain has a chance to eventually get it together?

In Reply To #11

No idea. He didn't even know if this was going to have much of an effect. He thought it would probably take 'the edge off' but so far all he knows is the very very slight success I was having with the 75mg dosage. He doesn't know yet that the 150mg dosage has me typing again (with some pain but its more of random sharp-tingles in various places. The typing is manageable on a mechanical keyboard in short doses.

I think he's going to literally fall off his chair when I see him on Tuesday.

He may even up the dosage a little more to see the effect.

It's all trial and error atm and probably will be for a while.

To explain the pain a bit more, if you ignore any sharp crippling pain, there is also another which builds up from overuse. The muscles around the soft tissue feel tender with a somewhat dullish pain, which increases the more the arms are used. Even on my current dosage of Lyrica this is still the case, but a min or two break takes the edge off. But after a while I need a 30 min break. By around mid afternoon, they are dead weight.

In the last 14 months my arms have come a long way. At its peak, I couldn't even hold a fork correctly. Also, I opened doors with my feet.