Strange lump in my wrist?

kerikitkat

It first showed up a few months ago, about the size of a pea, right where my wrist meets my hand. You can only see it when I flex my hand downward. Just in the past week it's grown a little more and started to hurt when I bend that joint. :noway: What is this thing?! My self-diagnosis via internet is that it is a "ganglion cyst" ... has anyone else had something like this?

kerikitkat

It first showed up a few months ago, about the size of a pea, right where my wrist meets my hand. You can only see it when I flex my hand downward. Just in the past week it's grown a little more and started to hurt when I bend that joint. :noway: What is this thing?! My self-diagnosis via internet is that it is a "ganglion cyst" ... has anyone else had something like this?

annhjk

I was going to say it was probably a cyst too, but you better get checked out - especially if it's starting to hurt.

banks1850

had one on my back. I had it removed cuz it was freaky. You should get it checked out though, just to be safe.

FatDancer

That's what I think it is too...I had one when I was in my twenties....they also call it mechanics wrist...I got mine from counting money all the time...I did go to the Doctor's to have it checked out and at that time there was no remedy...it went away on its own when I changed jobs...good luck with yours, I know that they can be quite painful at times.

chriss1tt

Yea, I had one about 10 years ago. I had it for about 6 months and my doc told me not to worry it would go away on its own which it did. But he did offer to smash it with a book :noway: but gave no guarantee it wouldn't come back. Lets say I took the just wait and see approach. It's never grown back.

kerikitkat

It showed up around the same time I started to play the drums on rock band a lot... maybe that caused it. But I don't play all that often anymore. Hopefully it'll go away on it's own. If not, my health insurance kicks in July 1st, so I might go have it looked at then.

It's weird!!! :huh: I think I also need to stop messing with it lol

sculley

I concur sounds like a cyst, how you don't have any carpel tunnel as well from playing.....Get to the doctor as soon as you can.

Hope it's nothing to serious though make sure to keep us informed.:flowerforyou:

walnut

It showed up around the same time I started to play the drums on rock band a lot... maybe that caused it. But I don't play all that often anymore. Hopefully it'll go away on it's own. If not, my health insurance kicks in July 1st, so I might go have it looked at then.

It's weird!!! :huh: I think I also need to stop messing with it lol

If you get it looked at after you get new health insurance, be careful about what you say about how long you've had it because if you aren't insured right now, they can call it a "pre-existing condition" and choose not to cover anything you have done for it. You might want to call your insurance company to ask how they deal with pre-existing conditions before you go in (but don't tell them exactly what's going on with you).

chriss1tt

It showed up around the same time I started to play the drums on rock band a lot... maybe that caused it. But I don't play all that often anymore. Hopefully it'll go away on it's own. If not, my health insurance kicks in July 1st, so I might go have it looked at then.

It's weird!!! :huh: I think I also need to stop messing with it lol

U R my hero. I've always wanted to play the drums. ROCK ON.!! :drinker:

yellow_pepper

Two friends of mine had this problem lately. The wrist is a very common site for ganglion cysts - and I'm glad that you suspected that it was something COMMON (and benign) rather than freaking out about it the way one of my friends did.

Best course of action:
1. Get an X-ray to find out what it's made of. Only then can the doctor rule out rarer possibilities.
2. If it is just a ganglion cyst - DON'T GET IT REMOVED! These things can grow back, defeating the purpose of the surgery. The surgery itself can cause nerve damage. And the wrist is not a place where you want to risk nerve damage.

Unless it gets so big that it restricts your range of motion, the X-ray can probably wait until July.

Fun fact: as you probably read on Wikipedia, ganglion cysts also used to be called "Bible cysts." Why? Because the preferred cure of the time was to take a large heavy book (or the good book) and smack it down on the cyst to flatten it. Glad doctors don't do that anymore!

5KNohno

My husband and I both have one - doc said nothing to worry about. If it grows though I would go see the doc, otherwise just go in July.

Funkystarr

I had one about 6 months ago, it lasted for about 3 months and one day i looked down and it was gone. Ya they are pretty freaky looking :laugh: mine was the size of a marble, pretty gross

sgtinvincible

Yep, I had one as well after I got hurt. My wrist had a little bump on it that really began to hurt after a while. I went to my family doc and he removed it via syringe. It came back after a little while, but eventually went away.

foxfire9372

I had two, right where they had put iv's in. If it hurts they will remove it. Both of mine went away within a couple of weeks.

msarro

Ganglion cyst most likely, I get them all the time. They usually go away on their own, and they're related to repetative stresses causing small tears that fill with fluid (I *think*). If it doesn't go away in a couple weeks you may have to get it aspirated or removed (they won't do damage to you, just hurt and be annoying).