Losing control of my hands

I get clumsy if I'm stressed.

Find I'm not as dexterous

if I’m stressed

Most of the day for me. Doesn't seem as simple as that.

GP's are not for emergencies but they are for this sort of thing. Could be many things, some serious, some not, but without seeing the GP and checking this and other symptoms you won't know.

Good luck getting past reception though....

You'd not be "bothering" your GP. I'd get a check up & let a professional have a look. I'm 60 & hardly ever at my GP. They're always glad to see me.

just finding it hard to be dexterous

Sounds sinister to me.

Could be due to a number of things. Rather than asking on a biking forum, get yourself booked into the GP. That's what they're there for.

Sounds like carpal tunnel syndrome, started about eight years ago for me after thirty five years of using industrial hand and air tools, got to the point where I could no longer work as a bike mechanic and working on my own bikes is an exercise in frustration, get to the docs and get an appointment to check it out, they check it with an electrical impulse thingy that can assess how bad you are and how near to having the operation to cure it, I’ve put it off for a few years as it’s a one off thing, desperately need it now but of course with the Covid back log it’s not a priority

There’s also various physio things to help, plus sleeping with splints on your hands (which in my case made sleeping impossible)

I’m not wanting to bother a GP about this, certainly not at this point in time when it’s not an emergency.

I do worry it’s the start of something underlying.

generally things are more treatable and manageable if you identify and address them early. It doesnt help anyone to wait until something is an emergency. Thats just creating an emergency that didnt need to happen.

Sounds like carpal tunnel syndrome,

Sounds like hundreds of things. Arthritis, Parkinsons, Peripheral Neuropathy, an ancient Egyptian curse.

Go your GP

I think a mates Parkinson started like this. But because it they caught it early the meds really help. He’s still working and getting out on the bike.

Thanks for the replies. Yes, getting an appointment in the first place will be stressful enough I'm sure. It's things like Parksinsons etc that scare me. Thankfully it hasn't affected riding yet, so I can still brake everywhere all the time.

It’s things like Parksinsons etc that scare me.

that’s called catastrophising (or however it’s spelled). It’s probably nothing serious but still better to get these things checked. Even if it is something more serious (and again it’s probably not) the earlier the diagnosis the earlier the treatment and the better the outcome.

Might be an idea to figure out a test to periodically measure any potential decline in dexterity if it's bothering you. Could prove whether there's an issue or provide evidence to a GP if you record results.

As above, this is what GPs are for, imagining the worst isn't helpful.

Yep, as above could be a lot of things but unfortunately a few of the rarer ones are serious. See your GP, many of them can be contacted via your NHS app which makes the whole process very easy.

Go get it checked out. I've had the clumsyness in the hands, but it's been after various bike crashes on to my shoulders as you can get impingement of the nerves. Had one shoulder decopressed. My non-fixed shoulder is playing up after a crash in the summer.

Worth getting checked out - it's going to take time anyway, so get the ball rolling.

Friend of mine put off going to the GP over occasional hand tremors and dexterity issues he was having for a couple of years.

Then he lost most of the sight in one eye overnight, found out that the tremors were linked to MS.

So yeah, go to the GP.

A friend's Parkinson's started with a slight hand tremor and a slight dragging on 1 leg when walking. Ask a mate to observe yr stride when not thinking about it.

At the local parkies meets a whole range of ages, youngest chap is 40s who was a farmer, worked with toxic chems.

Doctors couldn't decide for years my mates diagnosis, with a diagnosis it opens up a whole world of benefits you wouldn't have got without it.

just finding it hard to be dexterous

Sounds sinister to me.

Not wanting to make light of stcolin's issue but this deserves a round of applause.

My mother's Parkinson's started in her hands with general slowness and clumsiness. It took her nearly 2 years to take it seriously and was eventually diagnosed at the age of 46.

Definitely get checked out.

Are you as busy with your hands as you used to be ?. It could be the lapse of tasks that took control not in use the muscles can lose their ability to concentrate on a single task.

I lost control of my legs yesterday evening, but I think it may have been caused by excessive port consumption 🍷

Seriously OP, go to the doctor and get some tests done!

Off to the docs with you.

Before New Year... 🙂

Guess I better make an appointment. That will be fun, I've recently moved and need to find a new GP.

Not using my hands any more or less than I used too. I don't have any repetitve movements either. I don't type much, I am a bit of a gamer, but would be about an hour or two a week on average. I can still write and my handwriting is pretty neat and tidy.

Depends how far you’ve moved - if memory serves (and I might be wrong) you might still be able to see them.

Not wanting to make light of stcolin’s issue but this deserves a round of applause.

Indeed, let's all put our hands together!

Edit... Read the thread before replying.

Reading this thread makes me think I should speak to my Dr...the middle finger on my right hand the centre knucle I'm getting a pain and is fatter than my left....which is strange coz I'm left handed and a builder...so I use my hands a lot especially the left...could be early arthritis?...but like the op I don't want to bother the Dr...as its not life or death

My local GP takes bookings online now. You just fill in a form and they call you back to make an appointment. Far less stressful than 2 hours on hold. And I don't have to deal with the rudest receptionists in the world!

I’m noticing now that I’m finding it harder to write and draw, especially if I’m trying to draw something detailed, but I do know the cause, I have arthritis in my thumb joints, which is causing carpal tunnel issues.
Last October I had the sensation that you get when you hit your ulnar nerve, but it was from my fingertips to my armpit on my right arm, and I had no sleep at all for around 48 hours, and as I have to drive to work, and drive at work, I phoned in and got time off until I could get a doctors appointment, which was four days later. I was put on Amaltriptalyn (sp?) for a month, but it came back again, so I got a phone consultation with another doctor, who immediately said it was carpal tunnel issues, and recommended I carry on using Naproxen but morning and night, and get a wrist brace for when I’m asleep.
So far, I’m coping ok, but there are occasions when I need something like Zapain during the day. Just gotta live with it I guess. It could be a lot worse.

Good luck getting past reception though….

<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">
I think that sort of myth is half the problem with GP appointment perceptions.  That then leads to people who do need to see their GP (like the OP) not trying because they perceive a problem getting an appointment and think the system is in crisis with “emergency cases”.  My recent experience is call GP, briefly describe why I want appointment.  For me symptoms that could be quite alarming but I had procrastinated for 3-4 days hoping it would resolve itself - “really sorry, no appointments today I can get a doc to call you on the next hour”, I explain not that bad and an appointment was booked the next working day.  My daughter, I describe the reason for the appointment - clearly needs seen but clearly not urgent appointment booked in several days time.</span>

the belief that seeing dr’s is hard means people don’t go to dr and conditions go undiagnosed which may result in them become incurable.  Please don’t perpetuate the myth.  The receptionist is there to help you get the right appointment (eg do you actually need a GP, or a nurse, or a physio, or just a repeat prescription, or is it something your pharmacist can deal with today).

Please get it checked it's what GP are there for.

Most GP's would prefer to catch something early while it's treatable without surgery.