Side by side

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My left hand, which shows progression. (I hate to look at this photo.)

My right hand, which is just beginning.

 

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Verapamil

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Since July 11, I've been applying  Transdermal Verapamil 15%  to both palms. It's hard to tell whether it's helping or not. I know it can take several months to notice any difference. From the little I know, Verapamil – an oral medication used to treat heart issues – has the potential to  " block voltage-gated calcium channels in cardiac nodes and vessel lining smooth muscle" and " decrease myofibroblast-mediated contracture." What does THAT mean?!   According to the Mayo Clinic , "Verapamil is a calcium channel blocker. It works by affecting the movement of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessels. As a result, verapamil relaxes blood vessels and increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart while reducing its workload."  Since I tend to have low blood pressure, my physician's assistant advised me to monitor mine once I start using topical Verapamil. Some of my questions were answered on this  FAQ page  about topi...
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I'm a journalist by profession and training. Since my high school days, it's been part of my nature to document, document, document. Whatever I learn and/or experience, I also want to share if it can help someone else. S o here we are. Me and Dup. That's what I've decided to name this new addition to my life. Dup's short for Dupuytren's disease. But you already know if you're reading this. If we ever meet up, don't be surprised if I show you my left hand. It's not because I want pity or even special attention. It's because I want to make you aware of this crazy disease. Not many know about it. I sure didn't. But turns out there's a lot of us out there. I've read different statistics, but roughly 8.2 percent of people around the world suffer from this debilitating but benign condition. It's no fun. And it's worse for some than for others. That's the thing — Dupuytren's affects everyone differently. So far, t...
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