Help!! Swollen Hands! - How do I get rings off?

Mom2BNTN wrote:
I need some help from anyone who has experienced this. I woke up last night to find out my hands were so swollen that my ring finger was tingling from my wedding rings being so tight. I woke up my DH and he helped me for about 2 hours try to remove them, but we didn't have any success. Does anyone on here have ANY suggestions at all for me to try? I am getting a little desperate here not to mention freaking out just a tad bit. Thanks in advance for your much needed help!!!


Kristi

amynicole21 replied: Spary windex on your hands. Sounds weird, but it works! This from my friend who used to work at Mayor's Jewlers and did it all the time.

PrairieMom replied: i heard that you can wrap a string around your finger and thread it under the band then just "unwind" the ring right off. I have never seen it done, so I don't know how it works. When that happened to me I had to have my ring cut off in the ER. Good luck!

Mom2BNTN replied: I am going to see if the swelling will go down enough this afternoon to get my rings off and try each of your suggestions. Thanks for your help!! I really don't want to have to have them cut off!!!

booey2 replied: You could try making your hands really cold, I know when mine are they seem to shrink and my rings slide all over the place, also try drinking more water, the more you put in the more your body will flush what it is holding.

Mom2BNTN replied: I will try that!! My rings usually do seem to fit more loosely when my hands are cold. I'm sure I probably don't drink enough water so it looks like now is the best time to start drinking more. Thanks for the suggestions!

PrairieMom replied: just to ease your mnd a little, the cost of repairing my ring really wasn't that bad. i don't remeber how much, but I'm cheep, and it didn't make me pass out so it must have been reasonable!
I would watch for additional swelling if your rings are tight enough you can cut off the bolld supply to your finger and run into bigger problems.
(mine was turning red by the time I got to the ER)
I hope you get the swelling to go down! good luck!

PrairieMom replied: any luck yet?

gr33n3y3z replied: put your arms above your head and that should work even tho you may have to use soap also

~Roo'sMama~ replied: When that happened to me I used cold water and lots of soap. I hope you got them off!

luvbug00 replied: get thee to the best jeweler and they can cut it off and some can even re solder it shut and make it like new.

PrairieMom replied: any updates? did the ring come off?

MyLuvBugs replied:
I read your post and started laughing b/c it reminded me of the father on that movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". lol Sorry, I'm sure it works, it just struck me as funny.

I say soak your hand in ice water for 10 minutes, and then use a little lotion to get it off. If worse comes to worse, you'll have to go and have them cut off. Sorry.

My3LilMonkeys replied:
This does work - they did it to my mom when a bee stung her ring finger. You have to wrap the string fairly tightly, almost to the point of cutting off circulation.

Mom2BNTN replied: UPDATE ON RINGS!!!!!


I FINALLY GOT THEM OFF! Just as I was about to go to the emergency room I decided to try one last time so I tried all of the above suggestions and I somehow managed to get them off. My finger looks awful and is still puffy, but I didn't have to worry about getting my rings cut off. Thanks so much for all of your help. I don't know what I would have done without friends like you!



Kristi

~Roo'sMama~ replied: I'm glad you didn't have to have it cut off! My ring just started fitting again ~ I gained so much weight with my pg that it still wouldn't fit after all the swelling went down.

Mom2BNTN replied:
I'm glad you are able to start wearing your ring again! It feels so strange to not have them on, but hopefully it won't be for too long. How long did it take for all of your swelling to go down before you could start wearing your ring again?

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
Well the water weight and swelling all went away within a couple weeks, but I had to lose a lot of actual fat before it fit. I gave birth last June ~ and just 8 months and 45 pounds later I started wearing my ring again - about a week or 2 ago. It's still a little bit tight, but it was tight before I got pg since I'd gained 20 pounds after I got married.

You probably won't have the same problem - I was a total blimp. I think most women can wear their rings within a few days to a few weeks after they lose the water weight.

PrairieMom replied: It was about 9 months after I gave birth before I could wear my rings again. Actully, I had to put my rings away when I was about 24 weeks along because of all my edema. I gained 70 pounds with my first pregnancy.

MyLuvBugs replied: I could wear mine about a month after giving birth. But I'd lost 20-25 lbs that first month of just water weight. Gotta love what PG does to our bodies, huh? Just keep your rings on a necklace if you feel like you still need to wear them. I got a beautiful necklace from DH's grandma when she died, and put the rings on that to keep them both close to my heart.

Cece00 replied: I've never not been able to wear my rings but I had occasional swelling last time & I had to take them off.

Soaking your hands in ice water works really well.

BTW, I'd go to a jeweler if my rings ever got stuck and not an ER.

EvesMom replied: When I was preggo I had the same problem, the windex worked for me!

raysnroof replied: Another thing to consider is that increasing the level of protein in your diet can decrease the symptom of edema. Try hard boiling several eggs at a time and storing them in your refrigerator for a quick snack anytime you get hungry. Eat a couple or more a day to increae your protein levels easily. If eggs just are not your thing, there are other ideas on this site (plus more information on why this can reduce issues with edema) ====> www.blueribbonbaby.org

Hope that helps,
Sharon