Significant Ring Size Change?!?

[kmarla]

Has this happened to any of you? A year ago I was a size 6.5. Actually I was a size 6.25 but I like my rings to be a bit loose so I sized up to a 6.5. I wore that size for 30 years. In February I had a severe flare of arthritis (pseudo gout) which lasted about 4 months overall. Several joints swelled, including my hands and fingers. My rings were really tight so in May I resized my engagement ring up to 6.75. Today I’m off to the jewellers to have the ring resized to 7.5, maybe even 7.75. I’ll see what the jeweller recommends. I can’t even wear it right now as it’s too uncomfortable and gives my finger muffin top. I bought a couple of new bands to wear a few months ago and they’re a loose 7.25 (a bit snug now) and 7.5. I don’t really know if 7.5 is my new normal or not, but it’s been that way for about six months now. My fingers aren’t swollen right now. I lost 25 lbs during the past year so this isn’t due to weight gain. I also just hit the big 60 so maybe age might be a factor? Anyways, I’m just wondering if anyone else has experienced a fairly sudden ring size change like this and was it a permanent change? Thanks

 

[kmarla]

No one?? Well I guess that’s a very good thing, but it is a real mystery for me. I was thinking that if I’m going to have to experience an unexpected growth spurt in my finger size, then I would also love to gain about 3 inches in height!!
I saw the jeweller yesterday and my ring is being resized to a loose 7.5.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Uhhh, that sounds frustrating and expensive. I'm sorry and hope someone else can chime in... I've always heard that arthritis will make the fingers swell. I have no clue if this is permanent, though...

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I think my ring size has gone up maybe half a size. Not sure why, haven’t had a lot of weight change or a pregnancy lol.

 

[Nikki1415]

My mom has the same problem. The arthritis essentially disfigured her fingers. The ring in the profile picture is technically hers but is a size 6.75 and she doesn’t fit into it anymore (can’t size due to antique engraving that nobody wants to ruin) but now only I wear it. I gave her my diamond reproduction ring in exchange for the diamond antique ring because I like to wear most rings on my middle finger so many of my rings are around a size 7.75. Her fingers were always a size 6.5 but then she had a pretty bad flare up like 4 years ago and now she’s more of a size 7.75 or 8.

 

[Calliecake]

@kmarla , I’ve haven’t experienced that great of a ring size difference before but have noticed my hands and knuckles looking completely different due to aging. Have you spoke with Your doctor about these changes? I’ve heard many friends complain about the 1/2 of a ring size difference. If I had as big of a difference as you mentioned above, I would talk to my doctor about it.

Now if you had asked about your waist suddenly disappearing, your skin suddenly changing and asked questions about who this person is you happen to catch a glance of when passing a window or mirror is, I would tell you that our 40’s and mid 50’s are gone LOL!

@Nikki1415 , I LOVE the ring in your avatar! It’s beautiful! Sorry for the brief threadjack @kmarla

 

[Nikki1415]

@Calliecake Thank you!

 

[Ally T]

This happened to my mother in law too. She is teeny tiny (4 feet 11 inches) & weighs 6 stone wet through. She runs a lot (averages 4 marathons a year all over the world, plus leads her local village running club out 4 evenings each week) & is now 73. Last year she had to have her wedding rings removed before they needed to be cut, due to arthritis in her hands. Not only have her fingers bent & knuckles swelled, but the width of her fingers have gone significantly larger - they look like sausages about to burst as the skin is so tight & very out of proportion to her small hands. She has had both CMC joints of her thumbs operated on over the last 18 months, as they were so stiff & swollen that she could no longer use them & couldn’t grip well. The arthritis hasn’t affected anywhere else except one knee, which she wears fancy strapping on to run. She will push knee replacement surgery away for as long as possible.

I am sorry you are going through this too. I know my MIL has found it tough, especially as she is so physically active & well. She sometimes struggles to select the right coins from her purse & I know having to have her finger oiled up whilst a nurse pulled & tugged & threaded ribbon through her beloved wedding rings was very stressful for her. Unfortunately hers cannot be resized, so i’m glad you are able to have yours adjusted.

 

[kmarla]

Uhhh, that sounds frustrating and expensive. I'm sorry and hope someone else can chime in... I've always heard that arthritis will make the fingers swell. I have no clue if this is permanent, though...

Yes, it adds up! It doesn’t help that last June I had my three favourite bands in a little jeweller’s bag in my purse to be resized and somehow lost them before I ever made it to the jewellers. We’ve searched everywhere and they are just gone!
At this point I think the size has probably stabilized and I don’t know if it’s very likely that they’ll shrink back down. Boo!

 

[kmarla]

I think my ring size has gone up maybe half a size. Not sure why, haven’t had a lot of weight change or a pregnancy lol.

I thought with the first resize that increasing 1/2 size would be fine. Who knew? Fingers crossed there won’t be any more changes.

 

[kmarla]

My mom has the same problem. The arthritis essentially disfigured her fingers. The ring in the profile picture is technically hers but is a size 6.75 and she doesn’t fit into it anymore (can’t size due to antique engraving that nobody wants to ruin) but now only I wear it. I gave her my diamond reproduction ring in exchange for the diamond antique ring because I like to wear most rings on my middle finger so many of my rings are around a size 7.75. Her fingers were always a size 6.5 but then she had a pretty bad flare up like 4 years ago and now she’s more of a size 7.75 or 8.

Aw, I feel bad for your Mom. It’s sad not to be able to wear your favourite rings anymore. It’s wonderful though that your Mom can see you enjoy her beautiful ring. I love it! It sounds like your Mom had a similar experience to what I had. My fingers so far haven’t become disfigured, but just larger. It’s my left hand that changed the most although the right hand was also affected.

 

[kmarla]

@kmarla , I’ve haven’t experienced that great of a ring size difference before but have noticed my hands and knuckles looking completely different due to aging. Have you spoke with Your doctor about these changes? I’ve heard many friends complain about the 1/2 of a ring size difference. If I had as big of a difference as you mentioned above, I would talk to my doctor about it.

Now if you had asked about your waist suddenly disappearing, your skin suddenly changing and asked questions about who this person is you happen to catch a glance of when passing a window or mirror is, I would tell you that our 40’s and mid 50’s are gone LOL!

@Nikki1415 , I LOVE the ring in your avatar! It’s beautiful! Sorry for the brief threadjack @kmarla

Haha, yes I’ve accepted all the other body changes over time. In my mind I’m still twenty something but the exterior package is becoming more vintage .
Yes, I did ask the rheumatologist about this. She was surprised at the large change in size and said it wasn’t typical. I do have some other medical conditions that prevent me from taking any anti inflammatory meds or steroid meds so I didn’t have any medical treatment during this flare. My family doctor referred me to the rheumatologist, but by the time I finally got to see her at the end of October the flare was mostly long over. If it happens again there is a med she will give me that should help a lot. She did say that there wasn’t much swelling right now so I should feel okay to go ahead and resize my ring at this point.

 

[kmarla]

This happened to my mother in law too. She is teeny tiny (4 feet 11 inches) & weighs 6 stone wet through. She runs a lot (averages 4 marathons a year all over the world, plus leads her local village running club out 4 evenings each week) & is now 73. Last year she had to have her wedding rings removed before they needed to be cut, due to arthritis in her hands. Not only have her fingers bent & knuckles swelled, but the width of her fingers have gone significantly larger - they look like sausages about to burst as the skin is so tight & very out of proportion to her small hands. She has had both CMC joints of her thumbs operated on over the last 18 months, as they were so stiff & swollen that she could no longer use them & couldn’t grip well. The arthritis hasn’t affected anywhere else except one knee, which she wears fancy strapping on to run. She will push knee replacement surgery away for as long as possible.

I am sorry you are going through this too. I know my MIL has found it tough, especially as she is so physically active & well. She sometimes struggles to select the right coins from her purse & I know having to have her finger oiled up whilst a nurse pulled & tugged & threaded ribbon through her beloved wedding rings was very stressful for her. Unfortunately hers cannot be resized, so i’m glad you are able to have yours adjusted.

Oh I feel so sorry for your mother in law. Her fitness level puts me to shame. She must have been in such pain. This flare I had literally happened overnight. I went to bed fine and woke up the next day in extreme pain with several swollen joints. I was also chronically exhausted. I would drive for ten minutes and after parking could barely get out of the car. I couldn’t straighten up and kind of shuffled along until the joints relaxed.
When I first noticed the finger swelling, I could barely get my ring off. I had to use windex. When I sized up to 6.75 I decided to reset the diamond in a simple relatively inexpensive classic tiffany style setting. Thankfully that was a good decision as it makes it pretty straightforward to resize now. The custom setting probably isn’t going to work for me anymore .

 

[Ally T]

Oh I feel so sorry for your mother in law. Her fitness level puts me to shame. She must have been in such pain. This flare I had literally happened overnight. I went to bed fine and woke up the next day in extreme pain with several swollen joints. I was also chronically exhausted. I would drive for ten minutes and after parking could barely get out of the car. I couldn’t straighten up and kind of shuffled along until the joints relaxed.
When I first noticed the finger swelling, I could barely get my ring off. I had to use windex. When I sized up to 6.75 I decided to reset the diamond in a simple relatively inexpensive classic tiffany style setting. Thankfully that was a good decision as it makes it pretty straightforward to resize now. The custom setting probably isn’t going to work for me anymore .

This must have been stressful for you, to have woken up with such painful & swollen hands. I’m assuming you suffer from this condition in general? Sounds awful for you & I hope you you manage to get some relief. Good decision to have your diamond out in a sizeabke setting!

 

[kmarla]

This must have been stressful for you, to have woken up with such painful & swollen hands. I’m assuming you suffer from this condition in general? Sounds awful for you & I hope you you manage to get some relief. Good decision to have your diamond out in a sizeabke setting!

Actually this was my first episode but it was very severe. We have no idea what triggered it.

 

[Bron357]

Hi, my ring size changed with aging.
I was always a size 6 and now a 7.5. I actually ended up having to have my engagement ring remade (not complaining I love what I now have) because the ring mount couldn’t be enlarged.
Yes, I’ve put on weight but I feel as if I somehow have more fluid in my fingers now.
Unfortunately the next stage is the opposite, according to my Mum.
Next. Apparently, my knuckles will remain large but the fat and fluid will disappear from my fingers. Mum has like a size 7.5 knuckle but a size 5.5 finger so she needed one of those arthritis settings, it opens to go over the knuckle but tightens around her thin finger part.
Oh the joys of aging that and DSS

 

[kmarla]

Hi, my ring size changed with aging.
I was always a size 6 and now a 7.5. I actually ended up having to have my engagement ring remade (not complaining I love what I now have) because the ring mount couldn’t be enlarged.
Yes, I’ve put on weight but I feel as if I somehow have more fluid in my fingers now.
Unfortunately the next stage is the opposite, according to my Mum.
Next. Apparently, my knuckles will remain large but the fat and fluid will disappear from my fingers. Mum has like a size 7.5 knuckle but a size 5.5 finger so she needed one of those arthritis settings, it opens to go over the knuckle but tightens around her thin finger part.
Oh the joys of aging that and DSS

Oh no, something else wonderful to look forward too I told my husband today that if this keeps up much longer I’m going to have to upgrade my diamond because I’m starting to see DSS. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights

 

[KristyDarling]

This happened to me last year. I noticed around Feb/March 2018 that my rings were suddenly tight. Suddenly my left ring finger - and ONLY my left ring finger - went up one whole size from 3.5 to 4.5. I had to get all of my rings sized up. It wasn't weight gain. It wasn't autoimmune or any other health issue -- I passed my physical exam with flying colors. I'm guessing it might be due to the constant putting on and taking off of my rings...maybe it resulted in permanent swelling of that finger, coupled with being in my mid-40s and things no longer bouncing back the way they used to. Joy.

 

[Wewechew]

My mother always warned me about things that would happen to my body as I got older... I didn’t really believe her. In my mid 30’s I’ve started experiencing these things, like how my fingers now swell at night or when I eat too much salt. I’m already a size 7 and wear my rings sized at 7.5 because of this. I don’t want to be a size 9 in 20 years Can they do lipo or some kind of “tuck” on fingers????

In all seriousness, I hope you don’t have another flare up.

 

[AprilBaby]

I wore a 7.25 when I got married. After pregnancy I was size 8. My baby is now 29. I will be 60 in april and all of a sudden my rings are tight. I just sized up to 8.75 because I stack.

 

[KristyDarling]

My mother always warned me about things that would happen to my body as I got older... I didn’t really believe her. In my mid 30’s I’ve started experiencing these things, like how my fingers now swell at night or when I eat too much salt. I’m already a size 7 and wear my rings sized at 7.5 because of this. I don’t want to be a size 9 in 20 years Can they do lipo or some kind of “tuck” on fingers????

In all seriousness, I hope you don’t have another flare up.

Yup! When I was a teen/young woman, my mom and aunts used to say, "You'll see. All these changes that happen as we age -- someday they'll affect you, too." I was unable to internalize this at the time -- it seemed so far off and impossible. There's a little magical thinking that happens when you're young...as if you're untouchable by age. Reality is definitely hitting me now!

 

[kmarla]

This happened to me last year. I noticed around Feb/March 2018 that my rings were suddenly tight. Suddenly my left ring finger - and ONLY my left ring finger - went up one whole size from 3.5 to 4.5. I had to get all of my rings sized up. It wasn't weight gain. It wasn't autoimmune or any other health issue -- I passed my physical exam with flying colors. I'm guessing it might be due to the constant putting on and taking off of my rings...maybe it resulted in permanent swelling of that finger, coupled with being in my mid-40s and things no longer bouncing back the way they used to. Joy.

It’s so odd, isn’t it. I’ll probably never figure out for sure what caused this change, especially such a quick one. I don’t have that much nice jewelry, but it makes me sad that I probably won’t get to wear some of it ever again. Not everything can be resized.

 

[kmarla]

I wore a 7.25 when I got married. After pregnancy I was size 8. My baby is now 29. I will be 60 in april and all of a sudden my rings are tight. I just sized up to 8.75 because I stack.

Maybe this is something that can happen as we get close to a certain magical age. Stacking has been a fantasy for the past year. Best case, I could only manage one band at a time. With the resizing I should be able to wear engagement ring and wedding band at least. We tried several sizes and band widths at the jewellers to see the best size for stacking etc and the loose 7.5 worked best.

 

[kmarla]

My mother always warned me about things that would happen to my body as I got older... I didn’t really believe her. In my mid 30’s I’ve started experiencing these things, like how my fingers now swell at night or when I eat too much salt. I’m already a size 7 and wear my rings sized at 7.5 because of this. I don’t want to be a size 9 in 20 years Can they do lipo or some kind of “tuck” on fingers????

In all seriousness, I hope you don’t have another flare up.

Thank you Wewechew, I hope I never have another flare either. At least now we know what caused it, they will start me on meds right away which should help a lot. Your fear is my fear! I’m afraid this upsize could happen again and who knows when it will end! Can we add a “hand lift” to the lipo?!

 

[kmarla]

Yup! When I was a teen/young woman, my mom and aunts used to say, "You'll see. All these changes that happen as we age -- someday they'll affect you, too." I was unable to internalize this at the time -- it seemed so far off and impossible. There's a little magical thinking that happens when you're young...as if you're untouchable by age. Reality is definitely hitting me now!

So true!!

 

[Wewechew]

Yup! When I was a teen/young woman, my mom and aunts used to say, "You'll see. All these changes that happen as we age -- someday they'll affect you, too." I was unable to internalize this at the time -- it seemed so far off and impossible. There's a little magical thinking that happens when you're young...as if you're untouchable by age. Reality is definitely hitting me now!

Yep, reality is starting to hit me now too. Like you, I've also noticed I don't bounce back as quickly.

Thank you Wewechew, I hope I never have another flare either. At least now we know what caused it, they will start me on meds right away which should help a lot. Your fear is my fear! I’m afraid this upsize could happen again and who knows when it will end! Can we add a “hand lift” to the lipo?!

I didn't even think about a "hand lift". That's brilliant!

 

[luv2sparkle]

A couple of years ago, I went low carb. I notice now, if I eat too many or certain carbs my fingers swell. When I don’t, my fingers get significantly smaller. I am sure I have a bit of arthritis in there too. Reducing the things that cause you inflammation helps a great deal. But every person is different, so you have to find out what does it for you. It’s about a whole ring size for me, sometimes more. My triggers are too many nuts, dairy, and carbs and sugar. Without, I don’t have joint pain or swelling.

 

[kmarla]

A couple of years ago, I went low carb. I notice now, if I eat too many or certain carbs my fingers swell. When I don’t, my fingers get significantly smaller. I am sure I have a bit of arthritis in there too. Reducing the things that cause you inflammation helps a great deal. But every person is different, so you have to find out what does it for you. It’s about a whole ring size for me, sometimes more. My triggers are too many nuts, dairy, and carbs and sugar. Without, I don’t have joint pain or swelling.

Yes, this is great advice. I am currently being followed by a dietician and have been on a low fodmap diet for almost a year. I’m in the process of going through an elimination diet right now and it’s amazing how your body will respond to certain foods.

 

[strawrose]

I’m sorry you’re going through this. Have you thought about getting an arthritic hinge ring?

https://www.patriciadudgeon.com/superfit-ring-shanks/

 

[kmarla]

I’m sorry you’re going through this. Have you thought about getting an arthritic hinge ring?

https://www.patriciadudgeon.com/superfit-ring-shanks/

Thankfully the flare is over and everything is back to normal now except that my fingers are now larger. For me it’s the actual part of the finger where the ring sits that’s larger. My knuckles don’t seem to have swollen disproportionately more or gotten larger overall than the rest of my fingers, at least not yet. I’ll definitely keep a hinge ring in mind if this happens to me again.