Wrist hurts from typing too much... any ideas for how to prevent this?

this sounds exactly like carpal tunnel
there are a few things you can try to ease the pain:

1. make sure you are sitting correctly at your computer

2. get an argonomic keyboard (split keyboard) - this is only good if you can type without looking at the keyboard.

3. put a bandage on your wrists/hands. that will limit your movement, but also can keep the angel of your wrist better.

4. physiotherapy.

and now, i'm off to crying my eyes out from pain

From what you've described, it definitely sounds like carpal tunnel. Countless millions of dollars have been wasted on gimmicks and gadgets trying to prevent carpal tunnel, treat carpal tunnel, and avoid surgery. Almost all of them do not work. Rarely do ergonomic devices work. “Therapy” and “exercises” do not work. Think about it, repetitive motion contributed to the carpal tunnel to begin with in many cases. It’s not a problem that can be exercised away. Magic lasers waved over the hand have not been proven effective by scientific evaluation. There is no evidence to suggest that they actually decrease the flexor tenosynovium. Splints worn during the day decrease the muscle pumping action of the hand, cause more swelling in the hand, and increase carpal tunnel symptoms. Splints can be helpful at night for positioning the hand to avoid sleeping in marked inflection which puts increased pressure on the nerve. Vitamin B-6 is almost always ineffective. Topical creams by “renowned doctors” don’t work. Magnets don’t work for carpal tunnel syndrome. Dietary supplements don’t work. Steroid injections are only temporary and can cause permanent injury to the nerve if the needle is accidentally placed in the nerve, which usually happens on the third or fourth injection. An open carpal tunnel release works, but it can cause weeks or months of pain and inability to work.

Think of the carpal tunnel as exactly that – a tunnel inside your hand. This tunnel is formed by a semi-circle of carpal bones on three sides. The fourth side of the tunnel is the transverse carpal ligament. This ligament cannot stretch.

So the carpal tunnel is a defined space that cannot enlarge. There is only so much room in the tunnel. This roominess is critical to good hand health. Through the tunnel’s opening passes the median nerve, nine tendons, and spongy tissue around the tendons called tenosynovium. We start our lives with extra space in the tunnel.

The tenosynovium swells for a number or reasons – when you run out of extra space because of this swelling, then pressure is placed on the median nerve. You develop carpal tunnel symptoms. There is no longer enough room for everything to fit comfortably inside the carpal tunnel. So you’re suffering.

Surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome is not just to reduce pressure on the nerve so that your symptoms are tolerable, so you can live with it. Instead, the goal is to relieve the pressure entirely, reduce the chance of permanent nerve damage – and offer you an entirely comfortable, entirely safe experience.

You can check out The Hand Center's procedure on how to effectively remedy the problem.

I myself have the same problem. There are cushions you can buy today that support your wrists during typing. Another idea is to do exercises every half hour by moving your wrist in circles or other similar exercises. There are also special supporting bandages for the wrists but I think better avoid these if you can. From what I understand they are more for dealing with the area once it's injured and I suggest you try to prevent the injury in the first place.

Hope this was helpful.