Bad case of swollen fingers and carpal tunnell.

I will be very interested to see what everybody says because I suffer mostly in my right hand but some in my left hand too. I had the nerve conduction study done and it came back with borderline carpal tunnel syndrome. I told my doctor that I am under enough pain with my lower back and PMR that I don't care if it's borderline I want to do something about it so he has referred me to an ortho surgeon. Then I saw a TMJ specialist for my TMJ that has come up too. My TMJ specialist said it could have been caused by the TMJ. I thought that was interesting. So I've waited the three weeks he thought it would take wearing the Moy guard to see if that worked and it has not. So it's off to the ortho I go. But I will say one thing that has helped me tremendously that you might try is I bought a thumb guard at the suggestion of my rheumatologist. It kind of looks like a wrist guard because it does wrap once around your wrist but it has a place to put your thumb and your fingers are loose. As long as my thumb is protected like this the rest of my wrist and arm is perfectly comfortable. I bought it at a drugstore. I don't know if you're in the US but if you are I bought it at CVS for $15 or thereabouts. I've even tested Myself by not wearing it and it took approximately 30 minutes before the pain came back.

Carpel tunnel syndrome can often be part of the PMR scene - but just because the 15mg pred relieved it isn't saying it was ONLY PMR. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by swelling that pinches the nerve passing through the space - and the pred relieves it when it is high enough. Corticosteroid injections are often used - which means a far lower overall total pred dose. Not sure you need 15mg for 6 weeks though before tapering - given the nature of PMR that is, you only need enough to deal with each new daily dose of inflammatory substances so once the current symptoms have gone you could try a small reduction.

I had wrist and hand problems with PMR and a wrist support made a big difference to comfort.

Just posted note to you. Flares have been when I try to go below 9.5 mg. Think I need to stay there for 6 months or longer.

My right hand and around three fingers are numb each morning normally that it improves after a hour or so after I am up. Split my dose to 10 mg prednisone at night 7.5 in morning, helping some. I am sure I have CT from years as a electrician. The PMR has magnified my CT and brought pain in right elbow from a old injury.

I was a bit luckier. Had to increase from 3.5 to 5 and do fewer things. Back to 4.5mg /day now, nudging 4, after about 5 months. My hands are a little swollen, particularly right which I use most. Fingers a bit stiff between the joints. The background diffuse "brown" pain between joints is much less. Hardly noticeable. Wrists now ok. At its worst my wrists had sharp pain across the joint and fingers sharp pain with little strength. I was pleasantly surprised kayaking was ok recently as I expected the extra strain on hands and wrists to have an adverse effect, but no.

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}I have had carpal tunnel in my right hand (and now, to a lesser extent, in the left) since the onset of PMR.  It has steadily improved but is still present.  Right now I am on 10 mg. of prednisone and about to decrease.  For a couple of months I, too, could hardly lift anything, had trouble driving, and couldn't open things.  Now I can just manage with difficulty.  Hoping it continues to improve even on lower dosages of prednisone, but thanks for sharing your experience with us so I can be forewarned in case it gets worse.  Good luck!  Interested to find out what the results of your CTS test will be.