Hands and feet
Posted , 14 users are following.
Does anyone suffer from painful feet and hands?
0 likes, 20 replies
Posted , 14 users are following.
Does anyone suffer from painful feet and hands?
0 likes, 20 replies
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EileenH suzanne970
Posted
My feet and hands hurt like h*££ before pred! My feet felt as if they had been crammed into shoes 2 sizes too small and I was walking barefoot on a mixture of sharp pebbles and broken glass. My hands I think was a mix of tendonitis and synovitis. Like knives stabbing into a joint. If I'm going to flare the hands bit still happens but not for long.
Silver49 suzanne970
Posted
Oh, yes. Some days more than others and I think more so since I'm on a low dose... 2.5. It does depend on what I am doing. I have insoles for my shoes and a special one for the left foot which has a Morton's neuroma. It was so pain free on higher doses. You have my sympathy as we are on our feet so much and use our hands a lot. I don't know the answer but I had a more restful weekend and am not as sore.
suzanne970
Posted
WElli finally get to go for the bloods tomorrow - even though i'm only 45 everything seems to be geared towards this rather than anything else - i'm getting so the mornings kill to try and lift my arms and get out of bed - i dont know why but i want to sleep with my arms above my head but trying t get them back down again after awaking i'm sure i scream out - the hips and kees feel very stiff and my feet and hands hurt the feet the biggest pads behind the toes (cant remember its name) and the pads of the fingers even driving is becoming uncomfortable and even washing up
kristen58997 suzanne970
Posted
Hi Suzanne, I don't read all the postings from this group so others may have mentioned this in their posts that I haven't seen. Your comment about sleeping with your arms above your head and how painful it is to lower them strikes a chord with me. I had that same thing before I went into remission (or partial remission I think even though my labs are now good.) Once I got my arms down I would have to press them to my sides and roll to the side of my bed to get out. This was just one of the symptoms that lead my physician to diagnose PMR and treat my symptoms as such. I'm now on maintenance dose of 5 mg pred and am starting with mtrx because of pain in my hands and wrists as well as osteoarthritis throughout my body. I hope you find relief soon from your PMR pain.
EileenH kristen58997
Posted
It was being UNABLE to sleep with my arms above my head that was an early sign of the PMR for me. That is my favoured sleeping position - lying on my front (pregnancy was hell!) with my forearms crossed above my head. Even lying on my back in bed I like to have my arms above my head. And I just couldn't. It was a long time before I connected it though.
margaret89358 suzanne970
Posted
I never put my Painful hands down to PMR and can't wear Heels anymore. I had my wedding ring cut off because my hands were swollen and sore. Its just another thing we gave to put up with and keep Smiling . It's good to know you are not alone.
mary_49929 suzanne970
Posted
My feet hurt quite a bit when I do too much, as I still work full time.. luckily have a lot of annual leave, so try to rest when it gets reall y bad....I use Epsom salts, and soak them... can't wear heels at all now, and have got from a size four to size five shoe.....x
linda97410 suzanne970
Posted
Yes I frequently have painful feet particularly around the toe joints. My physiotherapist recommended Biofreeze in a pump action spray. It us a form of cryotherapy. very cold rather like putting ice on the area. You can spray through socks or tights. Available from UK pharmacies for about £10.
Like Eileen I also get tendinitis. Particularly if I've done something repetitive like 15 minutes pruning with secateurs!! I've discovers that wearing a wrist support helps with that.
TheRaven suzanne970
Posted
When I was first diagnosed with PMR I had no problems with the hands and feet. My rheumy put me on 20 mg of Prednisone and I thought things were going to be easy. I knew nothing about reducing slowly. Turns out that neither did my rheumy. After 3 weeks he dropped me from 20 to 15 mg and I flared up. It took 2 months before the PMR would behave again and only after I got boosted up to 30 mg. In the meantime the painful hands and feet showed up along with swelling like you've described. Now, many months later I'm back down to 17.5 mg and the swelling and pain in the hands has subsided. No real pain in the feet anymore either but the swelling of the toes and the pad/cushion of the feet is still there. The toes all look like they gained an extra knuckle.
Daisy64 suzanne970
Posted
I would spend four hours on my feet at work and was really ready for home by the end of my shift due to fatigue and my feet feeling like I was walking on bone. Hands very stiff and painful. Hubby picked me up for a 5 minute journey and when it came to getting out of the car I could hardly walk. It hasn't been as bad lately due to me being of sick with a very broken wrist after a fall...but when I'm in bed my feet and legs burn!
Been on Pred now since Wednesday 2nd Aug...... I think I'm starting to feel a difference.
maid_mariane suzanne970
Posted
The pains in my feet before prednisone was to the point i couldn't walk. It was excruciating in one toe so i went to a podiatrist who sent a note to the GP saying it was more than arthritis. Thank to her the GP'S looked for more.
Now if i overdo which lately is alot my feet hurt and throb. As for hands that was one of my 1st symptoms and they to would hurt so bad i would wake with them clenched and it would hurt to straighten. Typing for any time kills me. So my nemesis is feet and hands too.
Take care
jean39702 suzanne970
Posted
Suzanne, you've started a tiopic dear to my heart at the moment. I occasionally have stiff hands in the morning which resolve very quickly, However, I've had on-going foot issues.
I’ve been on prednisone for almost 3 ½ years for PMR, starting at 40 mg with a couple of flares and reducing from 15 mg by .5 mg since the second flare last April. When I started on prednisone I had the sensation of cotton covering the balls of both feet. It wasn’t at all painful, just weird. And no swelling whatsoever. I put it down to a side effect of prednisone. This was somewhat confirmed when the sensation lessened as I reduced.
In late June, this year I began having pain in my left arch, followed by pain in the left arch a week or so later. These arch issues have now disappeared after getting out of sandals and back to full shoes with my prescription inserts. However, the “padded” balls of the feet are back worse than ever. I’ve also had a return on some of ‘my trigger PMR flare pain’ and have stopped my reduction to 10 mg from 10.5 and gone back to 11 mg for the last week.
I spend an hour or two a day for three weeks doing some major tree and shrub pruning, and gardening work. My bad, I overdid things. All seems to be improving at 11 mg, except for the padded feet.
This discussion now has me worried that this may be part of the flare. In which case, I should perhaps go higher than 11 mg. However, I will be seeing a Podiatrist at the end of the month. I also have bunions with hammer toes developing. I’ve worn sensible shoes all my life, inserts for 10 years (except for summer Mephisto or Birkensork andals) and never even dreamed of wearing high heels. Guess it’s genetics.
I think I might mull the issue of the padded feet being flare a bit longer. I tend to think I should rely on my usual trigger pains (triceps, neck and shoulders). All opinions welcomed on whether padded feet are PMR or prednisone.
Silver49 jean39702
Posted
I have the same problem with my feet..... bunion's and hammer toes. I have been told it's genetic. I have special insoles and splints. There was no pain when I was on higher doses of steroids..... now on 2.5. I am not increasing just for the feet and hand issue.
Anhaga Silver49
Posted
That's how I feel, Silver. I've had arthritic hands and feet for decades now, and although my feet have been really bad the last few months (dreading winter boot season) there's no way Id take more pred to deal with this pain. You gotta pick your battles, and this one I think needs a differnt solution, if there even is a solution, short of death and reincarnation with a brand new body.
EileenH Anhaga
Posted
Strange isn't it - if my foot pain returned I'd happily choose to take 3mg or so of pred if it managed it. I just can't cope with feet that stop me doing anything.
jean39702 EileenH
Posted
It's all a bit of a dilema Eileen. Since it's no longer 'painfull', more like 'uncomfortable', I think I'll hold out until seeing what the Podiatrist says at the end of the month. Providing no other issues of a flare continue to grow/develop of course. However, I'm so undecided about what's going on wiht me at the moment I could change my mind tomorrow!😏🙄🙃
Silver49 Anhaga
Posted
Other pain I may consider upping but with the podiatrist's advice and expertise I can cope.
Anhaga EileenH
Posted
It's definitely related to osteoarthritis - one look at my feet and you'd agree. Physiotherapist suggests a nerve is being squeezed, which is why I asked for an injection, but no dice. However my gp is away, I need an appointment to get a new prescription (kind of sorry it won't be her as she refused the renewal back in June), so I'll ask the locum a few questions and maybe get some answers!