1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and GCA

Prednisolone, PMR or carpel tunnel??!!

Posted , 12 users are following.

kate50809
kate50809

I wonder if anyone can help? The fronts of my hands are very inflamed. They feel sunburned - sore and tingly. The fingers are puffy and the big ligament running through the palm is quite swollen and very tender to touch.

Before I was diagnosed - so before I had taken any pred - the fronts ie palms and fingers, but not the backs were very inflamed, the joints stiff and painful. 

Now they sore and things like wringing out cloths make them hurt a lot. The fingers I use for typing and operating the mouse are becoming quite raw!

I looked up carpel tunnel but I don't have any pain as such, but maybe the pred would deal with that?

I did show them to my GP but he didn't know what it was. He thought it might be PMR and said that anything he could give me would interfere with the medication I was on.

I am using a barrier cream and always use rubber gloves for cleaning.

I thought of posting a photo but decided that might be a bit frightening!!

Any thoughts anyone?

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • theresa26201
    theresa26201 kate50809

    Posted

    I have this problem with my right foot and toes.. for 2 + years Dr's still don't have a diagnosis for me . They say it's a mystery as my blood tests for everything are negative. .of course I have many other symptoms as well. I hope you find answers. Good luck

    • lily58584
      lily58584 theresa26201

      Posted

      Hi there.  I’m 65 and had back issues for decades.  Then diagnosed with PMR last year...the year I wished I just had spine issues lol.  I think sometimes issues in you spine can created pain and numbness.  I do exercises with hands and feet and I also do basic yoga stretches to help my spine.  I have been eating very clean, organic food and nothing processed.  I believe it helps me.   Hope you feel better.
    • theresa26201
      theresa26201 lily58584

      Posted

      As of late it so happens that anything and everything are settling in my back...so painful, stretching does seem to help. If only they could find a way to connect the dots!
  • Kdemers
    Kdemers kate50809

    Posted

    Hi Kate!

    Not sure if my experience will help but my left wrist and thumb joint were both so painful for months.  There was some redness going up my arm along a ligament.  My son insisted I go to Doctor and doctor ordered an xray and referred to a Hand" doctor"  This doctor showed me all the arthritis I had in hand and wrist.  He said the first step was two cortisone shots--(not the most pleasant experience).  He said his experience is that the patient will return or he never sees them again.  It has been 7 months and I have not pain.  I think those of us with PMR or GCA really react to inflammation.  

    I wish you all the luck!!

  • nick67069
    nick67069 kate50809

    Posted

    I cannot say I have exactly the same, but something similar. My hands are puffed and ligament that move fingers are inflamed and tight/stiff. In addition, knuckle joints are swollen and it makes my hand weak to open jar or screw on bottle. I had rheumi look at it and he thinks that it is related to a start of RA and asked me to up the dose of pred from 3mg to 8mg. After I changed the dose, most but not all symptoms cleared up. Since then I have reduced pred to 6mg, split dose -3mg at midnight and 3mg at noon.
    • kate50809
      kate50809 nick67069

      Posted

      Thanks Nick.. I am pleased you are now mostly out of pain. I go to the rheumi clinic on Monday so will see what they make of it.  My main worry is that they will say it is the pred and take me off it!!!!
    • nick67069
      nick67069 kate50809

      Posted

      I don't think it is pred, at least not likely. In my case they increased the pred dose. If they, by some crazy reason want   you off pred, explain that you need it for PMR pain, which does not react to anything else.

    • kate50809
      kate50809 nick67069

      Posted

      Thanks Nick. The thought of going back to all that pain, I'd sooner deal with sore hands!!  In my saner moments I don't believe they would stop the pred but I get moments of panic!! 

      I will know for sure on Monday.

      Kate

  • Mrs_Hobbles
    Mrs_Hobbles kate50809

    Posted

    That sounds very uncomfortable Kate, I certainly hope you can get to the bottom of it! I do wonder is it Carpel tunnel though? It doesn't sound like typical carpal tunnel but I've learned that nothing is fully typical anymore!! I had Carpel tunnel many years ago and was operated on very successfully but I do remember my hands were swollen, very hot and fingers very stiff. I would keep bending my hands backward, with my other hand to try to stretch out the ligaments and I did have a ferocious amount of pain with it. The thing with Carpel tunnel is that the muscle at your wrist tightens and clamps down in your blood vessels, nerves, tendons and ligaments going in to your hand, so I'm wondering if your symptoms could be as a result of this but as you say maybe the pred is dealing with the pain. As I say, I hope you can get to the bottom of it and get it sorted quickly!

    • kate50809
      kate50809 Mrs_Hobbles

      Posted

      Thanks.  The more I look into it the less likely it seems to be carpel tunnel.  I am at the clinic on Monday and they may be able to shed some light on it.  
  • EileenH
    EileenH kate50809

    Posted

    What dose of pred are you on? Has anyone mentioned RS3PE syndrome? It should respond to a moderate dose of pred but it will depend how much you are on.
    • kate50809
      kate50809 EileenH

      Posted

      Hi Eileen, I am on 10mg pred and due to reduce to 9mg next week I am told.  I have an appointment for the clinic on Monday.

      I haven't heard  of RS3PE . I will google it now. Thanks

  • BillyP
    BillyP kate50809

    Posted

    Just out of interest...…….My wife has carpel tunnel in both hands from a life of loving knitting, 

    recently, she has broken out , in what looked like ring worms. This was spreading all over, not responding to 

    creams etc.   scrapings revealed nothing.... so our GP put her on 50mg pred, daily for 3 days  with  another cream to rub into effected areas......this so far has fixed the rash , that now is supposed to be dermatitis..

    The gist of this story is ….the 3 days of pred did not ease the Carpel Tunnel pain at all... FWIW......

     

    • kate50809
      kate50809 BillyP

      Posted

      Thanks for this.  I am pretty sure now that it's not carpel tunnel. I hope your wife's gets better soon as it must be very painful as well as disappointing if she can't knit anymore.

      I think mine must be a mix of pred and PMR!  The skin is thin from the pred so it gets sore easily and the inflammation is down to PMR.  But I am a great one for self diagnosing and getting it wrong!!

      My son recently developed a patchy rash on his hands which he thought was an allergic reaction to something.  It turns out it is something called Adult Hand, Foot and Mouth disease!! It is caused by a virus and is quite common among small children and easily passed on.

      I'm not suggesting that your wife has that. It is just interesting the things we are prey to!

       

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.