Just wondered your thoughts. Not asking for medical advice.
This afternoon I caught my hand and noticed the slightest scratch that started to itch. A couple of hours later got this hot swelling and tightness.
Knuckles do hurt a bit thumb and other hand more.
Bit strange, I am trying to reduce preds . Dropped from 7.5 to 5mg last week.
Infection perhaps? The main swollen bit looks to be below the knuckle, so if a scratch dump lots of antiseptic on it.
Yes I wondered. Slightest of a scratch only a couple of hours before. Will put more antiseptic on.
Thank you Helix
I'm a bit "old school", so tend to wait 24 hours with things to see what they do. And do very old fashioned things like take my temperature (do people have thermometers now?) and go to doctor if it's over 100 for more than a day.
I am the same Helix. See what it does today. This morning my fingers are like sausages and they are hot. Better keep them away from the dog :).
I do have a thermometer, not the old type though now cannot shake them down. You have brought back memories of my Nursing days !
Could it have been an insect bite? You could try taking an antihistamine like piriton. It might help the itching and swelling.
It started like an insect bite. The only thing I know is I put my hand in the paper bag from hospital pharmacy to get out new Meds for dry mouth. Noticed the tiniest of scratches then it inched. Last week same hand it inched so rubbed it and sores appeared so refrained from scratching. Itch stopped after about 30 minster then it started to swell.
Really odd. It is very tight and hot this am. Started with a cold too and it's mtx day.
Why cannot things be straight forward. 
I just wondered because my husband reacts really badly to insect bites (he's asthmatic, not RA), and his swelling always looks like that and is hot and itchy. As a rule of thumb he's been told that if the swelling gets larger than the width of your palm (4-5 inches) from the bite, then it may be getting infected and need antibiotics because of risk of blood poisoning. Don't want to alarm you, but thought it might be useful information.
Hope it's better today. X
Hi Kariss, it was indeed an insect bite apparently that has got infected. Cannot believe it didn't see or feel anything. Within 2 hours of an itch it was swollen. Still swollen today warm and my finger and wrist joints hurt. Got antibiotics now.
Thank you, incidentally I have asthma too.
Glad you got it sorted. This has been a bad year for biting insects. My husband had one on his wrist earlier this year which tracked right up his arm past his elbow and when the inflammation went down left him with a huge baggy bit of skin dangling from his elbow like a handbag! It went away eventually but he had to have a big course of antibiotics and wasn't even going to go to the doc until I nagged him!
Hope you feel better soon. X
Just wondering, did the bag have a staple on it? Our pharmacy staples the prescription to the outside of the bag and have had a few scratches over the years on those little blighters.
Oops just realised read my spelling or predictive text errors.
No staples , it was sealed by a sticky label and the pharmacist opened the bag to check if my mtx book was inside. Can only think a paper cut.
I have bruises all over that I do not know how I got, so never really think about
Sounds like cellulitis, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. If it is you need antibiotics. Being on prednisolone reduces your immune system so infections can take a hold quicker than normal. Good luck x
Thanks Cagsie. Really want to avoid antibiotics if I can. Had 4 weeks worth in July and missed 5 mtx injection s.
May need checking though. Thanks
Thank you everyone. I have just called into the surgery to let the Gp checking. Still swollen warm and now starting to hurt. He says it is an infected insect bite.
Cannot believe how quick it became red hot and swollen. Did not see or feel anything. I didn't like bothering G.p. He was very good and said I need antibiotics. Got to delay mtx injection until Saturday.
Thank you everyone for your kind replies.
And not a word about RA..... !! :-)
Early RA or something else?
RA pain or not?
RA or Fibromyalgia?
