Stiff hands arms and shoulders

[Maryis80]

As my hands had been better, last week I dropped to 12 mg from 12.5. the last three days I can hardly move my hands and wrists first thing and yesterday it hung around all day. Maybe not helped by cutting up oranges for marmalade. This morning it is even affecting my typing (and I have typed for the past 50+ years! Even had difficullty in getting the Pred out of the blister pack! Presumably I should give the lower dose a chance to kick in? Am having a blood test this week and seeing new GP next week, for result of that and DEXA scan I had before Christmas.

[Hidden]

Certainly weather and activities can cause my hands to cease all effective tasks. I tend to soak in warm water and do my exercises in it. Touch each finger tip with top of thumb and so on. I presume that muscles would take longer to recover than normal.

're pred. Is this a common marker for you when reducing? My steroid withdrawal sign is right shoulder area being tender and painful. Thighs usually means increasing for a day or two. Hope they feel.better soon.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If the problems are worsening as the week goes on it is far more likley you have simply gone too low than that it is steroid withdrawal which usually starts immediately and then improves over the week. Don't let the inflammation get away - or you may end up having to go back further than just 12.5mg. Go back, leave it a couple of weeks and try again. Preferably without cutting Seville oranges! Or sacrifice long slices and use a food processor. Though with a bit of care you can use the slicing disc and get slices rather than chopped orange flesh.

[1Purplecrow]

Hi Mary, ditto what others have said...

hands and forearms , pained me in the days following reductions. I found some over-the-counter arthritis/sore muscle rubs eased the pain, as did a couple of paracetamol/ Tylenol tabs. Also brief warm water soaks helped.

As I have continued this four year(+) journey, my hand arthritis has also continued. I notice my index finger and thumb joints are larger than before. weather/ barometric pressure changes niggle me also.

Ah, what joys this PMR, eh?🙂

Kind regards, Jerri

[Grammajoy in reply to 1Purplecrow]

I received an email about using DMSO applied to skin for pain relief. I searched online and read a lot of positive reviews. Does anyone have knowledge of this? The email had a very old video from 60 minutes tv showing positive results but blaming FDA for not approving it??

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Grammajoy]

You might be interested in this:

webmd.com/vitamins-and-supp...

and

"Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) is a chemical compound which is a by-product of wood processing. It is a somewhat oil liquid that looks like mineral oil and has a slightly garlicky odor. It has long been used as a chemical solvent. In the late 1960s, it also became known as a topical pain relief medication ..."

Sounds a bit like using WD40 for arthritis - which people do apparently but it doesn't mean it is a good idea! However - it is approved by the FDA for use in interestitial cystitis - so it must be reasonably safe.

Just remember that when you find loads of positive reviews it doesn't mean that much - some sites and posters have agendas.

[Maryis80]

Thanks for all your comment/suggestions. Feeling a bit better this afternoon. Took a Naproxin this morning as well as the Pred, also paracetamol. You may be interested to know that when I asked for a double repeat prescription to carry me over Christmas, I was issued with 250 paracetamol! My sister was very happy to relieve me of some of them. Must make the marmalade, dont have a food processor, so use a mincer. As my old one is 49 years old, I am waiting for a new one to be delivered by the Winged Messenger ( our local Hermes courier)!