Under 10 mg really makes my hands hurt. The other day my friend shook my hand and I thought he had broken it. Just another damn complaint/vent.
Hurts to shake hands: Under 10 mg really makes my... - PMRGCAuk
Hurts to shake hands
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3daysinjuly
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I hear you! I wish there were a simple, polite way to avoid shaking hands. Not only because it can hurt some of us if the other person is a hand wringer, but it's very unsanitary. Putting aside the sanitary bit, I never remember to do this, but I've heard if you extend your left hand the other person doesn't know what to do, and you can take hold of their right hand in a way which doesn't cause you any damage and just give them a little squeeze. There are of course cultures where it's very impolite to offer the left hand.
Yeah, but tough for a guy to not shake. I still can’t get past all the freakin misery this thing has brought on. Maybe it’s karma. But what did I do?
Not a lot of handshaking here, very occasional...
Good thing I don’t live in Mons, Belgium anymore. People would board a bus and shake hands with everybody on the damn bus. But, next to my country, the greatest place I have ever lived. 4 years.
Really? Is that a Belgian thing then? Or does everybody just know everybody? Everyone greets you but physical contact is low. I love living here too, better than ANYWHERE else I've lived.
Never been to Italy, but Rome is on the list of “after PMR goes away” things. But maybe it’s silly to wait for that day?
If you end up like me it may never arrive! Go - and do it differently, as we do: stay in the middle so you don't have to walk far, stay in a few places if necessary. Don't try to squash everything in in a few days. No reason to stop doing things, just rearrange...
Hi PMR Pro,
Started on 15mg went to 12.5 and now on 10, as previously mentioned I do not recall any stressful incident that may have triggered my PMR and suspected sulphides in foods may have triggered it.
Two days ago I had a stressful incident and today I am back with hand and shoulder pain so the feedback appears to be correct re stress, keeping this in mind has meditation been suggested and if so what is the feedback.
Cheers,
Oatley Park
No single factor is to blame - it is a piling up of many things over many years and eventually one thing tips the balance. It may have been sulphites that was the final straw but they have many different effects and really are ubiquitous these days so it is like saying the air we breathe did it!
Thank you.
Are you sure your hand pain is totally caused by PMR?
Sometimes we are so engulfed in our PMR journey we do forget that some pains or symptoms we feel in other parts of our body may not all be related to Pred or PMR , but other issues whose pain warning was being masked by our use of steroids.
It might be a good idea to arrange an appointment with your GP to discuss this hand pain and have it examined properly.
There are many types of hand issue that can cause this sort of pain , like nerve related conditions to Carpal Tunnel . It may not be something else and just be one of those annoying PMR things , but it's better to know now rather than later .
Take care , Bee x
I think it is PMR because it is real bad in the morning and by the evening much better. But around 4am my hands are back to being stiff and painful. But I know what you mean.
I sometimes find in dancing I go ouch when my partner grips my hand. Is improving. Now down to 5 and trying for 4.5 with the help of methotrexate.
Our church is big on shaking hands which is agony for me at present. I agree that extending left hand is easier or else I just say sorry, sore hands and keep hands in pockets
Yes, in the Catholic Church, at “Peace be with you,” it is a tough go of it with PMR sore hands.
Anglican here and for years I've avoided the services where the Peace handshake is done. And just a week ago I was at a small gathering of parishioners (we are members of a book club) and happened to mention this, very apologetically, and to my astonishment every other person in the room agreed with me, they too dislike this practice although not enough to get up for the crack of dawn service instead!
Ha! Well, at my late mother’s church during flu season, the priest simply announced that the parishioners could suspend the shaking of hands. Made it easier for all to do given “priestly dispensation.”
I like that! Of course as we also partake of wine from a common cup it might be thought that suspending the handshake without also bringing in separate teeny cups a la Presbyterians would be a bit pointless.... Although we have been told it is unsanitary to dip the wafer, it's better to forego or to sip from the common cup. I suppose studies have been done. If it were all that bad the priests who down the dregs would all be sick all the time. I believe it's considered much less likely you'll catch or transmit germs if you do a European cheek to cheek embrace.
I suffer with very painful hands. Have had X-rays and scans that show no inflammation, but that is usually because by the time the appointments come through, the pred has been upped and they are no longer so painful. My knuckles get very swollen and look as if they are full of water. I upped my pred from 5 to 9 mg in January and now on slow taper again!!
When they are bad it's agony in the morning. Been for physio as been told I must keep them mobile.
Are there certain things they told you to do?
Just exercises for my fingers , opening closing, extending , using play dough too. Gave me a splint to try at night but that made no difference.
I have taken paracetamol to take the edge off it.
One thing which might help, if the pain is in finger joints, and if you are able to use your thumbs. Take each finger joint in turn between the thumb and forefinger of the other hand and applying a little pressure rotate your thumb and finger over each joint about three times in each direction. Do all your finger joints, then apply same to the other hand. I think what may happen is it stimulates the release and lubricating effect of synovial fluid but I find it helps me.
I have GCA and my hands hurt in the morning and get better through the day. I think it is the Pred. Although when I stopped taking alendronic acid the swelling reduced I got my rings back on and can make a fist.
My sore hands are partially due to arthritis. I went thru a period when it was seriously painful to shake hands, particularly with a "hand wringer".
I occasionally yelped with the pain, which is a put off.
I’m in PT for hands and weak wrists. Hope it helps! No hand shaking for me!
If pt works let us know what they have you do.
And this New Jersey winter weather can’t be helping us, right? Hate it.
mm,I had this when pmr first started.while going through diagnostics I was able to see a superb nhs physio who explained that no matter the ultimate diagnosis,the symptom suggested pressure on vessels and nerves where they pass through the narrow wrist area - due to fluid retention,inflammation etc due to the pmr-the result similar to carpel tunnel.He fitted light wrist splints to keep wrists slightly bent backwards .these are only to be used at night or at rest as it is most important to retain mobility with excercises and general use of hands.My hand s were agony but this really helped-made all the difference! Then when started on steroids they improved more EXCEPT for v painful base of thumbs which shows osteo -arthritis there[a different story..my age and wear and tear!]
Exercises like squeezing a ball?
gentle, yes also extension ones like touch flat surface[table/desk]with fingered thumb tips bunched up-as if going to pick up a tiny grain of rice;then' spread out fingers ,stretch them out until hand is flat on surface with digits extended -like a starfish .no need to go mad,just gentle and steady at times during day when making coffee or sitting at table etc.The extension one is probably more necessary as we naturally flex and grip all day long 'grip muscles are very strong already .Gentle extend and stretch is probably more beneficial.Good luck.ps you can buy "cock up"splints for carpel tunnel in chemists.But only use at night as it is ESSENTIAL to keep hands and wrists used mobile and mobile!
It really hurts to hug also!
Yes. I also find if I am going through a door first and I have to reach back and hold it open for the next person.....pain!
Oh totally!
And in my state of New Jersey, it is often a thankless gesture anyway!
She massaged my hands yesterday. Felt good but who knows about long term effect. I still have trouble with wrists when I hold a plank in exercise class. Push ups on the floor are out of the question! Worried about spilling my coffee when I bring it upstairs early in the morning!
My Rheumy shakes hands with his patients (gently). He says he can tell a lot about how the patient is feeling from that handshake. From how and if they extend their hand to how firmly they grip.
He’s always surprised at how strong my grip is. I think I have lost a lot of strength in my hands but I always had a firm grip.
Other good doctors fetch their patients from the waiting area themselves - and watch the patient walking towards them before shaking hands. My Bowen therapists in the NE of England both did. They say they gain a lot of info before even speaking to the patient.
Yes! He does that. He comes out to the waiting room and calls us. I used to feel a bit embarrassed walking out while he waited for me but then then the penny dropped. 😁
Yes, I remember my doctor doing that, although not this time. I think the receptionist got me into the office too quickly, which was okay with me as I wasn't quite as exposed to all the germy people in the waiting room. On the other hand the dental hygienist whom I saw yesterday commented on my stiff manner of walking, and I think this is not a good sign considering my recent efforts to taper no matter what and it would have been good for the GP to see how I walk. I'm so used to it I don't even notice any more....
That’s exactly what my doctor does.😊 Often, when I get in the room he says “not doing so well”, “some improvement today” (or something similar)! Sometimes I get in the first words and say “I’m fine, but you don’t look so chirpy”.😀😀
Same here,, i fist bump now, I say, “hands hurt too much to shake” ...the first few handshakes I thought I broke all the bones in my hand!! Enough of that..
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