Carpal Tunnel/PMR

[Marjorie237]

Hi have now reached the 2 year mark with PMR. Managed to get down to to 2mg Pred but about 5 weeks ago began to get the most painful wrists bilateral. Sometimes the pain travels from my middle finger to my wrists. have doubled my dose of Pred to 4 but no difference. If I know I need my hands that day I take a couple of paracetamol or ibrufen. This helps a little. Do you think I should up my dose of Pred for a while? Can put up with sore shoulders in the morning but feel so useless with my hands as they get so so painful.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Have you seen this post - similar issues - healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

You shouldn’t be taking ibruprofen with Pred, And if that and/or paracetamol are helping then it may not be PMR related.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Have you spoken to your GP about it? If it is carpal tunnel then there are probably better ways of managing it than upping your pred although it probably has been holding it at bay.

[SnazzyD]

Does this ring a bell?

mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...

[Casia]

I had something similar when I got to a low dose ( currently on 1.5 and decreasing) and thought it was carpal tunnel . After several months it has more or less gone although I think my PMR has also more or less gone now. The wrist pain was never diagnosed though I did mention it to my GP.

[Griggser]

I had terrible wrist pain for months on end and was offered an operation for carpal tunnel. I declined as it just feel the right answer. The wrist pain has gone now so I’m glad that I made that decision. I have also had episodes of extremely painful fingers which also goes away. Not sure if it’s PMR or possibly fibromyalgia, so difficult with these conditions.

[katiemills]

I have read that some PMR sufferers have carpel tunnel symptoms , and I was one of them . Before my diagnosis ( October 2018) my GP offered me surgery which I refused. My hand pain ( in both hands) disappeared totally at the height of my prednisone use-30 mg- but has increased at a similar rate to my hip/ thigh/shoulder pain at each step of my reduction. I managed to get to 8mg recently and was starting to think I might have to stick at this level because of my increased pain everywhere, but then I had a flair this week ( after a fall) so have had to put myself up to 10 mg .

[Dorsetgirl17]

Have had carpel tunnel when I broke wrist and again when on 20 pred now down to 8. Was given by NHS a wrist splint because I would not have cortisone injection and told to wear it at night, it worked! Worth a try instead of upping pills

[tangocharlie]

I remembr I had hand problems when I briefly came off Pred 3 years ago. Pains in wrists and fingers, especially on waking. I was sent for electro conduction tests and carpal tunnel was ruled out. It went when I started taking the steroids again I think, but I also had some acupuncture which seemed to help. Wrist and hand pain is mentioned so often in PMR forums it has to be more than coincidence that it is part and parcel of PMR, but drs don't seem to connect the dots. Maybe it's a knock on effect of inflammation in the shoulders?