Hi been on pred for 5 years plus,got down to mg 3 a month ago but upped to 6 mg about a month ago due to increased pain in arms and hands plus general fatigue.
The last 2days my hands feel aweful a dull pain fingers feel swollen should I increase further. I feel very lethargic.Carl
There are lots of related posts on hand pain -so have a look at them.
It’s not always PMR, although it can be, so perhaps you should get them checked for other issues, carpel tunnel for one, if they are swollen could be the hot weather or rheumatoid arthritis.
The fatigue could be adrenals stuttering into life.
Thanks x
I think you can probably blame the fatigue on the adrenals waking up a bit slowly. I have found it is better not to increase, but to stick to the same dose as otherwise the adrenals just go back to sleep again, unless the fatigue is very bad. If the increase has helped the arm and hand pain then perhaps it is the PMR, but as DorsetLady says it could very well be something else. Have you tried any painkillers to see if they help?
It may not be PMR - you do need to ask your rheumy (if you have one) and the GP if you don't.
Discussion with my doctor, pretty much puts all my issues down to my diabetes, just feel I'm wasting my time sorry.
Hmmm - I'd give him wasting his time!!!! Proper investigation is required. Is there another doctor in the practice?
To be honest I'm lucky if I see the sane one twice that's probably the problem. Thier seems to be a reluctance with them acknowledging PMR and a reluctance to prescribe pred. Fir last couple of years I have took decision on lowering or raising pred. I find see a rummy a couple of times after blood tests he went against the original diagnosis in March 2017 feeling the issue was more rumertism of sorts he did go onto to say my bone density was amazingly good although I thought PMR was more muscle inflammatory issues. Its how I feel several times a day fatigued jelly legged at times as I say Doctor put this down to my diabetes and all my tablets. 
I would be inclined to wonder if that rheumy was right enough - so possibly insisting on seeing a rheumy again might be a good idea.
You say your fingers feel swollen - are they? Are they sort of sausage-looking?
They feel more swollen than look swollen if that names sense. Worse on a morning when picking up a boiled kettle is painful. Lar month it's swopped from gand to hand but last two days suffering with both.
Makes perfect sense!
Have you ever tried Flexiseq? Designed for OA in knees but while applying it to knees, people realised hand pain was better. Not cheap but worth a tube to try it out maybe.
jinasc says it is cheapest on the big A ...
Thanks.
It is -but Boots very often have it on offer if you find it works…
Ordered it on Amazon will give it a go. Delivery tomorrow.
I have hand pain . Have been told I’m PMR free but osteoarthritis is causing knee and hand pain. I didn’t find flexiseq worked for me but voltarol does - made a huge difference. Says do not use for longer than 2 weeks in one episode but dr confirmed last week I can use it as I need it so use at night on my hands. Not cheap £18 but useful to me. Good luck….Penny size amount each time.
Thanks Linlang, I tried Volteral but sadly no joy but appreciate your input. Carl
Interesting how 1 ointment works for some but not others. I have another suggestion but can use for One area at a time ie one finger or over carpals- I did radiography!Japanese strips I cut to size solanpas £ 5 ish available at most chemists 3 / 5 strips put on area and leave for 24 hrs I think or 12 forget anyway always cover with plaster or sellotape as tend to come off. Has worked amazingly for me for arthritic knuckle joint so painful but used once and no swelling there since! Alternative ice pack and hot pad over area will reduce swelling. I wish you well.
Hi, well I ordered Flexseq from the big A, it came Monday evening. I have been using it since and have to say have noticed a significant improvement (hope I'm not tempting fate lol ). Thankyou very much X
I had hand pain, and numbness, especially on waking in the morning. My doctor treated me for carpal tunnel syndrome with steroid injections, and a year later it’s still much better. One of the problems I find with PMR is that it’s sometimes hard to tell whether symptoms actually are caused by it - especially as so many of us are older and therefore prone to various conditions (my main other one is osteoarthritis). That’s one of the reasons I find this forum so helpful - bring your question and we’ll knock it around and see what our collective experience brings up
At the onset my whole right hand went stiff and numb. I never did get full use out of my middle finger right hand. Hand looked like a claw and I had to use a splint. Had to leave work for a few months, as I couldn't move the computer mouse (or couldn't grasp it or anything else). It did seem like carpel tunnel, but the left hand started awhile after that. I was not diagnosed with anything at that point except "old age", until months later. I still use a very soft rubber ball to exercise my right hand. It does stiffen up when the weather starts to change and in very warm weather. Wouldn't hurt to get it checked out though. As far as the increase goes, I can't speak to that.
My reumy says there is psuedo PMR. RA that appears as PMR in early stages. When you get to very low Pred, pain moves to hands and feet. He has had several patients where this has happened
I have never heard that term - seems strange to me, It would be called polymyalgic onset LORA by most.
I’ve been experiencing this since going off pred in January! The bottom of my feet hurt terribly in the morning. It feels like I have been caned. It goes away after a while, but if I am sitting for a long time, it comes right back! And when I wake up, I can’t close my hands into a fist.This is getting so damn tiring.
It's tough to acknowledge but sometimes just getting old can indeed be confused with symptoms of pmr. I have the same thing with swollen, stiff hands and fingers in the morning Now if this happens, I routinely wake up and massage my hands and fingers under hot and cold water alternatively and they feel so much better. I will probably have it checked one of these days if it gets much worse as rhueumatoid arthritis runs in the old family. Now worrying too much can exacerbate pmr so thats my daily challenge and my meditation via writing works well for me.
I do much the same, Nurseacw 😊 I try not to worry, know I’m getting older and practice self care. Which is not to say I don’t also panic on a fairly regular basis!! 😳x
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