HelloI am in week 3 of taking 15mg of pred after relapsing with PMR. Most of the hip and shoulder pain has been resolved but my wrists and hands are still painful, with my dominant hand(right) is very stiff and painful after use and when I wake up. I have no grip on this hand to even open a simple cover. My first time with PMR did not affect me like this. I am just wondering if others have had this experience and looking for any advice.
Love this site and so glad I found it.
Mewy
Could be CTS, but wrists/hands can be affected by PMR as well…so you may need a little bit more Pred, or longer on current dose.
Have you advised your doctor?
Whilst you’re waiting for replies maybe have a look through related posts.
Thank you DorsetLady. I read the related posts and think I will talk to my NP next week and perhaps discuss staying the course with Pred.Mewy
Everyone I know who has had PMR more than once says the individual episodes are very different.
Can I add, that when I look back, I think my first signs of PMR were very weak wrists. At the time I put it down to age. I have found though since being on Prednisolone that much of the strength has returned to my wrists and I am once again able to open jars and bottles. I’m lucky I’m down to 2.5 per day and suffer various aches and pains now which come and go and so I attribute them to adrenals not fully functioning. Also trying to investigate whether I really need to be on Alendronic acid. Waiting for dexa scan. Aches and pains now do not prevent me from functioning like original pains did. Hope you are soon feeling improvement.
My first symptom was swollen hands which I attributed to weight gain. Then the widespread pain grew. This is reassuring to me. I am taking Alendronate for osteoporosis which I attribute to being on Pred for almost three years when I first came down with PMR. Thank you for sharing. Mewy
Are you taking AA by chance? My GP switched me to Risedronate and the hand / wrist issues resolved within a month.
I am taking Alendronate for osteoporosis. . I took Risendronate with my first bout of PMR. I will keep my NP informed about this. Many thanks.
When I mentioned the aching hands and wrists to a Rheumatologist he said I’ll write to your GP advising him of suspected carpal tunnel and having splints fitted… I thought his diagnosis was (excuse my language) boll0€$ ! The GP must have seen the correspondence as I did and when I had a telephone appointment with him I mentioned reading about the side effects of AA, noting joint problems are fairly common on AA as reported in the patient info sheet. He said he was aware of AA side effects and switched me to Risedronate. Bingo, no more hand issues!
Yes, I have steroid induced carpal tunnel syndrome…have you tried searching on this forum for carpal tunnel? The subject comes up quite regularly & there’s likely to be good info there. Did you try FAQs, please? Not sure if this is covered there, or not. The hospital specialist gave me hand splints to wear at night.
Doesn’t have its own entry in FAQs - but there are related posts -which I suggested.
There we go…thanks! I wasn’t awake when I wrote my comments…a morphine night makes me hazy…shouldn’t comment or post, really, just get it wrong when I do! Reading posts recently made me think that nobody was looking for previous posts on a subject, or using FAQs these days, lots of repetition of subjects!
Bit confused - how can you have steroid-induced carpal tunnel syndrome?
In my case I don't think it was the steroids. Painful and swollen hands were the beginning of inflammation in my body.
The question was to Pixix really - she said steroid-induced. But pred usually improves it as it is due to inflammation and swelling.
badly written, probably! I was told the onset of my carpal tunnel syndrome was due to me taking steroids for a prolonged period of time. Not sure how else to word it, tbh! I think you said once that carpal tunnel coukd be part of PMR, which is what I should have said, rather than blame the pred! The pred should help it, but in my case it didn’t!
sorry to hear that. Kindly see my previous post about this issue. Now on 2.5 and for the most part my hands fingers and wrist although not swollen at all have pain. According to my "team" of 4 Drs have agreed its caused by PMR. When it gets bad I'll take 5 mg for 1 day and the pain goes away. Good luck
Carpel tunnel and PMR
Swollen, painful hands ?carpal tunnel syndrome
PMR and carpal tunnel syndrome 
