New Pain.

[yogabonnie]

So now I have some weird things happening. I am at .5mg. of prednisone after 5+ years and have no PMR pain in neck and shoulder or biceps where my pain always was.....but now in the night around 4 am. wake up with shooting pain in forearm into palm of hand and fingers completely still and painful. I have it a little in the other hand but mostly and painfully like fire inside of left forearm and hand. Anyone experience anything like this.? Thanks my friends.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Which fingers does it affect?

[yogabonnie in reply to PMRpro]

I think mostly the middle finger and ring finger... I also have trouble closing my hand..but I have ostearthritis I know and always have trouble making a fist. but nothing before like this.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to yogabonnie]

Could the ulnar nerve be getting rapped in the shoulder they way you are lying?

[Avadip12]

this is the problem when you have been treated for PMR with steroids or reducing them ,or are off them , it becomes so confusing when pains turn up again to identify what’s going on. Is it a flair up ? is it osteoarthritis? If your not on steroids try some NSAID .IF that doesn’t settles your pain then it’s back to the process of diagnosis. Blood tests to see if PMR if back , but sometimes in my experience if your bloods are negative, and in arthritis cases ,,your rays are clear. Not even the rheumatologist knows the answer. Good luck

[yogabonnie in reply to Avadip12]

thanks for this!

[SnazzyD]

Could be your neck as well as the shoulder. How elderly is your pillow?

[yogabonnie in reply to SnazzyD]

pillow fairly new I love it but will change for a while!

[Pugchick]

It does sound more like nerve pain than arthritis or PMR. Does it go to your little/ring fingers, or to the thumb side of your hand?

[yogabonnie in reply to Pugchick]

down the middle

[Pugchick in reply to yogabonnie]

In that case, not typical of either ulnar or median nerve compression. You could try wearing a wrist brace (Futuro splint type) and see if it helps.

[yogabonnie in reply to Pugchick]

good idea. my whole hand seems to hurt..but it is the middle of the night so I never thought exactly where. I read maybe I should splint my elbow gently with a towel and see if keeping it straight helps! lots of good ideas. I will be all decked out when I get in bed. pillows... splints.. someone told me to tape my mouth to keep from getting dry mouth and cavities!!

[HeronNS in reply to yogabonnie]

My sleeping arrangement is now a collection of pillows, in some cases supplemented by towels, and a hot water bottle (with tepid water) to support the small of my back. I sleep quite comfortably now, but sometimes in the morning when I wake up I get excruciating leg and/or foot cramps, alleviated by vigorously massaging the spasmed muscles. Never google this symptom. You'll think you're reading a death sentence!

[tempusfugi in reply to yogabonnie]

Love that advice about your mouth, yogabonnie. I might take it up myself!🤣

[yogabonnie]

ok! I will take your advice on that!! haha.

[Only45]

When I first had high inflammation in my blood I was having random pains in the inside of my hands and my heels aswell as the other symptoms on my way to hospital my lips were tingling and my fingertips looked like I had been in the bath to long.

[lascala32]

I had a similar experience at .5 and 4 years in. Turns out I now have RA. Had MRI and Ct to confirm. All the best.

[yogabonnie in reply to lascala32]

That is what I am worried about. what kind of treatment do you have now.? thanks Hope it yours is not too debilitating and you are doing ok. I will go to the doc soon.

[lascala32 in reply to yogabonnie]

My Rhumey added 20mg methotrexate once a week, 10 folic acid once a week and 5 mg pred. This has been the last 4 months. I am seeing him early Feb and will hopefully start to decrease pred and see what happens. The shooting pains come and go but take my breath away when it hits. I'll keep you posted. Be well.

[AliDeJ]

Sounds like carpel tunnel syndrome. If it is, you would do well to wear a hand splint at night to prevent the nerves being compressed by you bending your wrist when you sleep.

[yogabonnie]

thanks. I will. I think I overdid it shoveling the mountains of snow that fell here. that is what I am hoping for at least! I will give this a couple weeks and then see what comes of it.

[Joan-E-D]

I also wondered if it was carpel tunnel syndrome. I was diagnosed with it soon after coming off Pred. approx. 3 years ago, when my PMR went into remission. I also find that it gets worse when my neck and shoulders are in certain positions and I can ease it by changing the position of my neck. I've decided, with the advice of the specialist, not to have the operation on my wrist as my neck is involved and the nerve going down my arm sometimes gets trapped. A bit like sciatica but in the shoulder, arm and hand.

[yogabonnie]

UPDATE to this... IT was shoveling snow!! had RA test..negative. And massaged and took tylenol and using Voltaren.. which is topical ibuprofen.. and all of that plus TIME helped. thanks everyone. ON to the next adventure! my cold showers!