Pain in hands

[Steal]

Why am I getting pain, numbness and loss of fine muscle power in my hands? Am on pred 6mg for PMRGCA along with leflunomide theical D and lansaprazole, and 50mg atenolol for AFib along with edoxoban. I had tried Angitil for a few weeks before being changed to atenolol. That made me feel dreadful but it was after that that I got this hand thing. Any ideas or similar experience?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Now you have written this question you will find lots of related posts -hand pain is often discussed on here -very often part of PMR itself -carpel tunnel syndrome and PMR are very close bedfellows.

[Snowmo in reply to DorsetLady]

I have a very sore wrist with swelling that has exacerbated my preexisting carpel tunnel symptoms. An MRI showed sinovitis and a slight tear. My rheumatologist believes this indicates I do not have PMR (despite all the other classic symptoms - shoulders, hips etc) and woukld like to get me off prednisone and onto Leflunomide. Where would I find other posts about The link between PMR and carpel tunnel?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Snowmo]

Depending what device you are on, related posts are either on the right hand side of your screen. (On this page) -or just scroll down through the current posts you can see -and you’ll find them there.

PS -this post from Bcol written a couple of years ago might give a bit more info -

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Snowmo]

Um - synovitis is a part of PMR

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/118...

Is he suggesting it is RA rather than PMR?

[Snowmo in reply to PMRpro]

My rhuemy believes it must be some form of inflammatory arthritis, has not specified. From the beginning she did not believe it could be PMR because of my age - 59 and the fact that my inflammation levels showed normal. (I was referred to her 2 months after my PCP put me on prednisone) Her strategy was to reduce my prednisone dose as quickly as possible and see what happens. I started 20mg in August and by Dec at 6mg my wrist started to hurt. I went back up to 10 and the wrist pain went away. At 2mg it came back and now at 1 mg it’s very sore. I think I have been too aggressive with my tapering schedule and my body is saying “whoa”. I have the familiar shoulder and hip pain again as well. I think I should increase to 3 or 5 mg but I know my rhuemy will not approve. I’m really struggling with fighting with my doc and listening to my body.

[Snowmo in reply to Snowmo]

thank you for sharing this article 😀

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Snowmo]

Very unladylike language at the tips of my fingers!!! Patients get PMR when they are UNDER 50 59 is a perfectly reasonable age for PMR. The AVERAGE age at DIAGNOSIS is 72 - averages mean there are lots older, lots younger, and since I and many others, had had symptoms for a long time (in my case 5 years) before diagnosis, the figures are pretty skewed I am sure. Up to 20% of PMR patients have markers that remain in "normal range" - that doesn't mean they aren't raised for you, mine trundled along at 16-18 during a flare when I could barely move, normal by her standards, but very raised for me, MY normal is low single figures. "Normal range" is the range of readings found in 95% of a large population (usually 10,000 plus) of apparently healthy people - not the range of readings found in a single person, And 5% of the population by definition are outside that range.

[Snowmo in reply to PMRpro]

thank you!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Do mention it to your rheumy - leflunomide can affect sensation and motor skills.

[Body_bonkers]

I have problems with both hands which affect dexterity. Xray of left one showed some degeneration to middle finger and awaiting nerve testing for the right. Fingers on left hand had swollen and were curled up in the morning which took about an hour to unfurl due to pain and stiffness but also had weakened grip and could not make a tight closed fist. Aside some residual swelling, the left hand is almost 'normal' now having been on high dose of steroids last two months. The right hand has not improved however with loss of feeling in first three fingers and permanent stinging sensation to top of thumb - suspect this is more related to PMR

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Body_bonkers]

Sure it isn't Duputryens?

[Body_bonkers in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro - not heard of this condition but it doesn't look similar to my issue

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Body_bonkers]

Just it can start like that

[Body_bonkers in reply to PMRpro]

Hopefully not !

[Janbay46]

I had a flare which began with swollen hands, later swollen feet. They didn't hurt much, but the hands were fairly useless, especially in the morning when I got up. I was on 8 mg Pred when it began, on doctor's advice upped the dose to 20 and the swelling went down after three or four days.

[Pixix]

My experience is similar & is carpal tunnel syndrome, but doesn’t mean that’s what you have! I wear splints at night & haven’t needed the surgery.

[PMR_sufferer1]

Hi - your pred nerds to be 15mg at first I haf the same issue and within 4 days all my pain had.gone. Now tapering by 2.5 a month with montly blood tests.