In the last couple of weeks, I have been getting pins & needles / numbness in my forearms & both thumbs overnight when asleep.
It does not matter how I position myself, it keeps happening.
It takes a while to shake it out.
Is this a symptom of PMR?
🤔
It could well be your neck, amongst other things, and not your PMR at all. If it is your neck it could be muscular or more to do with the vertebrae/disks. Therefore, I’d get it looked at to hopefully set in motion appropriate examination and investigations.
The most likely cause is some degree of nerve entrapment - which could be at the wrist, in the carpal tunnel, shoulder or neck. Since you mention both your forearms I'd suspect higher up the arm. You need a proper physical examination to work that out.
webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/arm...
Thanks.
I have been doing some research since I posted & a number of sites on line report this can be a symptom of PMR,
Tingling & numbness is hands etc
It can be when carpal tunnel syndrome is part of YOUR PMR. I put your in capitals because everyone's PMR is a bit different, Not everyone gets it - and it can happen WITHOUT it being PMR. It would be very unusual for it to be the only symptom of PMR - there would almost certainly be other signs and symptoms.
Thanks, I have the full range of everything else to do with PMR & Pred....so I guess why wouldn't this join the party as well😩
I'm currently on 10mg of Pred having reduced from 12.5mg a few weeks ago due to a flare. PV now back in range & no pain / inflammation...but blasted extreme fatigue & cognitive issues still present in waves.
I will however have a chat with my GP about the pins & needles.
Thanks again
In that case - could well be related to the PMR but it doesn't have to be. Bcol had a similar experience with carpal tunnel as he reduced - maybe he will comment.
Someone developed carpal tunnel symptoms and treated it like a flare - took more pred for a week or two, it went away and didn't come back despite reducing the dose again. Now that MIGHT have been Bcol but I can't remember!
Some people find the wrist supports help but my feeling was this may not be being caused that close to the hand since you have symptoms in your forearm but this article says the numbness and tingling can move up the forearm so very possibly that is it
There are related posts now you have asked question, but could be a number of things… needs physical examination as suggested.
I think maybe you should get it checked. Pins and needles can, as the guys here,say be a number of things. It may be related to something else entirely. I had issues with pins and needles and I was not happy to take medication doled out by my rheumy i felt i needed to try find out the reason. It turned out there was a reason for what i was experiencing related to my neck. Sometimes over the pmr/pred years i have experienced pins and needles and it would come and go. This may well be what you are experiencing but maybe a chat with your doctor would help. Let us know how you get on. They are VERY annoying to say the least!!
I think one of the things we learn with our problems is that you can't say "it can't be that". It doesn't sound like my CTS, but who knows. Pins and needles for me in wrists, palms and all fingers. Total lack of feeling in finger tips often accompanied by pain like someone is passing 50,000volts through your hands. When I first got real problems was when I had tapered to 5. 0mg. This was during lockdown so no chance or wish to have operation then. Doc and I agreed we'd try going back to 10mg and see if it helped the problem. It cured the problem until I got back to around 2.0mg -3.0mg and then it returned. Waiting for surgery on both wrists/hands. Wrist supports do help, particularly at night time and often wearing mine during the day at the moment.
It could be a simple form of neuropathy , even nerve pain caused by nutrient deficiency.You could get your Vitamin B 12, Folate , Ferritin. Iron, Vitamin D tested if the are insufficient they can cause pins and needles at night in fingers and feet. Look at your results don't just rely on the GP saying they are normal because if they are low or borderline it will cause symptoms in some people.
A B complex supplement can help with many side effects because steroids cause us to become depleted in B Vitamins, especially if you also take PPIs , Statins or Antacids.
Depending on which other medications you use or if you have low blood pressure or heart rate which would mean you shouldn't take Magnesium , you could try a night time dose of Magnesium Glycinate.
It is helpful for peripheral neuropathy and restless leg syndrome.
It can take a month for big improvement if you require supplements.
Use a fragrance free magnesium lotion or cream on hands and feet at night if you can't take oral magnesium.
Isometric hand exercises each day also helps reduce pins and needles and nerve pain. But if you do a lot of work with your hands you may actually need to rest your hands more.
If things like this don't help ask for your GP to send you for nerve conductivity tests and to check for Carpal Tunnel. As Pro says it could also be nerve entrapment at the shoulder or neck so doing some gentle neck movement and stretches each day may also help.
If it's nerve pain steroids won't help it. Drinking more water , getting your mineral salt balance right, treatment for the cause of nerve relaxant medication at night is more beneficial.
This does mention pins & needles and CTS as being symptoms of PMR-
orthop.washington.edu/patie...
This is an excellent article, very useful, thank you!
can be but can also be sugar related. Whenever my wife and I over indulge in the candy jar our arthritis flares up and it feels someone is pushing pins and needles through our thumb joints. If we are really bad it’s a knife size pain. Try walking past the candy jar for several days and see what happens. You might be surprised . Best of luck.
Many thanks. Much appreciated 🙏
so glad you have brought this subject up of pins & needles! I also have them, mainly in my right hand & fingers , occasionally in my left. Also my right arm has a heavy aching feeling sometimes. P & N are almost constant in the right hand. So after my doc gave me some tests, she sent me to the physio who gave me exercises. Basically they were quite simple ones to me (as I regularly practice yoga) nether the less I did the exercises for 4 weeks untill my next appointment. They made no difference. So the doctor is now arranging for an MRI on my neck.
Since I first saw the doc regarding the P & N , I actually also get them in my feet now, plus the feet quite often go completely numb . This leaves me feeling quite puzzled?
So sorry you have this as well.
A friend of mine has an autoimmume disease as well ( not PMR) and I asked if they also get P&N of a night time?
The reply was 'yes'....also I was asked..." do you get them in your feet?"
I don't but my friend said " Oh dear....prepare for that one as well"..😩😩😩😩
I do have impingement in both shoulders, scans in 2023 showed this, but it's only in last few weeks this symptom has showed itself.
I have started to take a B12 vitamin to see if it makes any difference. I understand it can help.
It does sound more like a neuropathy problem. Pred can occassionally cause it - what other medications are you on?
I was taking statins but I stopped them in August after reading about the problems they can bring on, I even saw it mention polymyalgia 🤷♀️
The only other medication is amitriptyline
Amitriptyline is often used in neuropathy - I think you should discuss a potential worsening with your doctor
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