Are painful swollen hands and fingers a PMR flare?

I lost my grip when I was at my worst. Hands were so sore.

Swollen and painful bilaterally is not typical in carpal tunnel. I had PMR remit and 6 months later the swollen painful hands. First rheumatologist said just osteoarthritis. She was not convinced with my history
of psoriasis and tendinitis that I had psoriatic arthritis.
University rheumatologist made the diagnosis.
Agree 3 mg is very low and not a real therapeutic trial.
Were all your inflammation and autoimmune studies
redone. ?EMGs would be necessary to diagnose carpal
tunnel. In addition I had bilateral carpal tunnel related toPsA.
Look for any other underlying diseases and possibly
a second opinion.

I think one significant indicator that it could be PMR is that it’s bilateral. I actually think that swollen hands and pain in my fingers was a predictor to my PMR….hands were impacted before my shoulders and hips. I now gauge my PMR by whether I can get some of my rings on and off.

My pain began in my hips and after time migrated to my shoulders also. I NEVER had pain in my hands nor my wrists. One NP diagnosed me with RA! Did not believe that with no finger nor wrist involvement. When I got to my current doctor, he diagnosed PMR. On 3.5-4 mgs per day to control the inflammation and pain. Going on two years now and no remission in sight. Praying for that!
Any minor illness causes a flair and I now have afib. Caused by MPR or pred?? Who knows.
Hope this helps.

My PMR first manifested in my hands and wrists in early January. I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel. I couldn’t make a fist. Within a week it was full blown PMR. I still feel the PMR just under the surface of fingers and hands but so far that’s all. Titrating down slowly on prednisone from 15 mg to 7.5 mg. Up to 20 mg of methotrexate once a week. So far so good. I was told to consider Kevzara but do not want to stay on it for years! I have found adherence to a very strict diet has helped, especially with my prednisone induced diabetes! Strict diet has gotten me off insulin.

3 months ago that happened to me too …got trigger finger for middle finger on both hands and then it spread everywhere to my knees hips and neck …I’ve had PMR for 3.5 yrs …I’m on 1 mg of prednisone now and Actemra but I think will have to increase the P to 5 mg as everything swollen and hard to walk or do anything atm …DR took X-rays and said I had osteo arthritis everywhere to but mildly …don’t know what set it all off …am now getting pins and needles in back of my knees and shoulder blades …always something new to feel 😵‍💫..cold swims followed by hot tub really helps with the pain though .

From what i can see on other forums besides this one, bilateral hand symptoms are very common, debilitating and confusing for treating Doctors. There doesnt seem to be much research on the subject. I had no hand issues before PMR, it came on sudddenly a month after starting Prednisone, very severe pain at 1 am as my morning dose of Prednisone wore off. Hand xrays showed nothing..9 months later the stiffness and pain persists but is tolerable. It doesnt respond as well to the Pred as the hips and shoulders, i put this down to the fact that we have more pain receptors in the hands than anywhere else in the body.

I had one particular episode of left hand pain 6 months into pmr. Unbearable pain, had xrays, bloodwork, PCP personally called me the day after bloodwork and said get to the ER because my WBC count was really elevated, thought I had an infection, CRP was high. They could not pinpoint any infection, reason for pain or blood abnormalities. ER Dr decided it was 'rheumatic', gave me a 60mg medrol IV. Pain was gone in a day or two but sent me to a hematologist for the abnormal blood count. Everything went back to normal, no real explanation but I remember crying in the PCP office, my hand hurt that bad. Hand xrays showed some arthritic degeneration and possible cppd but nothing major. That was July 2019. July 2023 both my hands swelled, hurt, CRP was elevated. The rheum increased my prednisone and my hands improved. Xrays showed more advanced OA and cppd arthropathy. I have intermittent hand pain now but nothing like the pain in 2019.
The rheum is exploring the possibility of a spondyloarthropathy. I have more than just pmr.

I have tried OTC CBD cream on my hands and wrists with some good effect. Good luck.

I began having tingling in right hand in March. I still have that and since March that has progressed to sharp shooting pain in my fingers, it goes up into my forearm up into my elbow. I am unable to make a fist because of stiffness and pain which gets better in the afternoon, but then returns in the evening. nighttime has been horrible with pain in my hand and arm. I have not only had sharp pain on different areas of my hand. I have had burning pain in my hand that feels like it’s on fire at night when I’m trying to sleep. I was diagnosed with PMR a number of years ago. I was on prednisone and I went into remission, but I feel like I am back with full-blown PMR and will be seeing the rheumatologist I saw then this coming week. I have a little bit of this in my left hand, but not at all like my right hand. I have OA which runs in the maternal side of my family and I’ve had since it since my early twenties. I’ve had neuropathy in my feet which has gone away for the most part.
I’m wondering how anyone’s rheumatologist distinguished PMR in hands as opposed to carpal tunnel. Before the hand issues, I was having what I thought was a PM flare with aching arms and hips.. I have an appointment with a hand doc for what looks like Dupuytren’s Contracture which runs in my family on paternal side. As it happens that appt is day before appointment with Rheumatologist. Has anyone had this type of symptom/diagnosis issue? Thank you.