Very numb hands?

I’d be interested to hear others answer to this. I’m 4 months in to PMR and just starting to taper. I too have numb fingers/hands.

After I was diagnosed with PMR, I had wrist and extremely nerve pain in my middle and ring finger especialy during the night. It woke me up every two hours and had to get out of bed, walk around (not sitting down) until I could go back to sleep. I told my rheumatologist about it but she said it wasn't a symptom of PMR?? I know now it IS a symptom, believe me! My doctor first thought I had carpal tunnel syndrome but I new it was something different. I am on 4 mg of prednisolone and my left wrist is hurting again. This is how my PMR started, so I hope not all of my symptoms will come back...

I had numbness and tingling in my hands during my prednisone tapering and still have it occasionally. Prednisone can mask other issues we have and then come back all at once when we taper. I probably had it occasionally before prednisone but never paid attention to it because I'm a side sleeper. It's worth mentioning to your doctor.

Prednisone can partially treat symptoms of nerve entrapment and other forms of arthritis and systemic inflammation. I developed psoriatic arthritis that evolved after typical PMR. Inflammatory markers do
not tell the story of innate immunity and other diseases.
Carpal tunnel is a very early sign of neuropathy and is related to various disorders and chronic inflammation.
I relate my bilateral carpal tunnel surgeries to PsA.
Get an EMG study for definitive diagnosis.

Before my diagnosis of PMR my right outer arm was so sore the pain interred with my sleep. Then the ends of my fingers( not the pinky)went permanently numb but arm pain resolved. I then got stiffer in other parts of my body and PMR was diagnosed. Prednisone resolved all my pain. But finger tips remained numb. Neurologist thought carpal tunnel and I started using splints at night. Numbness improved with splints. But as I started to taper tingling and stiffness in hands has worsened with each taper. Stiffness improves as day goes on. So I think the prednisone was reducing the inflammation which was helping the hands. But GP says PMR does not affect the hands. So I guess it’s back to the neurologist. I don’t have a rheumatologist but I think I should.

Carpal tunnel is what led to my diagnosis of PMR. When my Surgeon did Carpal Tunnel surgery on one wrist he found and removed much inflamed tissue. The other arm/wrist was getting as bad then worse while I was in therapy for first. Surgery was done and the inflammation was worse than the first. This has been at least two years ago. That extremely painful time with hands/wrists/arms is gone. At that time, I could not lie in bed but mostly slept sitting up in a recliner with my hand/arm downward and wearing a glove. The Surgeon referred me to a Pain management doctor who had me on Prednisone and also had me schedule an appointment with a Rheumatologist….appointment was for four months out. I remained with pain Management doctor and on Prednisone til the appointment. Rheumatologist had me off Prednisone in two months and diagnosed PMR thru blood tests etc
I have been on that journey for the last 6 months. Different injections - one I had an allergic reaction to - two others could not get and now another which I inject every two weeks (have had 3) seem like regressing tho. Appointment coming up - just had another blood tests etc.
Would advise to follow up on the Carpal Tunnel-will only get worse. I did begin with a shot in wrist and X-rays and a MRI before Surgery.
Take care.

I was diagnosed with PMR in January 2024 and started on prednisone. Six months later I developed numbness and cramping in my hands, and my rheumatologist changed my diagnosis to late-onset seronegative RA. I started on methotrexate and eventually added hydroxychloroquine, and my hands improved. Unfortunately it took another year and a half to get off the prednisone. Numbness in hands is an early symptom of RA.

@abd Thank you so much for your reply. Will definitely follow up on the carpal tunnel. I also had to sleep in a chair because of the arm and hand pain.

@prestol
I appreciate this so much. My maternal grandmother had RA.
My brother has had 2 bouts of PMR.
I will follow up with the neurologist and also ask for a referral to a rheumatologist .

@eltje I think it is really important to work with a rheumatologist. There is a lot of overlap between different autoimmune diseases and diagnosis can be difficult. I wish you best of luck in finding a good one.