Hi can anyone out there help, my son has started getting pains in his arms, and pins and needles in his fingers, in fact he says his fingers feel fat, this happens on a morning, and wears off. He doesn't know anything about my PMR, and haven't told him as I dont want to alarm him. He has quite a physical and stressful occupation, and his Dad has had 3 heart attacks. I have told him to go to his GP, whether he does or not I dont know, just hope he does. He is 43, It could be just stress, or a cardiac problem, but it just crossed my mind with the painful arms thing that it may be PMR. Your comments will be appreciated. Thanks
Hi gladioli ~
I'm curious when you said your son said his fingers feel fat, do you mean the knuckles or the entire finger? I'm still trying to put some pieces together so when I see the Rheumi soon, I'll have some issues to discuss with him. My shoulders ache all the time, my arms, wrists and my fingers (entire fingers) feel 'fat'. Moreso, swollen than fat.
If you don't mind, would you please let me know if any of these symptoms sound familiar to you?
Frustrated
Hi
Sorry but I wouldn't know, It was just a conversation in passing that I picked up on. I think he meant swollen, if that helps.
He would be wise to ask his GP to investigate his symptoms with some blood tests as it could be down to any number of conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory illnesses. On the other hand, it could simply be down to his "stressful and physical" job but he shouldn't ignore these symptoms, especially with his Dad's history. Not easy to get a 43-year-old son to listen to his Mum, I'm sure - but 'Mum knows best'!
Gladioli ~
Thank you, yes that does help.
MrsO
Thanks for that, and yes it is a bit of a worry, and no they dont listen to their Mum's, just wish they would.
No, the PMR we talk about here isn't "inherited" in the sense most people think about. It is an autoimmune disorder that is not "caught" but is probably triggered by a range of unknown factors - they could be chemical, environmental, stress seems to figure highly and so on. One component is that people who carry Scandinavian genes are more likely to develop PMR. So if you have Scandinavian ancestors - so does your son. If his father has Scandinavian forebears your son will have inherited some from him too. Whether that increases the likelihood of PMR I'm not sure.
It could be PMR - but it could be a whole range of other things. There is one arthritis that often presents with what they call "sausage fingers"! But as MrsO says - getting one's children to listen to mum is another matter! And it doesn't matter if it is boys or girls...
Thank you for your trusted input. I was diagnosed with RA 15 years ago and only 200 mg of Plaquenil controlled the disease for many years, until PMR symptoms appeared 1 year ago, but not diagnosed until lately. I realize that PMR stems from an autoimmune disorder, and I am of Scandinavian descent through my father. My son is 45 years old, and I am worried that he may carry the genes because he has had TMJ symptoms and one sided neck pain on and off lately. He also had to have surgery for a Dupuytren's contracture on his little finger which would not be connected to an autoimmune disorder necessarily but also inherited through Northern European genes, so he was told.
I would agree with gladioli to be worried about her son's symptoms of a possible connection with PMR later on in life.
You're right erika - but it could be one of a range of arthritis/rheumatism problems couldn't it and it does need looking at. But he's a bloke!
My husband has a Dupuytren contracture on his little finger - he realised a few weeks ago he couldn't get his hand in his pocket! Has he been to the doctor about it yet? Has he heck! And he's old enough to know better...
I would suspect repetitive stress injuries from his job. Look up repetitive stress injury symptoms on the web.
I would suspect repetitive stress injuries from his job. Look up repetitive stress injury symptoms on the web.
Possibly - but for 5 years I had similar symptoms that were put down to RSI. RSI doesn't usually respond to a moderate dose of pred - all my symptoms did. Any flares I have appear in a similar way and I no longer spend the hours typing that were said to be the cause of my symptoms then: aching wrists, pain flaring from elbow to wrist when I held anything, stiffness. You have to look at this thing rather broadly.
Yes, men are hesitant to consult a doctor, and I don't think that my son would be open to my suggestion to consult a doctor about the so far "small" problems which do go away. A Dupuytren contracture does not. I hear that some men live with it and do nothing.
Eileen, I am happy to tell you that I am feeling better and the pain in my lower back/girdle area is much less thanks to you recommendation to take the whole 25 mg of prednisone and slowly taper down. I am on 17 1/2 and doing okay. I will continure reducing with this amount for a week until l reach 15 mg and will stay with 15 mg for six weeks according to the treatment regimen you recommended.
My thanks to you,
Erika
I was told it often runs in families and my Mother had GCA and now I have PMR so perhaps?? For a couple of years I used to get numb tingly fingers when in bed sleeping. I just put it down to clenching my elbow too tightly or something. It went away when I shook my hand and readjusted position so I ignored it. Could be a precurser - my fingers never felt fat though.
Since it is most common among Norwegians, I think of it as my Viking disease, and think of all those Viking conquests of England and Scotland. The Normans were Vikings too. We live maybe 30 years longer than the Vikings did, so they never suffered from it. I also think of it as my tinman of Oz disease- my joints are all rusted up! I am American of British descent.
But maybe another possible source (other than genetics) is that it is another "cleanliness disease", since Northern Europeans have better sanitation than other groups. This is the "hygiene hypothesis". This line of thought is that we co-evolved with hookworms and whipworms which have the ability to "tamper down" autoimmune diseases like asthma, chron's disease, multiple sclerosis and perhaps rheumatism. I just read an account of a crohn's who had a complete cure. Jasper Laurence says his terrible asthma was cured. This has appeal to me because one wouldn't gain weight as on prednisone , but it also causes anemia and I am somewhat anemic already.
should have added to my helminth therapy discussion is that Crohns and asthma patients have had a complete cure with a dose of hookworm! Sort of makes you swallow doesn't it. Has this been discussed before in this group?
I saw that program where the scientist ginea pig went to Africa to eat the dung of an animal with the hopes of infecting himself with hookworm and it worked. He also said since then he has been much healthier and his co scientists now have a competition going where they test for hookworm to see who has the most in their system, and yes many of the celiac diseases were cured. It makes me cringe a bit however I think you're right we have disinfected ourselves into health problems. Think I'll go and eat dirt or worms... Bye
I grew up on a farm with no inside toilet, just one backing onto the pig sty. I honestly don't think that my childhood was that clean!
We were evacuated from London to Wales during the war and on return were quickly rehoused with other families in a three-storey house (without a front door at first!) It did have an indoor toilet but it was shared with the other families. I used to play on a bomb site opposite our house, when Mum wasn't looking and I could get away with it. Was caught once and punished (it didn't work!). "Dirt and worms" must have been in abundance.
Privy holes count as modern sanitation because apparently hookwork larvae can only travel 4 feet before they die, so if the hole is 6 feet or more, you won't get hookworm. I don't know if hookworms were ever a problem in cold countries, but they are still a huge problem in warm climates. Good outhouses wiped out hook worm in the southern US in the early part of the 20th century- before that southerners and blacks especially were thought to be very lazy and mentally retarded. Actually they just had a very high rate of hookworm infection, as people still do in Africa, India, SE Asia and South America. In the US there was a big campaign to build privy holes and have children and everyone wear shoes. It worked.
I remember an Indian telling me once that there is no arthritis in India- that must be why!! I just looked up Rheumatoid Arthritis incidence and prevalence, and, sure enough, the lowest rates are in Asian countries. My guess was a good one. So there is good and bad to hookworms- a low dose is apparently alright but a heavy dose is not. Interesting, isn't it. However, the more I read, the less inclined I am to try it. I just hope they can find out how hookworms tamper down the immune system.