Newly diagnosed, injection yesterday
Hello, I have found this website and forum via information given to me by my GP. Thankfully. I had a steroid injection yesterday am and was feeling the benefit last night and earlier today. I was starting to worry that the injection was not going to work as a few hours ago I started feeling tingling again. I can see from the forum and site that it is quite common for the effect of the injection not to be immediate. I was beginning to think it was not going to work! I am hopeful that a good nights sleep with a splint will help the injection to do it's magic, as I'm working tomorrow.
Hello and thank you for replying Dr. Bland.
1 week post injection. I have been wearing a splint most of the time. The symptoms are a lot better, especially at night and first thing in the morning. With forethought and planning I am modifying my everyday activities to minimise strain on my wrist, the splint certainly adds support and stability to the wrist joint. For how many weeks should I wear the splint ?
So far so good!
After injection I would carry on with splinting at night until the symptoms have settled and then stash the splint in the bedside table for when the problem comes back. JB
Hello Dr Bland
I can feel the pins and needles/tingling returning and some local on/off sharpish rather than constant pains. Not painful enough to make me think about using ibuprofen gel. I found myself unconsciously flicking my hand last week! I didn't realise I had been doing it!!! ( the flicking does not help anyhow) I still wear the splint all night and for long periods during the day when I feel I need it to keep my wrist straight and supported. My score on your severity questionnaire is 3. I was thinking about waiting another week or two before booking an appointment to see my GP, what do you recommend?
A quick question, I cycle to work, wearing the splint. Is this contributing to the symptoms returning? The journey is about 15 - 20 minutes each way and hilly, involving gripping, braking and gear changing.
Regards Lyn
Lots of people find that cycling aggravates the symptoms I'm afraid. It sounds as though you have only a partial response to injection. One might consider trying again, especially if they used a low dose the first time around, but you may well be heading in the direction of surgery. Some nerve conduction studies would be useful of course. JB
Thank you again Dr. Bland, The suggestion came from several people that the cycling may be aggravating the problem. I was hoping that it was a coincidence! I'm feeling surgery is on the horizon and if it means a return to a comfortable active life, all the better. I'll book to see my GP ASAP. Regards, Lyn
The majority of cases seem to see a significant effect within 48 hours but a few improve after a few weeks. The amount of relief - ie how far back towards a completely normal hand you get - is variable and, on average, not as great as with surgery - but some patients do end up without any symptoms at all after injection so there are some lucky ones. Let us know how you get on please as every patient report I get back, even from people who are not my own patients, is still useful information. JB