I have 'active' DD in one hand, active based on recent nodule growth, soreness, aching, and so on. On my other hand it is less clear, some indications of hardness below the skin and a hand therapist was of the opinion I had DD in that hand too.

I went to see Prof S in Hamburg who examined both hands. He confirmed DD in both hands but only treated the one where I described indications of it being active at that moment.

MacD, I think it's different for everyone and there are no rules about how this disease progresses, or in many cases doesn't. For example you quote hot, itchy tingling, but I've never had that. I've also heard people talk about hot hands and feet that keep them awake, but again I've not experienced that. I've had soreness to touch, aching, sharp pain and 'tightness', with physical changes as nodules and cords develop. I've had the soreness for nearly 18 months and hope it will go having completed two rounds of radiation. But the aching and pains have stopped.

I just wonder if you have some form of neuropathic pain such as fibromyalgia - who diagnosed your condition? Do pain killers help?

Mac D,

My symptoms were similar to spanishbuddha. I had a sore spot in my palm that quickly became a nodule. I had an aching, tingling, a feeling of someting crawling around in my palm, and pain that radiated from my hand to my shoulder. My hand felt cold, and a cord rapidly began to develop. I was miserable. Nothing stopped the pain until RT. Pain killers did not work. Heat (as in Bengay) did help it. I also got a heated mzttress pad that helped me be able to sleep.

My doctor treated me with RT on the diagnosis from a hand surgeon. The hand surgeon took one look, never touched my hand and diagnosed it as DD. He recommended that I wait for the hand to contract and then consider surgery. I had RT about 3 months after the diagnosis. I felt that since my DD appeared to be aggressive, it developed from a sore spot to a cord in less than 6 months. I could not afford to see if it would stop on it's own. I felt tht the window of time to have RT was at that time, and that if I waited 6 more months I would have had contraction and I wanted to stop the progression before that happened.

Lori

lori:

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Mac D,

My symptoms were similar to spanishbuddha. I had a sore spot in my palm that quickly became a nodule. I had an aching, tingling, a feeling of someting crawling around in my palm, and pain that radiated from my hand to my shoulder. My hand felt cold, and a cord rapidly began to develop. I was miserable. Nothing stopped the pain until RT. Pain killers did not work. Heat (as in Bengay) did help it. I also got a heated mzttress pad that helped me be able to sleep.

My doctor treated me with RT on the diagnosis from a hand surgeon. The hand surgeon took one look, never touched my hand and diagnosed it as DD. He recommended that I wait for the hand to contract and then consider surgery. I had RT about 3 months after the diagnosis. I felt that since my DD appeared to be aggressive, it developed from a sore spot to a cord in less than 6 months. I could not afford to see if it would stop on it's own. I felt tht the window of time to have RT was at that time, and that if I waited 6 more months I would have had contraction and I wanted to stop the progression before that happened.

Lori