| Lost password
695 users onlineYou are not loggend in.  Login
Radiotherapy for DD - about 10 years later
 1
 1
02/02/2021 06:20
stephenp 
02/02/2021 06:20
stephenp 
Radiotherapy for DD - about 10 years later

I had slowly progressing DD in both hands for about 20 years and 10 years ago the symptoms progressed rapidly in both hands. The right was worse than the left. The symptoms were numbness, itchiness, tightness, pain when stretching my hand and cords and nodules. There was no contraction.

After some research I decided on RT, I found a radiologist who was willing. I had both hands treated in the classic treatment The treatment for each hand was about 6 months apart as the disease progression in each hand was different.

The symptoms stopped almost immediately after treatment. There was no regression of the cords and nodules

10 years on there has been no serious progression. I seem now to feel a little more tightness and some numbness in some fingers at some times but no worsening of chords or nodules. They are still the same. There is occasional itchiness but it is transient.

I have recently developed Reynaud's syndrome (self diagnosis) in both hands which also causes numbness.

The only side effect was some skin dryness, a small patch persists in the palm of one hand, easily treated by using some of my wife's moisturiser

Given my 2 brothers and sister and my father all had/have DD and it progressed to serious contractions in my father and one brother, 10 years on this is an outstanding outcome for me.

Recently I visited the radiologist for something else and he was very impressed to see my hands, so impressed that he invited 2 colleagues to show them.

I highly recommend RT for people with active disease and no contractions. For most the risks are low.

 1
 1
moisturiser   occasional   impressed   itchiness   symptoms   contractions   contraction   radiologist   progressed   progressing   outstanding   treatment   tightness   Radiotherapy   immediately   regression   stretching   numbness   progression   colleagues