Ganglion Cyst

[TheKyle]

I have what I have been told is a Ganglion Cyst on my arm just above my wrist.  It showed up about a week ago, immediately after I spent a few hours trimming my bushes and trees.  It is a slightly swollen area of my arm, about 2 inches across, and had been painful whenever I used my hand and fingers.

Today the pain has mostly gone away, but has been replaced by a grinding feeling whenever I move my fingers.  It kind of feels like a piece of rubber being dragged across a dry surface.  If I put my ear up to my wrist, I can actually hear a rubbing sound.

Is this normal?  Is there something I can do to help the healing process?  Should I be more concerned about this?

Thanks!

[Michael L Gross, MD]

Two inches may be a little large for a ganglion cyst.  From the rest of your description, this sounds like myositis of the muscles of the forearm.  This is an overuse injury that I frequently see in tennis players after an extended vigorous workout.
The best treatment is rest, often with a forearm or wrist support, ice, and NSAID's.  If the symptoms persist. Physical therapy is often employed.

[TheKyle]

Thanks for the great answer.  

Just a follow up question...  I had a horrible allergic reaction to something a few weeks ago, and the doctor has me on several different drugs.  I'm just wondering if any of these could be problematic with the myositis issue.

The drugs I'm currently taking are:
Xyzol
Fexofenadine
Prednisone
Singulair
Pepcid AC

I'm not taking Prednisone as of 2 days ago, although the doctor said that I should keep it around in case of a bad flare-up (which happened this morning).

I started taking Advil this morning.

Should I be concerned about any of those drugs?

Thanks!