Trigger finger

[Mags126]

Has anyone suffered with or have knowledge/experience

of trigger finger?

[Philip]

Not me, I have only heard the name but know not what it is.

You'll soon get the answers I'm sure, then I'll come back and read it.

Philip

[Amg0407]

Hi mags126

I have suffered from this in the past it is most annoying that your finger clicks or jumps in and out and can cause it to be painful. I got a steroid injection in my thumb to stop it which I must say it did but for me it only last for 4 months and it came back.

The physio explained as a nodule is jumping in and out of its channel and can be fixed by a simple injection.

If you are suffering from a trigger finger you will either need to bring this up with your GP or if attending physio they should be able to help.

Good Luck and hope you get rid of this, as can be most annoying and when explaining this to anyone you kind of get this blank look on there face !!!!!!!

[Mags126 in reply to Amg0407]

Thank you, this has affected my little fingers in the past couple of weeks and is getting more frequent. I have just commenced Cimzia injections so maybe this will help?? If not I will see my GP. Thanks again for your reply.

Mags x

[Hidden]

A friend of mine had hers operated on x

[Shell1967]

Hi yes i had this a lot last year with two fingers, while waiting diagnosis etc,but as soon as the inflammation settled down after I started mtx it went away,I haven't suffered since and its been a year now.hope this reassures you Michelle xxx

[Moifoi]

I had it in both thumbs at different times, a few years ago and long before RA was diagnosed. It was quite debilitating and painful. Both times an injection of steroid into the joint 'cured' it within days and it has never returned.

Last year i had trochanteric bursitis and couldn't weight bear, that was also 'cured' by a steroid injection into the joint within a few days, unfortunately that came back a few months ago and seems to have been overlooked in the diagnosis of RA. I wonder now if these are related to the RA. X

[Sophie123]

Hi

I had it in a finger a few months ago. A fantastic OT made a splint molded to my hand / finger shape out of a molded plstic and held in place by velcro. I had swelling and nodules in the back of the finger and hand. This I wore for 6 weeks along with excersises of physically moving the finger out straight without letting it lock into a stuck position and back again. i also had ultra sound physio twice a week for that period. The swelling has gone down considerably thankfully so the next step suggested of steriod injections into the joints are not needed at the moment.

Perhaps if you have a rheumy helpline and access to physio and OT support this may be an option for you to try.

Good luck.

x

[Kathyfitz12]

Trigger finger was my first sign of RA. Thankfully I had a Private consultation with a Professor of Rheumatology - now about 12 years on I am very well settled on Mtx and no more trigger finger and because of a swift diagnosis no splints or surgery were needed. But you do need to be firm about getting a really good referral quickly. Hope this helps, Kathy

[Tillytop]

Hi Mags

I have had this in multiple fingers in the past - and I thought it was a "permanent feature" of my RA hand damage. But when my RA got properly under control (with biologics) the problem sorted itself out so I guess the nodules on the tendons disappeared at that point. This was a good number of years ago now and, although I have significant joint erosion in my hands, I have not had trigger fingers since. Hopefully the Cimzia will do the trick for you as the Infliximab did for me.

Tillyx

[Pepe]

Hi everyone,

I've had RA for four years now, tried Sulphasalazine and Metortrexate. Neither one controlled my Ra effectively, so now I have just started self medicating with Humira and I have to say after just one injection I feel so much better. My hands and feet were the worst, and since my initial injection of Humira I have no swelling in either. I am still taking MTX with the Humira at the moment, but can recommend it.

As far as the trigger finger, I also have that. My Rhummy gave me a steroid injection for it, but two weeks later I snapped a tendon in my hand, and have since had to undergo surgery for a tendon graft. So I would be sure to ask the question before having a steroid injection for Trigger finger. I find that fitting a splint to my finger prior to going to sleep Keeps it under control.

[Rita56]

Hi,I have had this problem quite a few times with different fingers.I had an op to remove the nodule from the tendon on my middle finger,right hand,about 6 years ago and that one has been fine since.I use a finger support on the ones that play me up now,so that it doesn't bend whilst asleep and wake me up with the pain.