Dear all, I wanted to check this is ‘normal’ in RA - for the past 6 months I have found that when I close my left hand ie make a fist or even just bend at the knuckles, I find I am unable to flatten my hand again and and have to use my right hand to unlock the joints on my right hand.
My right hand is going the same way. At night I try to put my left hand under the pillow to stop it curling up!
Is this just par for the course or a sign that the medication isn’t working?
I have been on Sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine and etanercept for the past 12 months and was hoping that the etanercept would stop my symptoms in their tracks!!
Foolish optimist that I am!!
Thanks all!
Written by
Jessica32
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It does sound like your medication is not working too well sadly. Best to contact your rheumy team and tell them about what is happening especially with you being on your medications for well over a year. x
Speak to your rheumy nurse...but in the meantime try wrist splints... sometimes at night - nerves in your wrist get compressed & you get the symptoms you describe.Until you have had a professional opinion...just try one wrist & see if it helps.....there are plenty advertised on Amazon.
Hi Jessica. It sounds like trigger fingers to me - I had two on my right hand several years ago which used to lock so bad and had to have surgery and I was supposed to have my middle finger done on the left hand but didn't bother. It is a condition that RA sufferers can get although I didn't have RA at the time (to my knowledge). I would contact your rheumy team first and if no joy, contact your GP. Good luck - it's a very unpleasant feeling. Try not to bend your hand at the wrist for long, just for now anyway.
I was sorry to read that you're going through this right now Jessica. When I was experiencing similar symptoms, an NHS occupational therapist fitted me with resting splints, moulded thermoplastic fitted with Velcro fastening straps (see below). I know that this may be an obvious question, but have you ever been prescribed methotrexate? (I see that you've been on benepali, sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, and etanercept.)
Hi thanks for your suggestion. Alas Methotrexate was the first DMARD I tried and the best, except I had horrible opthalmic herpes zoster likely cos of a suppressed immune system. Tried leflunomide next but didn’t get on so hence sulfa!I will follow up on the splints - 🙏thanks
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that MTX didn't work for you. I've been on a number of drugs too and know how frustrating it can be when they don't pan out, especially when they seem to work while addressing RA symptoms, but cause other issues. That said, I was reassured when my Rheumy commented, 'It may take a while, but we'll find the right drugs for you'. While it is indeed taking 'a while', I remain hopeful. Anyway, I hope the splints work for you. What reassured me was that they were keeping my hands in a 'proper' shape and I noticed a reduction in pain.
Hi Jessica,definitely contact your rheumatology helpline. I've been having exactly the same for the last month, had a consultant appointment last week & had a scan on my hands, which showed inflammation.
I asked if the bent fingers was RA, he said yes. He suggested steroid injections for relief into the finger joints. Ive been trying to do the same as you've mentioned, sleeping with hands flat under the pillow. If I forget I wake up unable to straighten those fingers all day & my palm is swollen. Hope you can get hold of rheumatology tomorrow 🤞 let me know how you get on 🙂
Not yet, the nurse is calling me tomorrow to discuss as I'm not sure I want to have it done. It provides temporary relief, but im due to start new meds soon so I want to be able to tell if it works. Also I'm a bit of a whimp and I've heard the most painful steroid injection is into the hand joints 🙈 I hope you can get hold of them, its so frustrating when you need some advice
Does anyone have any other solutions other than a resting splint to wear at night, I was made one by OT to stop the curling at night but it's so cumbersome to wear in bed I've tried to think of any other way to stop fingers curling and locking during the night other than hand under the pillow like everyone else. Jessica32 I hope you find a solution all we 'finger locking ' brigade can benefit from.
I couldn’t take the splints also. In my case, to stop my fingers from curling in, I slept and sat on them as much as I could. It worked very well for me.
You are very much welcome. Just use your body weight to adjust the pain you can tolerate, slowly sit all the way down. My experience told me that it took many months to see result but it worked very well for me. I hope it works for you too.
My little finger on my right hand used to lock when I held things. I had an operation which fused the joints together, The surgeon was not sure if it would work however it did and now don’t have any issues.
My fingers lock on both hands re osteo arthritis. Sometimes I actually have to remove the pen from my right hand by my left and then rub my fingers until the pain goes and I can straighten them again. Usually worse when it's cold.
It's part of the course, I'm afraid..but I am on hydroxychlorowuine and etanercept too and it is a case of being patient. Both are very good drugs though.
Thanks will do. I keep find myself remembering my Rheumatologist telling me that after 6 months on the treatment I would be back to normal! I now know he was lying ...
Yes agree, sounds like your meds r not working. I would phone up rheumy and dont under play it either. Tell them you are finding it difficult to do normal things, eg dressing, washing yourself as these things matter.
Think stoical is a trait for most rheumy patients. Not sure if it's the shock factor of the pain or the fact we feel we have to muster on. But being frank with explaining how it effects you gets things moved on treatment wise, I have found eventually over the years.
I have the same problem with just one finger but for a long time so it cannot straighten now and it frequently gets stuck closed, needing help to unlock it. I have always been on 25mg MTX and in the early days (it has been 15 years now) my right hand metacarpals fused together but the hand still works in spite of the damage. I think that a few months to test the drug is in order but if it persists perhaps a change of drug may help but I have no idea which is better. I am now considering an op on the finger but in Spain if I kind find someone who can do it
I had the same and was told it was Trigger Finger and my doctor gave me a steroid injection and it last 18 months, I had another one done about two years ago and nothing since , touching wood.
I have trigger finger and had it for a long time.Do you have a small lump on the palm of your hand. Most of mine come back up when i click them except one which i have to straighten by pulling it back myself but i would would get in touch with one of your team to get it checked out always best to be safe than sorry and know what is causing it.
I get this but have never connected it to RA. Sometimes it can be due to the ligaments of your palm. Are they raised at all? It's certainly not foolish to be an optimist! We all hope for the best. Hope you get an answer soon. Take care.
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