trigger finger again!

[Gossiplady]

down happily to 1mg but as soon as I try to go to 0.75mgs the trigger finger returns. Nothing else, no pain , stiffness, brain fog, nothing, just trigger finger. Do just carry on? Many thanks.

[SheffieldJane]

What does your doctor think? It was my understanding that Trigger Finger is a relatively easy condition to treat by exercise or if severe, a small operation. If it were me I might just carry on. I had trigger finger where my finger got stuck in a bent position and there was some swelling. It took ages but it did right itself and I can barely tell which finger it was now, maybe helped by the anti-inflammatory properties of Pred. Mine was the result of an injury and I didn’t receive medical attention.

[Gossiplady in reply to SheffieldJane]

Hi SheffieldJane! Haven’t talked to the doctor about it because really it isn’t important is it? I rely on this wonderful forum. I am curious why this started around the 5mg mark, then went away around the 3mg mark, now suddenly has returned at this really low dose. It just annoys me. Pain isn’t too bad but as soon as I go back to 1mg the following day I am fine.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Gossiplady]

Haven’t talked to the doctor about it because really it isn’t important is it?

Well it may not be important in the great scheme of things, but if it’s causing you discomfort then it is important to find out why and try and sort it out.

[Gossiplady in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you. Will see what she says.

[diana1998 in reply to Gossiplady]

I had a bad trigger thumb at around 3mg. Used to make me jump. GP gave me a cortisone injection and after 2 weeks it disappeared.Later it triggered in my ring finger, couldn't hold a knife to cut up veg etc. This time the qualified GP had left and no-one else would do the injection. It slowly went on it's own after a few months. Very uncomfortable.

[piglette]

It is strange it should start when you reduce the steroids. How soon does it go away when you up the dose again?

[Gossiplady in reply to piglette]

Hi piglette! Thank you for replying. After one lower dose of 0.75 from 1 mg it starts the following day. Doesn’t last long, not too painful really and lasts about 10 minutes. Then crops up a few times in that day. If I take the extra 0.25 back up to my usual one during that day, the following day I am fine. I shouldn’t be worried but it just annoys me “here we go again”.

[piglette in reply to Gossiplady]

When I got trigger finger I had it continuously for around nine months. It did not go on and off like yours. It wasn't painful as such, except at the base of the finger, it was painful if you pressed there, and also there seemed to be a sort of lump there. I could not move my finger smoothly it would click into a bent position. Was yours like that?

[Gossiplady in reply to piglette]

Hi Piglette! The finger slowly curls over my other fingers towards my thumb and pain throughout, it stays there without pain, but I cannot move it, either on it’s own or by trying to shift it with my other hand. It releases slowly when it feels like it. Crazy!

[piglette in reply to Gossiplady]

It sounds more like Dupuytren's contracture. Trigger finger is more the finger or thumb clicking into a bent position. Like you are pulling a trigger!

[Gossiplady in reply to piglette]

Hi piglette! Thank you. It does curl over but then climbs over my other two fingers to my thumb. Crazy. But I know if I stay at 1mg I am ok. So I will carry on and try again in a couple of months or so. If it happens again, so be it.......

[piglette in reply to Gossiplady]

The guy who looked after our warehouse had Dupuytren's contracture. If you leave it, hopefully it will not get any worse.

[Gossiplady in reply to piglette]

Thank you piglette. Yep, I am just flowing with the river.

[Zareda]

I had trigger finger in my pinky for the entire 4 years I was on prednisone. A week after I got to 0 mg, it magically disappeared…..only to reappear in my middle finger! I just had a cortisone injection in the middle finger. Not expecting much because I had three shots in the pinky with zero results. Trigger finger seems to have no rhyme or reason, but it is common in diabetics and rheumatoid arthritis. I hope yours goes away and stays away! Good luck!

[Judyliz in reply to Zareda]

I have a trigger thumb and bought a support some years ago. It fits around my wrist and thumb and keeps it in position. I wear it at night. I bought it in Boots, I think, can't remember. It took about 10 days before I noticed a vast improvement but I carried on using the support for about 3 months until I no longer had even minor daily occurrences. I have two further episodes since but wearing the support straight away definitely helped and shortened the time it took to stop again.Although not a serious condition it can be a frightful nuisance when it gets stuck and rather uncomfortable.

What I am not sure about is it you can get something similar for fingers.

I have carpal tunnel problems with the other hand and wear a wrist support at night for that too. Both are incredibly helpful.

Good luck with it.

[Gossiplady in reply to Judyliz]

Hi Judyliz! Thank you. Keep smiling.

[Gossiplady in reply to Zareda]

Hi Zareda! Thank you. I shall carry on with 1mg as I know it doesn’t happen at this very low dose. Keep smiling.

[Judyliz]

Oops I wrote a reply but realise I have sent it to Zareda instead, sorry. Hope it adds a bit information if you come to find it.Judyliz

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If it is all good at 1mg nothing would pesuade me to dispense with such a low dose!!!! It is doing no harm - and a lot of good.

[Gossiplady in reply to PMRpro]

Yep! I flow with the river!

[Wizards]

I got trigger fingers (multiple ) at lower doses and got steroid injections which helped for years. However trigger fingers can lock and never unlock so please get it looked at.

I'm now at the point of getting 2 of the many fingers operated on very soon. However I'm also suffering with each trigger finger OA so a double wammy which also makes them swell. I basically can't use my right hand at the moment and painful.

It's been a long haul but now in a hand clinic.

Good luck

[Gossiplady in reply to Wizards]

Hi Wizards! Mine does not swell. But I know if I stay at 1mg I am ok. Thank you and I wish you well.

[HeronNS]

I had trigger finger a long time ago. Doctor muttered something about snipping a tendon and as that didn't suit me I was referred to a physiotherapist. She looked at my hand, asked me to make a second appointment, I assume so she could do some research, she was very young, and when I came back she went over my hand, found the place where the tendon was catching and showed me how I could massage it myself. I could feel this thing moving over a bone, so it was easy to find. I can tell you that the trigger finger went away and when it has returned (maybe once or twice in thirty years) I just find where I need to move the misbehaving tendon, or whatever it is, and I'm fine again. Hasn't happened for years. I do some exercises for my hands because of osteoarthritis. Also playing piano helps.

[Gossiplady in reply to HeronNS]

Hi HeronNS ! This is a very strange world! Keep strong!