Trigger Thumb

tsommer
tsommer Member Posts: 1
edited June 2014 in Working on Your Fitness

I had a double mastectomy, chemo and radiation.  Finished last radiation March 1 and have been on Tamoxifen March 13.  I have developed trigger thumb in my right hand(surgery side).  Asked my oncologist about it and she said not related to chemo.  Has anyone else developed this and if so, what was the treatment?

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  • joeyi
    joeyi Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2011

    I had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation last year. finished the radiation in november started tamoxifen in December. I developed trigger thumb on my left hand late December and right hand in January. My oncologist and surgeon feel it's not related but i've wondered if it's due to the tamoxifen. I've read about other woman on this drug or the similar ones that have had trigger finger. I saw a hand specialist the end of December and she gave a shot of cortisone. it didn't help, she did say there is a simple surgery to fix it but I haven't gone back yet. I was hoping it would get better but it's gotten worse and will return to the doctor soon. My only concern is if it's a side effect of the tamoxifen will surgery help??

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  • kamico3
    kamico3 Member Posts: 90
    edited May 2011

    I have been taking arimidex for over two years now and have had a lot of trouble with trigger thumb and trigger finger. I have had cortisone shots in both of my thumbs, which helped a great deal. There have been times when I have had as many as 8 finger "triggered" at once in the morning, although all of them except the thumbs tended to get better as soon as I was up for a while. The trigger finger has gotten a lot better in the past four months or so, but it took almost two years for it to improve. My hands tend to be stiff, however, and right now the base of my left thumb (not my dominant hand, so not carpal tunnel) is swollen and very sore so that it is hard for me to grasp things without it hurting a lot. Bottom line is that these side effects are no picnic but they have been tolerable, at least  since the trigger thumbs improved to the point that I could use my thumbs (for a while there they were both triggered all of the time and I couldn't really use either of them!). My doctor has suggested switching to aromasin  but I see from these forums that this side effect can occur with aromasin, too, and I am afraid I'll switch and then end of  having more, and different, side effects with that! My doctors, by the way, were skeptical at first that these side effects were related to the arimidex... though it was clear to me from reading these forums that many women who take arimidex suffer from them.  In my most recent visit to my doctor, however, he acknowledged that they are seeing more and more of these kinds of side effects as time goes by!

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  • cajunpeach01
    cajunpeach01 Member Posts: 2
    edited May 2011

    I am post unilateral mastectomy followed by chemo, radiation & now on aromasin. I had bilateral carpal tunnel with subsequent bilateral surgery with resolution. Have had steriod injections 2-3 times for trigger finger & wake up EVERY day with several trigger fingers. Also, joint pain esp. in hands & feet and freq bone pain. Onc says NO WAY the meds caused the sx but PCP & Ortho Surg both say sx are a result of the cancer meds. Consulted with Rheumatologist who says the triggering is a result of night time swelling as it resolves within a couple of hours of arising. At the Ortho's recommendation, PCP put me on anti-inflammatory which really helped the joint/bone pain but after 4 wks had to stop due to GI distress. Now scheduled for pain clinical consult to manage the joint/bone pain. Also scheduled for reconstuction in July. Staying physically active (walking/gardening) does help manage the pain as well.

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