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Aromatase Inhibitors & carpal tunnel and trigger finger: Anyone?
14 mos of “AI” meds, I’m coping with daily hand-wrist-finger pain. I’m on my 3rd drug, having taken Anastrozole & Aromasin-each for 6 mos and now on Letrezol since January. Any advice to deal with this, besides using hand braces&finger splints and daily exercise? I need to be on this for 5 yrs total and can’t take Tamoxifin. Help!
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Yes mine has too! It's horrible!
Thank you Jaynep
for your reply. I wish doctors would explain why anastrozole causes bone pain and the locking up of fingers. I would rather deal with these issues rather then dealing with cancer. I wish you the best. Let's keep pushing on.
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1 ReactionLet's hope it is temporary.
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1 ReactionTrigger finger and carpal tunnel? Dizziness?
Hi,I'm curious how many have experienced them with an AI. I had dcis about a yr ago. Lumpectomy, radiation and started anastrozole. Lots of side-effects. Fatigue,joint and bone pain etc. Starting Oct I had the start of carpal tunnel in right hand and trigger thumb in left. I had cortisone in thumb around late Dec and it wore off after 2 months.
I also have a history of vertigo in the past and had some vertigo like dizziness late Feb which lingers at times.
I switched to exemestane( aromasin) early April. Strangely enough my thumb seems to ve a bit better.
I saw my surgeon for final 1yr follow up Friday. He didn't think the thumb/ hand were tied to meds but ortho dr said possibly.
Anyone else have similar issues? What about dizziness? Its not the room spinning type. More like I'm wobbly. BP is fine. Dr's think it's my vertigo but I'm wondering if it's another thing triggered by lack of estrogen.
Hi @simba2022, I moved your question to this existing discussion about AIs and trigger finger and carpal tunnel.
- Aromatase Inhibitors & carpal tunnel and trigger finger: Anyone? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/aromatase-inhibitors-carpal-tunnel-triggers-finger/
I did this so you can easily connect with other members like @mrsmary @sarahmh @eku @jaynep @tasha35 @debbie2721 who have experienced these side effects with aromatase inhibitors as well.
There have been enough case studies that the association between trigger finger and aromatase inhibitors are being studies. See this abstract and excerpt that you can share with your doctor perhaps:
Increased Risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Trigger Finger in Women Using Aromatase Inhibitor Medications https://meeting.handsurgery.org/abstracts/2020/HS25.cgi
"There is some evidence to suggest that aromatase inhibitor (AI) medications may be associated with an increased risk of musculoskeletal conditions of the hand such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and trigger finger (TF)."
I hope that exemestane continues to result in these side effects descreasing.
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3 ReactionsHello,
I've been on anastrozole for 14 months. Started to have locking and numbness on my right ring finger around month 6. Went to OT/PT for about 6 weeks. It helped but it never healed completely. Then I started having trigger finger on my right thumb. It is not severe as in a complete lock but I was not able to do certain things such as holding a pen and it was painful to release. Oncologist referred to orthopedics. She gave a cortisone (celestone) shot to my thumb. It's been 3 weeks. Better but now I have a subtle thumb pain (not a locking though) and when I move my right and left fingers (open/close), they are not the same. There's as if a "weight" on the right. I'm sorry I couldn't picture a relief. I, too, asked a fellow poster about the exercises they were doing for their fingers, waiting for a response.
Sure seems like it usnt just my imagination. The shot did help my thumb but wish it would have been longer than 2 months.
It does seem to be moving a bit.more now that I took a two week off anastrozole then switched to.exemestane. hopefully it'll stay this way.
Yes! I experienced carpel syndrome too in both hands. It was actually with my hands frozen like claws. Research suggested sleeping on my back with my arms at my side so nerves weren’t being effected. It did subside and was manageable. Hope that helps! Living with Anastrozole is a part time job.
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3 ReactionsThank you for the information. I will give that a try. I sleep on my side and stomach so this will be a challenge.
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2 Reactionssure did. Hands would swell up like baseball mitts, couldnt bend fingers, couldnt pick things up. Went off all the AIs and started a whole food no oil diet and never looked back. After 3 years I can still not bend my fingers and have terrible arthritis now in my hands but with the diet, all the pain is gone. It was totally the drugs. I was on then for 6 months only and this was the damage, along with every other side effect on the list. Onco told me all I could do was pray, and thats what I do. The drugs are hell.