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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! I had trigger thumb. I was fairly luckily. Side effects probably stated a year in yo my taking Anastrozole, but I figured it was old she creeping in or over exercising etc. started w/ hip , just saying gosh my hips sore, then bought orthotics. Then trigger finger occurred. I stopped med after about 2 1/2 years. Took 6 months for my hip to get better. Thumb was fixed within a month of using Oval 8 splint.
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1 ReactionMy symptoms took a few months to kick in. The trigger finger and carpal tunnel started at about 6 months. The oncologist thought it was possible ,the ortho dr said good chance. She also said carpal tunnel could be caused by radiation. Could have.damaged a nerve since they start.in thr spine and ho all the way out.
Thankfully the CT is mild and the splint at night helps.
Strangely enough my trigger thumb is starting to get better again even after the cortisone shot wore off. I stopped anastrozole and of Mar. 3 weeks no.med then started up on exemestane.( aromasin) hopefully it continues.
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1 ReactionWhen I first started taking anastrozole I had very few side effects. However, now that I am 6 months in I have all the side effects that you mentioned. I have had vertigo in the past, carpal tunnel and trigger finger. I just assumed these were starting back up. I didn't think they could be associated with anastrozole. If doctors can't agree that these episodes are related to AIs then how do we get solutions. Like tge other person said Pray.
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1 ReactionI have a splintvthstbi sleep with. That does help.
sure 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.
Thank 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 ReactionsYes! 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 ReactionsSure 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.
Hello,
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.
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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