Aromatase Inhibitors & carpal tunnel and trigger finger: Anyone?

Trigger finger surgery? I am 76. Breast cancer (3C) was on left. Several months into taking Letrozole I had 2 trigger fingers in my right hand. Got steroid injection in May 2023 and was ok until 2024. Oncologist changed me to anastrozole in June but then I got trigger thumb, ring finger and little finger of left hand in January 2024. Then he wanted me to go on exemestane but after researching I was not convinced it would be any different. He suggested tamoxifen so I researched that and said no thanks, not yet and hopefully never. Now I've gone back to Letrozole and am considering surgery for hands. Has anyone done that and was it successful? Planning on starting with right thumb and index finger (I'm right handed) to see how it goes before I consider doing surgery on left hand. Since I lost 7 lymph nodes, oncologist suggested I deal with them one at a time on left but thought I might be able to do two if right hand two go well. Am going to gym 5 days a week, 3 weight training using tubular pipe insulation on handles to cushionn grip and then 2 days a week on treadmill. Supposed to be on AI for 5 years and am only 9 months into it. Hope I can last and still have a functioning body!

I developed trigger finger also, carpal tunnel, knee pain, edema, the list goes on. I tried taking a few weeks off but it stayed in my body too long to change much. I had cortisone shot in my knee but had a flare and it made it worse so it wasn't an option for me. After 18 months I stopped taking it. The trigger finger cleared up but I wear a brace at night for the carpal tunnel. I will be 79 in June, it will be five years in December since my surgery. So far I'm doing well. Good luck.

@karlsjenine I took Anastrozole for 12 months. I didn't have trigger finger but I had join stiffness. At night my fingers, especially the ring fingers, became so rigid that I couldn't flex them. My oncologist told me to take 2 weeks off then switch to Exemestane. The stiffness got better after 2 weeks. I'm on Exemestane for a week now. So far so good. Then again I didn't experience side effects from Anastrozole until month 4th. My PA told me that Anastrozole shrinks tumor substantially (that is if the cancer cells don't develop the resistance to AI) She said during Covid they couldn't perform surgery, so they prescribed Anastrozole to patients. I plan to stick with AI for at least 5 years if I can tolerate I. BTW, I took turmeric (low dose) and that seems to help better than glucosamine. Hugs.

I had trigger finger before taking Anastrozole, but it appeared to have gotten worse after starting on the medication. I came off Anastrozole after a year. The leg pain and cramping were difficult to deal with. My oncologist switched me to 10 mg of Tamoxifen daily, and I feel much better. The trigger finger did not resolve itself even with steroid injections, so I had surgery on my middle and ring finger. Recovery is going well, and my fingers are no longer locking.

I had carpal tunnel surgery and a trigger finger fixed before taking al my trigger finger just started acting up, I have only taken meds for 2 months, but the trigger finger is more painful when I try to straighten it. My surgery was in 2017….

I did have some carpal tunnel syndrome from crocheting. I stopped the crochet and the carpal tunnel got even worse. Now I have trouble with my right shoulder. I went off anastrazole after three and a half months and it has been since February 16th that I stopped and astrozole. I think it found my vulnerable spot and and decided to show effects there. If you're taking it it's interesting to notice that a light case of whatever you had before is now doubled or worsened.

That sounds like a reasonable theory..

Dear Friends,
1.5 years ago I had cancer removed from my left breast. Following radiation, I went on Anatrazole. It caused trigger fingers in my right hand (thumb and middle fingers) also plantar fasciitis in my left foot. My risk was VERY low so I went off of it and chose not to go back on an AI - my trigger fingers eased and the thumb trigger went away entirely and plantar fasciitis. I tried some more "natural cancer therapies" as per my functional medicine doctor's advise. To no avail! In January of this year I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in my lymph nodes (left side) and in my bones - scattered all over my body, but mainly in my rib/spine. Now I am on Letrozole and Ribociclid -- I am experiencing similar hand/joint stiffness and my right hand trigger finger has intensified. Yes I am stretching and doing hand exercises. Do I try something else? At what point does it become "too much?" I have NO CHOICE but to be on something! I wonder has anyone used Duloxetine to reduce symptoms. I am really curious about it and I haven't seen it mentioned in discussion groups.
Best wishes to you all.

Hi Betsym,
Sorry to hear about this and I too am experiencing the trigger finger and a lesser stiffness in the dominant right forearm and sometimes when I happen to kneel on my knee without being careful it felt like my left knee i think had a nail in it ( like a sudden sharp pain there so I avoid doing that) I had no remarkable bad side affects, until the last 3 wks or so off and on with what I describe after I've been taking the half dose of Anastrozole for a year now ater this BC reccurrence was found on a vertabrae which. 3 scans so far since a yr ago have come back unchanged.
I'm wondering what oncologists and your functional Dr. say is the exact reason we are all having trigger finger and other joint pain exactly. IS the AI's blocking the production of estrogen directly the source of then stripping our bones of it's calcium to such a degree that this is happening? I feel like my oncologist does not explain what will happen to us and why with AI's...I am over due for a 2nd Zomeda infusion (Bisphosphonate/Zolendronic acid) It's been delayed due to a long wait to have a needed Periodontal deep cleaning & periodontist then "OKing" the Zomeda that I will be ok to have it since my oral baseline is not from their observation, likely to get this Jaw Osteonecrosis if I have a 2nd round of Zomeda.
Also, I do holistic therapies to support my immune system and I think some holistic protocols can help along side conventional med treatment. I'd really be interested to know what adjuntive therapies you are utiizing & have found to be helpful to impede the metastic spread. I hope you are finding through "trial & error" some effective protocol for your I assume Met. Ductal BC. I have Met. Lobular BC. Take care.

I had carpel tunnel before AI but it got much worse. I also had arthritis in my knees and ankles but that is worse too. Just had carpel tunnel release surgery on right hand. I have improvement. i am supposed to take AI for 10 years. Don't know if I will make it. I am 69, 3 years after bilateral breast cancer diagnosis