Trigger Fingers from Taxol?

Gardengal
Gardengal Member Posts: 8
edited September 2022 in Breast Cancer #1
Has anyone experienced trigger fingers as a result of chemotherapy? I had four doses (dose dense) of A/C, then 8 doses of taxol(once a week) Completed chemo 11/19/03. About a month later, I noticed that my fingers were "locking" (trigger finger) At first, I put it off as a side effect of the Taxol--we all know that it affects nerves in hands and feet. However, it's now late March--the thumb on my writing hand will no longer bend. My oncologist says she's never heard of this symptom, my primary care sent me to hand surgeon. I suspect the chemo as it happened to most fingers at the same time. No traumatic event and I don't do anything repetive. Any guesses?
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Comments

  • tlmac
    tlmac Member Posts: 272 Member
    #2
    I've never heard of trigger finger being associated with chemo but I have read of instances where it is associated with axilary node dissection associated with breast cancer. I believe it happens to the hand of the affected side. This article discusses the phenomenon:
    http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/ortho/oj/2001/html/oj14sp01p35.html
  • live42day
    live42day Member Posts: 64
    #3
    Gardengal,
    Funny you should bring trigger finger up. The middle finger on the non breast cancer side started locking up a little over a year after finishing chemo. I had 4 a/c and 4 taxol treatments. The IV for my chemo was always put in the back of the hand that developed the trigger finger. I had a cortisone shot that helped but didn't fix it. Ended up with minor surgery on it Dec 29, 03. This did the trick. I have thought it might be chemo related. Have an appointment with my oncologist and am going to ask him about it.
    Janet
  • DeeNY711
    DeeNY711 Member Posts: 476 Member
    #4
    Given a choice, I would pick a consultation with a physical therapist experienced in treating patients who have had breast surgery, chemotherapy, etc. rather than making a surgeon the first stop. When I returned to work, I found fingers on both sides becoming locked now and then. Whether it is from nerve damage or muscle damage related to bilateral mastectomy or to chemo or radiation, who knows? Request a consultation with a physical therapist.
    Hugs,
    Denise
  • Gardengal
    Gardengal Member Posts: 8
    #5
    tlmac said:

    I've never heard of trigger finger being associated with chemo but I have read of instances where it is associated with axilary node dissection associated with breast cancer. I believe it happens to the hand of the affected side. This article discusses the phenomenon:
    http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/ortho/oj/2001/html/oj14sp01p35.html

    Thanks for the suggestion. I have just read the article. Although both of my hands are affected, this could be a reason.
  • Gardengal
    Gardengal Member Posts: 8
    #6
    DeeNY711 said:

    Given a choice, I would pick a consultation with a physical therapist experienced in treating patients who have had breast surgery, chemotherapy, etc. rather than making a surgeon the first stop. When I returned to work, I found fingers on both sides becoming locked now and then. Whether it is from nerve damage or muscle damage related to bilateral mastectomy or to chemo or radiation, who knows? Request a consultation with a physical therapist.
    Hugs,
    Denise

    Thanks for the suggestion, I will certainly look into it. Its comforting to know someone else experienced this same problem, isn't it? You said you noticed the locking when you returned to work,had you finished chemo--or still going thru chemo or what?
    Gardengal
  • Gardengal
    Gardengal Member Posts: 8
    #7
    live42day said:

    Gardengal,
    Funny you should bring trigger finger up. The middle finger on the non breast cancer side started locking up a little over a year after finishing chemo. I had 4 a/c and 4 taxol treatments. The IV for my chemo was always put in the back of the hand that developed the trigger finger. I had a cortisone shot that helped but didn't fix it. Ended up with minor surgery on it Dec 29, 03. This did the trick. I have thought it might be chemo related. Have an appointment with my oncologist and am going to ask him about it.
    Janet

    Like you, I will probably have the minor surgery on my writing hand thumb as it no longer bends.
  • DeeNY711
    DeeNY711 Member Posts: 476 Member
    #8
    Gardengal said:

    Thanks for the suggestion, I will certainly look into it. Its comforting to know someone else experienced this same problem, isn't it? You said you noticed the locking when you returned to work,had you finished chemo--or still going thru chemo or what?
    Gardengal

    I had finished chemo 6 months earlier.
    D.
  • Gardengal
    Gardengal Member Posts: 8
    #9
    DeeNY711 said:

    I had finished chemo 6 months earlier.
    D.

    Mine started a month after. Have you had any additional finger problems since working with the therapist? I'm hoping this is a one time incident.
    Gardengal
  • inkblot
    inkblot Member Posts: 698 Member
    #10
    Hi Gardengal:

    Yes, it happens. I had the same thing. Mine did not begin until about 4 months post chemo. I had lumpectomy on left side with Sentinel Node dissection. I had A/C chemo and radiation. My problems first appeared on my right side. In my case it was chemo related. My Ortho. doc said it was not uncommon following chemo. My onc. feigned never having heard of it!
    Onc's are good at blaming everything EXCEPT chemo! LOL What happens is this, as my Ortho. doc explained it: The chemo irritates the lining of the tendon...called the tendon sheath and inflammation developes. This, in turn, inflames the tendon and there you have it. It can continue to spread. Sometimes, a surgery to scrape the tendon sheath away brings healing but sometimes not and the problems continue about 50% of the time. This same syndrome can occur in the hips and knees following chemo according to the ortho. doc.

    I consulted an Orthopaedic specialist. We tried several different approaches for almost a year as I really wanted to avoid surgery. Splinting, heat, etc.. Then cortisone. I had an allergic
    reaction to the cortisone injection, so that wasn't an option for me beyond that first shot. Next we went to NSAID's (Bextra). Only helped minimally after a month of taking it. Then physical therapy, which also didn't help. I also take Glucosamine/Chrondroitin w/MSM and I increased the dose, which seemed to help more than anything else. Still it kept recurring.

    Initially, my problem was on the middle finger of my right hand. I had periods of improvement and then it would regress again. Always worst, first thing in the mornings. Then the right thumb became frozen and would not bend at the joints at all. At this point the right hand became almost useless to me. The pain became constant. Sometimes the frozen thumb would bump something and snap down and would not come back up on it's own and I or someone close at hand had to push it back up. Doc gave me a thumb splint with metal on the bottom to keep thumb straight but I found it cumbersome and not much of a fix really. I hated constantly wearing the larger, whole hand/wrist splint too. When the frozen thumb would bump into something and bend, when I wasn't wearing the splint, it was excruciating and would then swell and hurt for 2 or 3 days.

    Finally, surgery was my only option. A trigger finger release is a very simple procedure...only a tiny incision, but the doc also did the DeQuervains procedure at the same time, (this is done on the wrist area) which cleared up the problem with my thumb at the same time. I'd do it again as the result was immediate and amazing. Worst part of the surgery: Since they didn't want to put an IV into my left arm (surgery side and a no-no, barring emergency) and since it couldn't go into the right "procedure" arm, it went into a vein in my ankle. It was excruciating having a needle inserted into such a sensitive area. When I awoke, it was already removed, thank goodness. Aside from that, healing was quick and complete. No post op pain to speak of and stitches came out 9 days later.

    Since that time, (I'm 3 years out now) I get an intermittent, mild snapping in my left middle finger but it's very infrequent, with no swelling or pain...just annoying. Annoying, I can live with! LOL

    That you're seeing an Orthopaedic Doctor whose subspecialty is hands, is IDEAL.

    Hoping you find something which works, short of surgery, soon, but if not, and surgery is emminent, it's not a big deal. Just an eye blink and it's over. Feel free to email me here if I can be of any further help.

    Love, light and laughter,
    Ink
  • Gardengal
    Gardengal Member Posts: 8
    #11
    inkblot said:

    Hi Gardengal:

    Yes, it happens. I had the same thing. Mine did not begin until about 4 months post chemo. I had lumpectomy on left side with Sentinel Node dissection. I had A/C chemo and radiation. My problems first appeared on my right side. In my case it was chemo related. My Ortho. doc said it was not uncommon following chemo. My onc. feigned never having heard of it!
    Onc's are good at blaming everything EXCEPT chemo! LOL What happens is this, as my Ortho. doc explained it: The chemo irritates the lining of the tendon...called the tendon sheath and inflammation developes. This, in turn, inflames the tendon and there you have it. It can continue to spread. Sometimes, a surgery to scrape the tendon sheath away brings healing but sometimes not and the problems continue about 50% of the time. This same syndrome can occur in the hips and knees following chemo according to the ortho. doc.

    I consulted an Orthopaedic specialist. We tried several different approaches for almost a year as I really wanted to avoid surgery. Splinting, heat, etc.. Then cortisone. I had an allergic
    reaction to the cortisone injection, so that wasn't an option for me beyond that first shot. Next we went to NSAID's (Bextra). Only helped minimally after a month of taking it. Then physical therapy, which also didn't help. I also take Glucosamine/Chrondroitin w/MSM and I increased the dose, which seemed to help more than anything else. Still it kept recurring.

    Initially, my problem was on the middle finger of my right hand. I had periods of improvement and then it would regress again. Always worst, first thing in the mornings. Then the right thumb became frozen and would not bend at the joints at all. At this point the right hand became almost useless to me. The pain became constant. Sometimes the frozen thumb would bump something and snap down and would not come back up on it's own and I or someone close at hand had to push it back up. Doc gave me a thumb splint with metal on the bottom to keep thumb straight but I found it cumbersome and not much of a fix really. I hated constantly wearing the larger, whole hand/wrist splint too. When the frozen thumb would bump into something and bend, when I wasn't wearing the splint, it was excruciating and would then swell and hurt for 2 or 3 days.

    Finally, surgery was my only option. A trigger finger release is a very simple procedure...only a tiny incision, but the doc also did the DeQuervains procedure at the same time, (this is done on the wrist area) which cleared up the problem with my thumb at the same time. I'd do it again as the result was immediate and amazing. Worst part of the surgery: Since they didn't want to put an IV into my left arm (surgery side and a no-no, barring emergency) and since it couldn't go into the right "procedure" arm, it went into a vein in my ankle. It was excruciating having a needle inserted into such a sensitive area. When I awoke, it was already removed, thank goodness. Aside from that, healing was quick and complete. No post op pain to speak of and stitches came out 9 days later.

    Since that time, (I'm 3 years out now) I get an intermittent, mild snapping in my left middle finger but it's very infrequent, with no swelling or pain...just annoying. Annoying, I can live with! LOL

    That you're seeing an Orthopaedic Doctor whose subspecialty is hands, is IDEAL.

    Hoping you find something which works, short of surgery, soon, but if not, and surgery is emminent, it's not a big deal. Just an eye blink and it's over. Feel free to email me here if I can be of any further help.

    Love, light and laughter,
    Ink

    Thank you so much for the detailed e-mail! You are exactly right, the oncologist didn't know about it at all. The Hand surgeron didn't either (I am copying your e-mail to show him) but at least he was more open-minded about the cause being related to my cancer treatment. I guess we should trust our instincts, huh? I knew I had done nothing to my hands. As you noticed in my postings, I have heard about the trigger release procedure, and will have that done on my writing hand thumb. Someone else recommended physical therapy, I may look into that, as well since all of my fingers are triggering. However, I may go the "shot of cortisone" route in another finger to see if it works. I have been told by others (as well as you) that the relief is immediate. I am so fortunate that (so far at least) this is my only side effect-a minor imposition compared to some problems.
    Again, thank you for taking the time to respond.
    Sandi
  • JHNC49
    JHNC49 Member Posts: 1
    #12
    Trigger Fingers from Taxol?
    I finished chemo in 2006 and afterwards got trigger finger in both hands, and on the same finger, the middle one. A bone surgeon told me that he has seen this in cancer patients and diabetics, esp., when it happens with the same finger on each hand. After chemo I broke my wrist and while the surgeon was reparing my wrist he clipped the nerve in my hand that caused the trigger finger and that fixed it on that hand. He only clipped the nerve on one hand since I would need the use of my other hand while my wrist healed. I've been getting steroid shots in my other hand about 2 times a year and it stops the pain of triggering. However, it keeps coming back. I'm going for another shot this week but looks like I need to have the surgery done on the other finger to fix it for good. Looks like the oncologist would know this but it was a bone surgeon who told me that he sees this in cancer patients. Had I not broke my wrist I wouldn't have known that this is normally seen in people who have had chemo, and I had the Taxol also. BTW: By the grace of GOD I am going in my 6th year of survival of lung cancer. My cancer was localized in one area but had to have the entire left lung removed.
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #13
    JHNC49 said:

    Trigger Fingers from Taxol?
    I finished chemo in 2006 and afterwards got trigger finger in both hands, and on the same finger, the middle one. A bone surgeon told me that he has seen this in cancer patients and diabetics, esp., when it happens with the same finger on each hand. After chemo I broke my wrist and while the surgeon was reparing my wrist he clipped the nerve in my hand that caused the trigger finger and that fixed it on that hand. He only clipped the nerve on one hand since I would need the use of my other hand while my wrist healed. I've been getting steroid shots in my other hand about 2 times a year and it stops the pain of triggering. However, it keeps coming back. I'm going for another shot this week but looks like I need to have the surgery done on the other finger to fix it for good. Looks like the oncologist would know this but it was a bone surgeon who told me that he sees this in cancer patients. Had I not broke my wrist I wouldn't have known that this is normally seen in people who have had chemo, and I had the Taxol also. BTW: By the grace of GOD I am going in my 6th year of survival of lung cancer. My cancer was localized in one area but had to have the entire left lung removed.

    Old post, but . . .
    Just last week, I seem to have trigger finger in my right middle finger (self diagnosis). I had Taxotere , a cousin of Taxol. Anyone else?

    Suzanne
  • Barb A
    Barb A Member Posts: 123
    #14
    Funny you should ask
    I've been having a problem with my thumb since early March. I've been done with chemo for three years though.

    I'm told this is becoming more common if you use a keyboard and mouse a lot. A man I work with had the same problem with his thumb last year. He's never had chemo, but it was doing exactly what mine does; locking up, painful, etc. He had surgery on the tendon and it is now fine.

    I don't know if there is a correlation with chemo, but there sure seems to be a lot of this problem. Good luck everyone.

    Barb A
  • Msgsal
    Msgsal Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2018 #15
    Trigger fingers after chemo

    I had surgery on my right thumb several years ago. 

    Then my left thumb had trigger finger. It resolved itself. 

    Now, 4 months post chemo, I have trigger finger in all fingers (minus the thumbs) 

    Has anyone else been this severely affected? 

    What do I do? 

  • lodud93
    lodud93 Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2020 #16
    Trigger fingers after chemo

    Interesting to find this conversation - I'd had some trigger issues with my left middle finger off & on prior to finding cancer. I wondered if all the NSAID's & steroids from surgeries & chemo helped that for a while, as it had quit bothering me.  I finished with Taxol/carboplatin in December, and now this spring both hands are stiff & now having issues with right thumb & forefinger worse than the left middle finger.  I also spend 8 hours a day (plus some overtime right now) using a mouse & keyboard, so hard to say whether to blame chemo, job or both. Hmm, come to think of it, I'd also not worked for at least 6 weeks due to cracking my left arm while I was doing chemo, then jumped back in & built up to full time, then overtime & stiff/locking thumb & forefinger. I expect it IS a combination of things . . . have been stalling on going to a doctor about it.

  • JayC10
    JayC10 Member Posts: 6
    #17
    Trigger Finger

    Howdy Guys,  I had Taxotere,Carboplatnum, still getting Herceptin and Perjetta.  About three months ago on affected side my thumb and index fingers started locking with pain.  I read that this can be a rare side effect from the estrogen supression oral chemo I was started on in Nov 2019.  Letrozole I believe exacerbated the Taxotere.  I also had a week of vaginal bleeding which is on the rare side effect list for the Letrozole.  The bleeding was 2 weeks ago. Today was scheduled for an SSI.  They fill your uterous with saline and look for abnormalities to biopsey.   I was surprised to read about the trigger finger S/E.  Not sure if it will ever subside.  I also have neuropathy in both hands.  Told I will be on the Letrozole for 5 years...joy. 

     

  • jennybwp
    jennybwp Member Posts: 2
    #18
    Trigger finger

    Hello. Had 4 treatments of A/C followed by 4 of taxol. About 2 months later I noticed a trigger finger on middle finger, both hands. Doesn't seem to be permanent, comes and goes. I think I got off easy on this one. 

  • Chickadee1955
    Chickadee1955 Member Posts: 356 Member
    edited February 2021 #19
    Trigger thumb

    Yup, me too!  I had to have surgery to release the trigger thumb I developed on my right hand.  Of course, the docs said it couldn't be related to chemo.  I had Cytoxin and Taxotere.

  • Fearless52
    Fearless52 Member Posts: 1 Member
    edited April 2021 #20
    Trigger finger in both hands

    Hi. I had a lumpectomy and 33 radiation treatments for breast cancer. Radiation was finished in January 2020. I immediately started Zoladex injections monthly and daily dose of Anastrazole. In the past few months, the pain in my hands has become unbearable. It is worst during the night. i have swelling, pain and numbness in my fingers at night. It gets a little better during the day. i have at least 4 more years of both treatments.
    Does anyone have any words of advice on how to deal with this.

  • LucyDew
    LucyDew Member Posts: 2 Member
    #21

    Hi, I have just seen this thread now, as I was trying to find out if I had trigger finger from Chemo as well. It is very interesting to read above that you all have similar problems. For me, it is worse, because I had Breast Cancer, but am also a Type 1 Diabetic for 30 years. I finished Chemo in April 2021, and radiation on 5 August 2021. I had a lumpectomy and am also on Zoladex injections and Letrozol daily dose. My symptons are exactly that of Fearless52, however, I have now bad Trigger thumb on my right hand. My left hand is experiencing the pain.

    Fearless 52 - do you have any updates??

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