Trigger Finger & Letrazole

Hi Shopping Lady welcome to the forum. I think you have answered your own question, which is that this is a side effect of the drugs unfortunately. As you also say the side effects mainly joint pain are well known and recognised. Ive never heard of this particular  side effects but Im sure some of the lovely folks on here may have had the same issue and will pop in soon to offer some further information for you.    

Hello Shopping Lady 

I am sorry you find yourself here in the club none of us wanted to join.

After about 12 months on letrozole I developed 'trigger finger' .... well 'trigger thumb'!! It was crazy I'd gone to bed normal no pains, nothing, middle of the night I must of moved my hand in my sleep and whoosh I woke up due to pain - it was my thumb, my thumb had bent and 'locked' in the bent position. I automatically pulled my thumb straight and went back to sleep (not thing much more..... until the morning when it happened again and again and again.

I googled as I didn't know what it was, I looked at side effects and thought I have never had this before it must be a side effect from the letrozole.  I 'tried to live with it over the coming weeks - doing the various exercises suggested online - like 'rubbing thumb joints - I did this by rubbing thumb joint up and down along the edge of the table - to try to break any nodules down etc.....

Moving forward next thing I know I have it in my other thumb (it the time I was doing bookkeeping - holding pen in hand... it didn't really work so well not having full use of my thumb so I went to my local GP - only to be told 'there is nothing that can be done' (this is not true)..... so I replied with what do I do then when my thumb bends and gets stuck.... the reply was 'well don't bend it then' (I was fairly vulnerable at this time after having operation, medication etc - so I spoke no more of it to them, just left feeling rubbish again - like they always made me feel since I was a child.

When I went back to my Consultant/Surgeon and showed him ..... he was no concerned as if its nothing and said you can have that sorted no problem its just a little operation (I think to open up the area the bendy thumb part goes through inside the hand .... very technical!!)....

Well, I didn't want an operation 'if' it could be avoided however, I would if it didn't improve.....

Back at home was doing the various suggestions on line, the main one being as I said rubbing the thumb joint/bone up and down over the edge of the table - it did hurt ...... the good news is thankfully it did clear up - the first thumb first followed by the other one a few weeks later ..... I'm not sure how long it took, I'd be guessing at a few months -might be sooner might be a little longer.

I do believe it is a side effect of the letrozole taking the oestrogen out of our bodies, after all the oestrogen is like the 'bodies lubrication oil for the joints' - the other thing I had before, and after and still get it a little from time to time (not so much now) is a strange sensation in my hands 'like a drawing pain in my fingers - like they are being pulled inside - its hard to describe - it's a type of dull pain sensation - as I say that doesn't happen that often now (fingers crossed).

I hope you can find a way to get through this or help yourself through to avoid having an operation and I would say .... keep on drumming - it is an (intense) exercise that might help it clear up sooner.

Sending love and wishing you all the best xxx

Great response and Thankyou! It’s also in my thumb too rather than the fingers. I’ve been doing my own physio too and you have motivated me to continue in the hope it disappears. Thanks 

Hi Shopping Lady.  I'm sorry to hear about that.  As a professional organist, I'm dreading the same thing happening to me.  Letrozole doesn't seem to be musician-friendly, does it?.  

Dulciana x

Hi WhatHappened - Thanks so much for telling us about the exercise with the table.  If this ever happens to me, I shall try it out, pronto!!

Dulciana x

No it certainly does not!