Type 1 and trigger finger / arthritis

Hi all,

Am wondering whether anyone else with Type 1 has been plagued with trigger finger / thumb and other joint or tendon problems.

I’ve had what I thought was trigger finger in all my fingers and thumbs, and I had a year’s worth of steroid injections in the digits prior to lockdown, which helped temporarily. The MSK department at my local hospital said it was diabetes related, but discharged me saying I’d reached the maximum number of injections allowed.

Over a year on and it’s still awful, my fingers locking so much that I can’t grip things properly, so writing and holding a fork is difficult and I drop things a lot. I’m a journalist and have had to relearn how to type, too. Then there’s the constant burning pain.

The latest consultant I recently saw ruled our trigger thumb, which confused me, and suggested it might be rheumatoid arthritis, another auto-immune disease which crippled my mum, but tests for that came back negative.

It’s really doing my head in now and no one seems to know what’s wrong. At the moment the index finger on my left hand is completely locked shut and is swollen (see pic), but the other fingers are ok.

Has anyone else had anything similar? Thanks for any advice

Thanks, Nicole. Will look it up. Glad to hear your finger improved but sorry to hear about your shoulder. You’re right, we totally take our abilities for granted until we lose them!

Wendy12384 said:

I am a type 2 diabetic and have suffered from trigger finger for over 25 years, I initially had one finger affected. When the cortisone injections and physio didn't work I had surgery. I wasn't a diabetic then. 15+ years later the rest of my fingers and my thumbs started with exactly the same symptoms again, injections and physio with no relief. It is so debilitating. I have surgery on all my fingers the maximum they would do at a time was 2 so it has taken time. I now have patchwork hands but I am pain free. They cannot guarantee that it won't come back, but I am now able to carry on with a normal life and do the things that I enjoy.

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Glad you’re now pain-free, that’s great to hear.

sleepster said:

My dad has dupuytren's contracture, you have an increased risk of it occurring with diabetes, it's meant to be connected to the Vikings too, but I don't know how true that is!
My dad had several fingers that he couldn't straighten and he had surgery but he waited too long so it hasn't been a massive success. I think early treatment is key. I'm glad your father-in-law had more success with his surgery @NicoleC1971.

No advice to offer I'm afraid @Herbie1972, but you can get various aids to help with gripping pens and cutlery which may help a bit. I've also seen pens which fit onto the end of your finger.

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Thanks for the tip about equipment and stuff. Will look into it if the need arises. Will talk to my GP / rheumatologist about Dupuytren’s when I next see them.