How many of you have finger/hand deformities and how long after your diagnosis did you first notice the deformity?
Hello pjachy,
I have JRA and I have 3 fingers that are visibly deformed, and my right hand is visibly deformed. I noticed my first finger deformity when I was about 8 years old, I jammed my middle finger while cleaning out a fish tank one night... went to sleep that night and woke up the next morning with my finger in really bad pain and it stopped growing. That middle finger is now the same size as my index finger.
Most of my fingers are working thier way to being deformed. I have some drifting in my pinky fingers. And I have knuckles that are enlarged and many of my fingers looked swelled even when they are not swelled.
I have not had many problems with my hands until last year when I got so bad after having my son and it has continued to progress since than, but looks like they are not progressing too much now since being on Humira.
I have red enlarged knuckles and finger drifting. My pointers and middle fingers are turning towards my pinkys and my 4th fingers are heading back towards the pointers.
Bonny,
How long after diagnosis was it when you first saw deformity?
I have both thumbs reallllllllllllllllly swollen with nodules on them. Also on my right hand my pointing finger is red by the nail and has a nodule. It is also leaning toward the other fingers. My knuckles on both hands are swollen all the way across.
I had swelling and redness on my right pointing finger which prompted me to go get it cked out and was diagnosed in Sept.05. Then my thumbs joined in a few months later. Sometimes the swelling goes down on my left thumb but my right hand is always swollen. I am right handed, don't know if it has any thing to do with it.
it took 4 years for my fingers to drift on me then just not long ago, i loss 2 fingers on left hand, ruptured tendons and then 1 on other hand now. now rheumy said right hand is sliding off wrist and needs fused soon.
Just in the last week or two have noticed my first deformity, Ulnar drift of both of my Pointing fingers, ever so slightly. Worse in my Non-dominant hand which is the Right. In all truth I do use it more than my left. I do everything but write right handed. Im a lefty.
hope that helps...
Ta2d
It actually started prior to being Dx'd. I had a hard time getting a Dx since my labs were negative but Dr's wouldn't pay attention to my symptoms and I finally found a Dr familiar with sero-negative RA so I went without meds for a long time. It seems like every flare in my finger joints turns them just a little more. I am amazed at how fast it can happen.I get the sense you're asking because you'd like to know what might happen to your hands in the future. I've had RA for a year with little or no involvement in my hands. While many RAers have trouble with their hands it's no indication that you will have trouble with yours. I have seen terribly deformed hands at the Arthritis Centre, but I have also seen people who have had RA for decades and their hands look almost normal.Gimpy,
Actually I was asking because I was diagnosed less than 4 months ago and have noticeable deformity of both hands.
I'm sorry.
Is the deformity caused by swelling? Or have you had bone and cartiledge loss that is permanent?
When the base knuckles of my hands swell my fingers will point off toward the little finger side. When the swelling goes down a lot of the ulnar drift goes away.
Sometimes things look bad but really it is only temporary. At 53 my hands look more normal than they did at 33, because the biologics have gotten rid of alot of swelling for me.
Deformity can be treated, especially if you are losing function.