Diabetes Talking

Question:

doctor next month and I know he will want to try injecting all the fingers.  Question:  What’s the pain factor?  Although I take two shots of insulin a day, the thought of injections in my hand bothers me.

Hi. I’ve had two shots of cortisone in my thumb for trigger finger. My orthopedic surgeon mixes in some kind of novacaine in with the cortisone. You can definitely feel a prick when it goes in, and it’s slightly uncomfortable, but as he slowly injected the stuff in it started going numb.  I did not find it nearly as painful as I expected it to be. (I still couldn’t watch though). I found the area to be VERY VERY TENDER for several days after the shot. Not especially where the needle went in, but it seems like all that cortisone in there was what was hurting. So the pain got wrose before it got better. But then it was MUCH better for several months. P.S. I recently had 2 laser surgeries on my eye. and in both cases had to get a shot of novacainej just under my eyeball with the needle going all the way in to the back of the eyeball. I found this more psychologically difficult than the thumb shot, but did not find either of the shots particularly painful. No more painful than a flu shotm, really…just took longer to put the novacaine in than they take to put in flu vaccine. Good luck – betsy

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I also have had trigger fingers, five as a matter of fact and in my wrist.  Injections worked on a couple but I had to have surgery to relieve the pressure.  They are fine now.

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I also have had trigger fingers, five as a matter of fact and in my wrist.  Injections worked on a couple but I had to have surgery to relieve the pressure.  They are fine now.

I had surgery for trigger finger last January. I’m still having serious problems with it because scare tissue developed over the tendon.  The result is that it acts like I did not have the surgery.  I also have two more fingers which have developed trigger finger.  I’m going  back to the doctor next month and I know he will want to try injecting all the fingers.  Question:  What’s the pain factor?  Although I take two shots of insulin a day, the thought of injections in my hand bothers me.

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My sister has Type I diabetes.  Lately she has been having severe pain in her right thumb.  It hurts her to turn the key in the ignition and to peel a potato.  She also says her feet get cold easily with pain in her legs.  She has bought warm socks and I sent her a pair of Thorlo socks last year.   What can she do to ease the pain in her thumb and legs?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Carmen

I’m not aware of any correlation between thumb pain, and leg pain… unless it is an arthritic-type condition.  I could "guess" at a number of reasons for one or either pain.  However, you did not mention if she had been to a doctor lately.  If she is a diabetic, and feeling cold, numbness or pain in her legs, she really *must* see a doctor.  Thumb pain could indicate that something *else* is happening besides diabetes…and probably not serious, but she could be more comfortable with some antiinflammatory meds.  Instead of guessing at what is causing this…and therefore, guessing at a "cure", I think she needs to see her doctor first. –ch

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My sister has Type I diabetes.  Lately she has been having severe pain in her right thumb.  It hurts her to turn the key in the ignition and to peel a potato.

I had a very painful thumb a few years ago… it turned out to be something called "trigger finger". This seems to be more prevalent in diabetics. They first tried to keep my thumb in restraint for a number of weeks. In my case this didn’t help and a steroid injection (sorry, but I can’t recall exactly what it was) took care of the pain. See a doctor… if not treated it can get worse. ==Sam==

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What can she do to ease the pain in her thumb and legs?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Well there cold feet (Gee that sounds like a emotional problem) are likely caused by poor circulation (I know mine felt like ICE not all that long ago) My ENDO commented on how cold my feet were and promptly perscribed a drug. Yes I know which one, but I’d rather her ENDO or Foot Doctor check her out and make a decision.  A couple of months later when I went to see my foot doc he commented that I had real good circulation in my feet. (I do too, now the med worked)   Oh what the heck, You can check out the medication if you have a few back issues of TV GUIDE, it’s been the "Featured" medication (The one for which they publish the entire PDR item on it as an advertisemnt) every few weeks this last summer, TRENTAL is the med. As to the pain in the thumb.  She should talk that over with her doctors but it could be that old boyfriend of the over 2yr old set, ART Ritus. And of course it could be a bunch of other things too. Some are fixable —          "Nothing adds excitement to your life like something          that is clearly none of your business!"     Battista

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