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Finger clubbing – what can I expect?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 9/12/2014 3:30 PM (GMT 0)
Yesterday I realized that the odd shape of my right thumb was called clubbing. The rest of my fingertips feel strange too - like they have something similar developing.

From my reading, about 10 – 15% of us experience clubbing, it's caused by colitis not by drugs and there is nothing to be done about it. But the questions on my mind are better answered by people with thumbs like mine - fellow clubbers...

It's only one thumb now, but are all my fingers going to be clubbed?
Am I going to have trouble using my hands?
Will it every go away?
Can anyone give me a clue as to what to expect?

What it looks like:
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.608049416706590911&pid=15.1&H=128&W=160
Posted 9/12/2014 5:38 PM (GMT 0)
I have not heard of this. It can be related to other diseases...

Here's a couple posts I pulled up based on a search of the web. I hope they help you:

10/13/2008 Healing Well Post on Crohn's forum

6/10/2010 Fingernail growth/shape and Crohn's from crohnsforum.com
Posted 9/13/2014 7:03 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks iPoop.

Well, I hope that it's not an indication that I'm developing Crohn's. I'll get my doctor's opinion next week when I have my blood numbers checked. I'll try to find where I saw that 15% of people with UC experience it and post it here. Otherwise, I won't worry about it too much...
Posted 9/13/2014 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
I struggle to understand how that is linked to UC. First I have heard of finger clubbing, but I will keep that in the back of my head as I "age" for yet something else to look for.
Posted 9/13/2014 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
Personally I think it has to do with the systemic inflammation that may be responsible for UC (and many other things) but I doubt the clubbing actually has anything to do with UC itself or can diagnose Crohns.
Posted 9/13/2014 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
Cavalier9 and garylouisville - I agree, it's quite a stretch to think that UC causes something specifically at the end of your fingers.

Here's the quote from the Medscape page that says 15% of people with UC have clubbed fingers:

"Digital clubbing was reported in 38% of patients with Crohn disease, 15% of patients with ulcerative colitis, and 8% of patients with proctitis."

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1105946-overview#a0199

As suggested by iPoop, it could be caused by lots of other maladies - several are listed as well.
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