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Clubbed Fingers
- Thread starter anonymous
- Start date
spicyone18
New member
As you know it will depend on your daughter, my friend that is 18 with CF i have always noticed her clubbled fingers and toes, where as I, 21 (22 on monday) barely have clubbed fingers at all, if someone were to look at my fingers you cant tell I notice, but like I said its very little so it just depends cant really say when exactly it will develop. Anyways hope this helped.
I was very sick as an infant, but did OK, actually pretty normal through the school years, never being hospitilized and/or had IV's (except as a baby) until approx my 30's. I've always had normal to severe clubbing, so yes, I've heard that it indicates lung severity, but have to half way disagree with that unless maybe mine got clubbed when I did have the lung involvement as a baby and just "stuck" with me? Who knows.<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">
I think unfortunately with CF, there are a number of unknowns. Such as two siblings having the exact same mutations and one has a severe case, one has a mild case, etc.
I think unfortunately with CF, there are a number of unknowns. Such as two siblings having the exact same mutations and one has a severe case, one has a mild case, etc.
A
arabeth
Guest
I find this question interesting as I have wondered about this too. I do not (that I know of) have CF. I am only a carrier. My two daughters do have CF. I have clubbed thumbs (very obvious) and so do both daughters. My son does not. I do have some lung problems, mild asthma basically, but nothing that really interferes with my day to day life. For that matter, neither do my daughters. My older daughter (10) had some lung problems prior to here dx at age 2 1/2 but hasn't been sick since then and my 6 year old has never really been sick (not CF related anyway). They both do 2 treatments a day and take enzymes. They are both double Delta F508. Anyway, I've gotten off topic... I have wondered if maybe somehow the gene itself can sometimes cause the clubbing. Maybe some wierd version of the gene... I don't know...but I do not think in our case that it has anything to do with lung function. My 6 year old's FEV1 earlier this month was 170%, yet her thumbs are obviously clubbed. It's just odd how things work sometimes. I think there is much about this gene that we just don't know yet. Hopefully the more we learn, the closer we'll be to a final solution.
Renee,
I'm assuming that you yourself have been tested for CF? Clubbing can be very common in CF's, so that's why I asked.
Although, I do have a friend w/ slightly clubbed fingers and she's 36 and I asked her if she had CF and she said no and I certainly hope not for her sake, as she smokes!
I'm assuming that you yourself have been tested for CF? Clubbing can be very common in CF's, so that's why I asked.
Although, I do have a friend w/ slightly clubbed fingers and she's 36 and I asked her if she had CF and she said no and I certainly hope not for her sake, as she smokes!
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arabeth
Guest
I haven't been tested for CF...well, I have never had a sweat test I should say. When I was pregnant with my second daughter and they did the amnio to test her for CF they took a blood sample from my husband and myself...I assumed it was to look for the genes. I just always assumed that they would have known then if I had it. I have wondered about the possibilty though, to be honest. I eat constantly and, though I am by no means too thin, I am an average weight when I should be huge considering what I eat. I seriously don't go for more than an hour without eating something unless I'm sleeping. And I do have some mild lung issues and the clubbing. I just always pushed the thought out of my mind...honestly I don't have much time to think about my own issues, I'm too busy taking care of the kids... and I'm currently uninsured because of recently moving and changing jobs. Maybe when I get insurance again I'll have a sweat test done just for the heck of it. It would be interesting to see the results. I have been approached more than once by people at CF Conferences and asked when I was diagnosed. When I tell them I don't have CF, that my daughters do, they always say, "but look at your hands"...
NoDayButToday
New member
Clubbing isn't caused solely by CF. Those with heart conditions or other lung problems can have clubbing... so if your friend smokes, her lung problems from smoking could cause her clubbing.
thefrogprincess
New member
My boyfriend has pretty severe asthma and his lubbing is actually worse than mine. I notice it does get worse when I'm sick. I had huge ridges in my nails after I had the flu a year and a half ago, but they grew out.
princessgiggles
New member
I'm 17, i was diagnosed with cf at 6wks and i've never had clubbed fingers, i have regular chest infections etc. but never clubbed fingers! so maybe your daughter will be like me and not get any clubbing? <img src="i/expressions/heart.gif" border="0">
arabeth, clubbing is not exclusive to CF although it can be a good indication in someone when all other symptoms do point to CF. I have known many patients with oxygenation problems (COPD, Lung Cancer, inadequate airflow for some reason or another... but NOT CF) who also have clubbing. It has to do with the lack of oxygen flowing in the body to the extremities. Some people with really bad athsma also have cubbing. Just wanted to put it out there.
Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)
Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)
buggygurl321
New member
not all CFers have clubbed fingers and toes. I was diagnosed at age nine (I'm 14 now) and my fingers/toes are just fine. Maybe your daughter will be spared that symptom.
NoDayButToday
New member
Clubbing is nothing to be worried about. It doesn't cause any harm healthwise, and it isn't painful or anything of the like. It's hard to describe what it looks like, except to say that the nail is rounded and takes up the entire top of the finger.
Clubbed fingers is a symptom of disease, often of the heart or lungs which cause chronically low blood levels of oxygen. Diseases which cause malabsorption, such as cystic fibrosis or celiac disease can also cause clubbing. Clubbing does not cause pain in any way....it is just a distortion of the nail. Hope this helps!
Dea
31 w/CF
Dea
31 w/CF
HollyCatheryn
New member
I know my docs noted mild clubbing on my fingers from an early age (earliest I remember was like 10-12). I didn't notice it in my toes until high school. I had been on the swim team for years and we all walked around barefoot (obviously). I just remember one day sitting there and noticing that my toes looked different than the toes of my friend sitting across from me. I get compliments on having pretty hands and feet all the time. I thought it was odd for a while, but now I realize that my hands and feet are sort of exotic looking compared to all those other white-bread fingers and toes out there. I don't notice the clubbing on my fingers unless my fingernails grow out long. Then it is obvious, though not severe. My toes are pretty dang clubbed, but one perk is that when I get a pedicure (a rare treat) they can paint all sorts of neat designs because there is so much room on my toe nails. I remember one time when my Gramma and I went together, she and I wanted to get matching designs. The lady painted daisy chains on my big toes and then she told my Gramma, "You can only have one flower - no more room". HA!To the parent asking questions about it, clubbing is just a symptom of what is going on internally. It doesn't cause any problems in and of itself. There are people out there without CF who have clubbed fingers (I notice it on smokers sometimes). It is usually related to chronic oxygen deprivation of some degree. My PFTs are and always have been well within normal ranges and I still experience some clubbing. So who knows. I am not convinced that clubbing really means anything in particular. It is kind of like tasting salty. Tasting salty doesn't cause a problem itself and some people without CF taste salty. It just *can* be an indicator of other things.