I find this site and thread extremely helpful. I have started symptoms 5 months ago, and it is progressing very fast. i will see the doc soon for a diagnostic but an pretty sure I have DC: nodules, retraction, activity in one hand, and now in the other one, etc.
I find Andrew's posting very interesting because, although it may always be a coincidance, I do actually link the sugar consumption, (and alcohol drinking which breaks down in sugar) with direct activity in my hands and feet. I eat a candy and start feeling the needles in the hand within an hour.
Although my blood test is fine for diabete, I have had diabetes related symptoms for some time: occasionnal extreme thirst, trembling hands a few hours after eating sweets, loss of weight. etc.
I will try an insuline dependant diet and see the results. I wll also look for radiotherapy in Québec, near Montreal if there is any.
Thank you all

Cutting out refined sugar can help you in MANY ways. Are you male or female Viking? Just curious, but your age and typical daily dietary fare? Sorry you are knotting up. If it is any consolation, after my DC appeared in the second hand I had made some dietary changes and stopped experimenting with viagra and the problem was in remission for many, many years. A few months I broke the revised lifestyle habits and a host of new activity showed up in my hands.

Andrew - thanks very much for sharing your story. I have DC in both hands without contracture as of yet. I saw nodules on my pinky and ring finger and started noticing inflammation of my knuckles. Also recently saw some small lumps on my ankle. Have recently felt stiff shoulders as well.

Funny thing is that I have been a relatively good eater for the last 10 years, juicing vegetables for raw juices, eating lots of raw salads, generally limiting meats. And when things flared up with my hands, causing much swelling and tendon issues about 3 weeks ago, I tried going all vegetarian - while some help with the swelling, no help with the DC, it seems. Also, I have extreme clicking when I wake up at the base of my pinky fingers that goes away after 15 - 20 minutes of using them - very annoying. Seems to be worsening.

I recently came upon the website for the DC Institute and spoke with the gentleman running this: http://dupuytrens-contracture.com/. He has a protocol of various vitamins and supplements that he recommends, including Vitamin E, that he says taken together, have helped many people. Have you heard of this?

Thanks for any advice. I feel sad that I am only 45 years old (a mother of a two year old) and see this progressing.

Susan

For 8 weeks I have been on FOCC anti-cancer protocol, known to be good for auto-immune diseases (cancer being one) taking it as a precaution. Its allowed me to get of my prescribed medicines for GERD and H/T, but today I found it was hard to feel any thickening on my R palm which was diagnosed as DD about 5 yrs ago. It definitely feels like its resolving so I'm passing this on. Good luck to anyone who tries it. I'm so chuffed.

Many thanks, Wolfgang and Currie, for your responses. They are helpful.

And I am also very interested in hearing about the FOCC diet. I have removed all meats, gluten and dairy and now slowly adding them back in, beginning with chicken, to see if there is some food allergy. In the next few weeks, I will also have a series of tests done, primarily blood, to check for anything problematic - working with a nutritionist on this. Will get homocysteine, methylamalonic acid, iron, ferritin, lyme, B12 to mention a few. Am also considering an MRI or x-rays to see if I have osteoarthritis in addition to DC.

Out of curiosity, do any of you with DC also have swollen finger knuckles and fingers? I am thinking this is a result of osteoarthritis and not DC, but I could be wrong. Other symptoms that I have include a thumb muscle that looks like its getting smaller, clicking of both right pinky joints at the base of the pinky each morning for 10 minutes while I move them to warm them up, 4 small lumps on the side of my heel that feel numb since they sit on a nerve (foot doctor says they are nothing but I am thinking they are connected with DC), very stiff shoulders, aches on the bottom of my feet but no lumps, and a small fatty tissue lump on by bicep (doctor says it is likely non malignant lipoma). Wow, lots of woes for a 45 year old mom.

AND, the thickening of my tendons in both hands continues to be more pronounced with now not just my pinkys and ring finger tendons raised, but now my index finger on both hands (no contraction yet).

I am determined to try to get to the bottom of this. Any thoughts you all have are always appreciated.

Susan