Hi Folks
Havent posted for a while as i have been just getting on with chemo. Now started 3 weeks of radio and also started Tamoxifen. Wondering if anyone has suffered back pain following FEC chemo or could it be the Tamoxifen? I am sore and knackered. My scar from mastectomy is also sore but was prepared for that as i am having radiotherapy. Just a bit worried about the back pain has anyone experienced same following chemo or starting Tamoxifen?
Regards Jo x
Hi Jo,
I’ve had my 2nd FEC, I’ve got one more to go and then 3 Taxotere.
I did have quite bad lower back pain last time round. I attributed this to period pains but it was particularly bad!! I asked my GP and she said , as nicely as possible, that any pain you may have anyway is simply exacerbated by the chemo. I also found that the scar from my lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy was sore and was told by physio that it was not unusual at all and again simply a sensation which was exacerbated by the treatment.
I hope you feel much better very soon.
I went straight to the GP and didn’t leave until she gave me a collection of painkillers to rival that of the biggest prescription junky!
Best wishes,
CW x
Morning Jo & CW,
I am on FEC5 and had bad back pain after FEC1. Turned out it was a a UTI so always go and check with your GP or chemo people if you have any aches or pains that you feel are exceptional.
Regarding long term after-affects of FEC, I put this very question of my onc and he was said that he had treated literally 1000’s of women with FEC and had not seen anyone with long term side effects unless they had some other underlying condition.
The pain in WLE & SNB scar is very typical. It seems to get aggrevated by the chemo treatment and usually subsides again before the next round.
Hope that helps.
CO
Hi Jo,
Yes I experienced lower back pain too after FEC/TAX, was also having Herceptin, Radiotherapy, and taking Tamoxifen so didn’t know which one of the treatments might be causing the pain!
I visited my GP who said it was mechanical, i.e back pain I might have had anyway but being less active during treatment could have exacerbated the pain. She prescribed painkillers which helped a little but I don’t need them any more.
I also mentioned it to my Onc who gave me a whole body bone scan which came back clear thank goodness. I have to say I was imagining that the cancer had spread so it was a relief to be told the results.
Treatment finished November 2010, now just on Tamoxifen, and still have back pain sometimes but not as bad. I feel sore and knackered most days but am back to a sort of normal if you know what I mean; I’m ok when I get out of bed in the morning and as long as I keep moving I’ll go all day, but as soon as I sit down in the evening I seize up and can hardly walk when I stand up.
You should definitely mention the back pain to your Onc as they will be able to give you the best advice. HTH. Good luck with the rest of your treatment.
Gill
I’ll second what others have said. It may well be treatment exacerbating an existing pain, but you should still report it. Some anti-oestrogens have ‘mild’ joint pain as a common side effect, but even then if it affects your daily activity, keeps you awake at night or even if it just worries you, you should ask about it.
Thanks girls for your comments. Seeing team next week so will discuss it then. Hopefully it will have gone by then. Jo x