Have I got cording from chemo? What can I do to help pain?

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1

Hi after 2nd infusuion of chemo , the inside of my arm from wrist to elbow feels very sore and bruised. It actually hurts to roll my sleeves up.
I noticed it starting mildly about 2 weeks after my first EC ( 21 x day cycles) . But this time is very sore.
I’ve been told that EC can be tough on the veins, but I didn’t expect to feel quite as bad.

There is no redness, no visable bruising or swelling . My one vein looks slightly raised and feels a little harder to the touch. Is this what is called cording from chemo infusion?

If so I realise that it is another side effect of chemo, but would really appreciate anyone who has any tips on managing the pain or helping it to get better.

Should I stretch, exercise, massage it?

Thanks for listening x🙏

2

Hi @tigertot - the same thing happened to me, I only had one peripheral EC (I’ve got a port), but a couple of weeks later I started observing tracking up my arm from the site of the cannula, and after about a month the vein had become hard and tight. It started to restrict the mobility of my arm, so I contacted the chemo team. They wanted to check it to rule out extravasation, but confirmed it was cording and suggested I see a physio. I tried one physio who was useless because they were afraid to touch me, but a second one was great. I had four sessions in total where they massaged the vein, and by the end the tension went and I got full mobility back. I’ve also been rubbing bio oil into it every day on the advice of the chemo team. I can still see the scarred vein when I stretch my arm, but I can’t feel it any more. One more thing worth mentioning is that they said the severity of my reaction was unusual, and if I hadn’t got a port already then I would have needed to get one before continuing with chemo. So it may be worth flagging sooner rather than later in case it affects your future treatments. x

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Hi tigertot

Thanks for posting. It sounds as though you are going through a difficult time following your second infusion of EC chemotherapy.

It’s not possible to say what is causing the soreness and bruised feeling, together with the raised harder vein you have in your forearm following your recent treatment. The best people to talk to are your treatment team. They will be able to assess the area to establish the cause, and advise you on the best management. You should have been given a contact number in case you have any concerns about your treatment, so do give them a call.

You mention cording in your message. As you can read in the link, this is usually related to surgery rather than chemotherapy treatment.

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Best wishes

Carolyn

Breast Care Nurse

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