Hi,
I have’t joined in on this forum too much lately but I am hoping that someone can help me.
Basically, I have been very tired the last few months and also in the last 6 weeks, I have started to feel quite nauseated on a daily basis. I have lost my appetite and can only tolerate certain foods in small quantities. My stomach is also on a permanent basis very bloated and swollen and I think quite hard too which was something I never suffered from before. I get quite light-headed and weak a lot too and having been getting pain in my lower back area.
Perhaps, I am reading too much into it but I am a bit worried that this is something sinister. At my last check-up, I was told my liver function levels were slightly elevated. However, it could be my gall bladder. I have three gallstones but they have only given me trouble when I eat very rich food which results in a bad belching episode. Just to give you some background, I’ve been on zoladex and tamoxifen for over 2 yrs now and I am nearly 3 years since diagnosis.
I hope someone can give me some advice. I’d really appreciate it.
Thank you,
Smythie
Hi smythie
You are welcome to talk your concerns through with one of our helpliners if you feel this would help whilst you await replies. The line is open weekdays 9-5 and Sat 9-2 on 0808 800 6000.
Take care
Lucy
Hi Smythie,
I think as you have suffered your problem for longer than 2-3 weeks you should give your breast care nurse or oncology department a call. It is possible that this is related to your cancer and whether it is or not your breast care team need to see you to ascertain the cause. They will probably want to do a CT Scan and some blood tests.
Dawn
xxx
Hi Smythie,
Call your nurse or oncologist if only to put your mind at rest. However, I suspect they will want to run some scans and as we all know, the waiting is never easy.
Stay strong and keep in touch. Let us know how you get on.
Anne xx
Hi Lucy, Dawn and Anne,
Thank you so much for the replies.
Taking on board your advice I rang my bcn today and they are arranging an ultrasound of my abdomen. However, I have been given low priority so it may be a couple of months before it happens. My bcn has requested that if there are any cancellations that I get those apts instead. I’m not sure how accurate an ultrasound will be but I guess if they are not that worried than I shouldn’t be either.
My bcn said my blood tests from my last check-up were normal. It was just the liver function levels that were slightly elevated. Hopefully I’ll start to feel a whole lot better soon. Has anyone had these symptoms as a result of a met spread or is it more likely the gall stones acting up?
Anyway, thanks again for the replies. I appreciate it a lot.
Smythie
Hi smythie,im interested in this post as i am very similar apart from the fact i have ulcerative colitis and my gastro has requested an abdmonal ultrasound due to my liver fuction, again told not to worry! Im on Femara, blood pressure and uc meds, and to be honest love my wine. i had the offending appt in Jan, and scan next friday…Im fed up as Uc flaring up again due to this stress, but probaly nothing…Good luck, Jill
Hi Smythie
In my experience, an ultrasound can be very informative and it doesn’t carry the radiation dose of a CT. While the nurse may have taken on board what you’ve said, she may not have taken on board the severity of your symptoms.
My advice is to insist on being seen urgently. No-one has examined you yet by the sounds of it. If you get no joy, see your GP and ask him to speed it up or at least give you something to help with nausea etc.
It may be stones, irritable bowel or a whole multitude of other things probably but anyone with a history of BC who presents with any changes shouldn’t have to wait a couple of months for a scan, I don’t care how full their books are.
If your symptoms get worse, you will worry and feel stressed and that isn’t right in my opinion. If you think that such a long wait will affect you psychologically, they may speed things up for you. You want to put this behind you as soon as possible.
I’ll be away next week on hols but I’ll keep an eye on this thread when I return. Keep in touch and take care
Anne xx
Hi Smythie
While it is more than likely due to an unrelated cause, I have to be honest and say that I have peritoneal mets and I presented a bit like you. I don’t want to scare you but I also feel that I have to give you an honest reply to your question so that you can take whatever action to be seen soon.
I’m glad they have you lined up for US cause CTs weren’t very helpful in my case.
The good news is that I had huge shrinkage and all my symptoms of disease went away and I am feeling very well.
I will hope like mad that in your case, it isn’t due to mets though.
Anne xxx
Smythie, a two-month wait is totally unacceptable with those symptoms. Please make a fuss, or get someone to do it on your behalf.
Sass xx
I hope I haven’t scared you with my post Jill. At least the wait for the scan is nearly up. I think it’s shocking thatb you have had to wait two months also.
Very best of luck to you both and hope you can both breathe a sigh of relief very soon.
Anne xxx
Smthyie,
I don’t want to scare you either but the other day I had an E Mail from a friend giving the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer trying to bring it to the attention of as many females as possible. Whilst I’m sure your symptoms could be any number of things, the symptoms you list are those given in the E Mail.
Given your background I would absolutely insist on being an urgent appointment to sort this out. Hopefully it isn’t anything sinister but you mustn’t bury your head in the sand as time can be of the essence in such circumstances.
Good luck!
Hi ladies,
Thanks for the replies. I have made an apt with my GP for Monday. I will get her to make a fuss and get things moving. She has been very helpful in the past when I was first diagnosed. Enjoy your hols Anne and it is great to hear that you are doing so well at the moment and no worries, you haven’t frightened me.
Thanks again. I really appreciate it.
Smythie
Hi Suzanne,
Just saw your post now. Yes, last night when I was looking up peritoneal spread on the net, I also came across info on the symptoms of ovarian cancer and felt they were exactly my symptoms too. Can not get an apt with my GP until Monday as she does not work today. Perhaps, I should go to A&E. It might mean that I actually get seen sooner by someone.
Thanks for post Suzanne.
Smythie
Hi Smythie
I don’t like to feel that you have such a massive worry over the weekend. My thoughts are with you and I will hope like mad that there is another explanation.
Best, best, best of luck to you and don’t worry I will enjoy my hols!
Anne xx
Hi Anne,
Thanks for the advice. It’s true a wait of a couple of days should not make a difference especially since it will be the weekend. I am a bit anxious now. Well, it’s just that I want to know what these symptoms are all about. But off to work in a while so that will take my mind off things and I do feel ok today so that’s good.
Enjoy hols and once again, thanks for replying.
Smythie
Hello Smythie and all,
Whilst having similar symptoms i had my ovaries removed last july due to having an er/pr breast cancer,and at that time waiting for result of genetics test.I have since got results and luckily brca 1 & 2 neg.Im wondering if the cocktail of chemo,rads,tamoxafen,now femara,my bowel and blood pressure drugs could be the cause.Also i got in a bad habit of taking paracodal daily.Anyway im having my ultrasound this friday after my 2 month wait. I expect to wait for results! hopefully the old adege “no news is good news” will be true!
Jill
Hi smythie
Sorry you are feeling low. I can’t offer any pearls of wisdom I’m affraid, just sympathy, as a lot of the symptoms you mention sounded very familiar, especially the tiredness and nausea. I am only on tamoxifen and have put it down to that, but I am on the point of going back to the breast care nurse because I am sick of the daily battle with the symptoms, in a hope she can offer some advice. Oh by the way I had to have my gall bladder out last year as well. Just to give you a bit of background I am 2 years post diagnosis.
Do you have memory problems? Mine is getting terrible lately.
All the best
Hi Smythie.
Hope you are ok.
Anne xx
Hi Smythie
I had very similar symptoms to you that lasted 6 weeks! I had an endoscopy, bone scan, chest and abdomen scan and finally a pelvic scan which revealed a grapefruit sized fibroid on my uterus and later a large cyst on my ovary - both of which are now being monitored.
Get these symptoms checked! It may be something as simple as IBS, but it is vital you get to the bottom of them.
Sending you love and luck,
Nikkix
Hi Smythie & Nikpusscat,
Like Nikpusscat, I also have similar symptoms along with traces of blood in my urine and swelling which comes up frequently on my right side in the stomach/liver area, originally put them down to my gall stones.
After all the usual endoscopy, cystoscopy and various scans, the pelvic scan also showed up 2 very large fibroids in my uterus [one pressing on the stomach wall] and several smaller ones, so like Nikpusscat I am also on regular 3 month monitoring regime.
Smythie, make a fuss for quicker appointments when you have any unusual, long term symptoms and don’t let them fob you off with delays as normally most GPs are very good about getting appointments thru faster for BC diagnosies.
Hope everything goes well for you and try not to worry too much.
Rgrds/Siggy