Hi,
I finished treatment (chemo & Rads) 7 weeks ago. I had no lymph node involement, Grade 3, Triple Negative.
All day I have had a pain in my right thigh, which doesn’t respond to rest or to moving around.
I feel absolutely sick with fear as I have also had a bit of niggling pain in the hip region of the same side for the last week or so, but that was not constant where as this thigh pain is.
Can I ask if any of you ladies have experienced this?
Thank you so much.
Katie x
Hi Katie,
No one can take the fear away can they! Usually with pain like this we are told to take some painkillers and give it a couple of weeks. Maybe if it is making you so anxious have a word with your bcn just to register your concerns and be prepared to wait and see. I have similar problems but then I have had extensive bone mets for 6 years now. Have you been overdoing things recently that could have brought on the pain. I was always constantly reminding myself that just because I had cancer didn’t make me immune to all the daily aches and pains I experienced before diagnosis. I hope this is just one of those things but know how hard it is.
dawnhc
xxx
I had a niggling pain in my hip for a couple of months before I found a lump in my breast. Just brushed it off as thought it was a sign of getting old - my mum and sister both have hip problems. I was devastated to find out it was secondaries just a month after my primary diagnose. Have a word with your BCN
I know how hard it is to worry over every niggling pain -I have terrible pains in my ribs which I’ve immediately assumed its another spread. All tests are coming back clear though
Thinking of you
Jools xxx
Hi Katie
I had bc in 2005 and at the beginning of this year I had a pain that wouldnt go in my right hip for weeks.
I had a bone scan and it came back completely normal - and guess what the pain disappeared the next day!
Try not to worry as the more you think about it the more you will have it!
Hope this helps
Love Alise x
Hi Dawn,
Thank you for coming back so quickly. I am really sorry to hear of your bone mets, but delighted you have kept the bugger at bay for so long. I hope you are not in too much pain from it? How were the bone mets diagnosed?
Unfortunately I have’nt been overdoing things at all, I’m a lazy sod! Actually had a very restful weekend and we had a Bank Holiday yesterday (I’m in Dublin).
I will of course need to give it a bit of time to see if it persists, in the meantime its great to be able to come on here without unduly worrying friends or family. Everyone here understand that the slightest thing pain can have you climbing the walls, and no one here is going to make you feel silly for being scared of you own shadow!
thank you
Katie x x
Thanks girls, off to have a glass of red wine! x x
Hi Katie
I have exactly the same problem as you and haven’t said a word to anybody about it coz I’m really scared and just hoping it’ll go away. I finished my chemo end of Oct 07 and finished rads in February. I’m now having herceptin until November. I had lymph node involvement and that worries me even more! The pain isn’t bad and I’m just hoping and praying it’s just one of those things. Hoping the same for you too.
Ruby x
Hi Katie
It is very soon after finishing your treatment so it could quite easily be something to do with that. Even the position you were put in on the table for radiotherapy could have iritated something. You need to get it checked out though. when do you next see your Onc? You also need to be taking some pain relief as constant pain wears you down.
Ruby - that goes for you as well. You need to get it checked out as hopefully it will be nothing but if it is this horrible desease then there are treatments that you need to be on.
thinking of you both - I’ve always found that not knowing is worse than having things confirmed.
Maddison
HI Maddison and Katie
I’m too scared to tell anybody or do anything about it. I’ve only mentioned it on here. I’m being an ostrich at the moment and just hoping it’ll go away. I really am too scared and I had the chance to say something last week to my oncologist but didn’t. I just can’t bear/stand the waiting and the thought of it all and then dealing with something if I have to which if bad news, don’t think I can!
Rx
Did you have taxotere?it can cause bone/joint pain which lingers after treatment.Is your pain worse at night?does it fail to respond to ordinary painkillers?has it lasted longer than 3 weeks with no decrease in intensity?These are the questions my oncologist asks if I have pains and he says that if I answered yes to all 3 he would order an immediate bone scan,if yes to two he would want ‘some investigation’,if yes only to the third ditto.I think it is very soon after treatment to be mets but if you are really worried do seek medical advice.A phone call to your bcn may be enough.Good luck,Vxx
Thanks for your responses.
In my case I did have Taxotere and have had some joint pain, but that was quite different and has been easing off, whereas this is new. However, I agree with Horace that it could be down to the Tax.
My leg is fine today but I still have pain on the lower right hand side of my back and I havent done any unusal excercise or lifting. I keep adjusting how I am sitting at my desk as maybe I’m sitting funny…
Its only just come on so I will certainly give it a couple of weeks to see if it persists. I have also booked a back massage for the weekend, that might help!I just got in a complete panic thinking about it yesyerday, I am calmer today- so thanks for all your help.
I know a girl who died in March having had secondary bone cancer, where they never identified the Primary. I think her problems started with pain in her thigh so that really put the frighteners on me!!!
I am seeing my bc surgeon for a check up in 3 weeks so at latest can deal with it then.
Ruby1,
I am worried for you - how long has it been going on for?
Katie x
Hi again
Horace thanks for the advice above. I did have taxotere and I finished it at the end of October. I’m not on herceptin. If I answer the questions above like your oncolgoist would ask them, the answers are:
The pain isn’t bad or anything just niggly. Occasionally I feel it at night but much of the time I don’t feel anything. Some days I do notice it more than other days. It doesn’t hurt to walk on it but when i had a mammogram last week, I had to lean over on that side and it wasn’t comfortable so I had to adjust my position. It has been going on for a few months now. I haven’t had to take any painkillers for it as it isn’t bad it’s just there and I keep hoping it’ll just disappear. It hasn’t got better or worse.
Katie, thanks so much for your concern, the whole thing petrifies me and it’s almost like I’d rather not know. This is now the hardest time for me since I finished treatment. How is yours today? I am due to see the consultant in 4 weeks time so maybe I’ll wait until then or maybe I’ll do as Horace suggests and call my breast care nurse.
Thanks again and I can understand your worries and being scared especially after what happened to the person you know who had secondary bone cancer.
Ruby xx
Hi Ruby,
My back was sore again in one area, but it does remind me of pain I had in the sacro-iliac joint many years ago. It may be that the after effects of the taxotere is causing an old weakness to flare up.
I took 2 x Neurofen Plus a little while ago and it has definitely helped.
Horace’s questions are really helpful!
My Dad (retired Doc) generally asks about pain that is ongoing " is it better, worse or the same?" That also gives you a feel for if it is going away or not.
Going by the questions above, the same or worse means you should perhpas get it checked out ? It might be soemthing physio could solve. ringing the BCN is the least terrifying thing to do isnt it?!
As you can tell, I’m feeling more positive today, despite having had a dream last night where they were showing me XRays with bright blue mets everywhere!!!
Katie x x
I’m a triple neg who had Tax chemo 4+yrs ago.The following year I had a pain in my femur which lasted almost all summer.I’m pretty active but it was it was only in one leg and was even there at night.I didn’t visit my GP until a week before my checkup as I was staying with my son in W.Cork.She could find nothing wrong but told me to let my oncholist know.I was really conscerned about it and was in bits when I went for my checkup.but the doctor examining me just laughed and told me that it was old age starting to catch up with me(I’m 49).I swear the pain had gone by the time I got home! I’ve had the odd niggle since but nothing like that summer!
Hi All,
Katie,
I am just finishing rads and have had chemo including taxotere, I have been getting aches and pains in my hip, knee and wrist and sacro-illiac joints all old problems ibuprofen or diclofenec seems to help, ( sound like a right old granny dont I, I am only 46.) and when I mentioned it to breast nurse I was told that prob due to tax effect on old weak spots. I am going back to pilates and to the gym soon so I hope that will help, walking definately does help. Oncologist also said tamoxifen can cause similar side effects so I am keeping an eye to see if it reduces or I will go to talk to someone about it again. Such a worry isnt it, I had 1/15 slightly affected when I had my full clearence. I am hoping and praying that the taxotere did its job and these odd pains are nothing to worry about.
Ruby,
I feel exactly the same, that sometimes I rather not know, but find it hard because I am by nature someone who asks questions and wants to know and needs to to feel in control. It now feels odd that maybe I dont want to know, but then maybe I do??? so confusing, all going round in my head…
Keep in touch, hope aches feel bit better soon
Take care
Dawn X
Thank you ladies, delighted to say the pain is not there at all today - great relief! I feel totally silly for getting so uptight about it.
I’m sure its is the Taxotere. I used to consider Tax the enemy (because it robbed me of my hair) but of course if its done its job properly its my best friend!!
HI Katie
During and after finishing treatment I had all sorts of aches and pains, including the thigh/hip one you mention. I decided to write them down (quite a list) and keep a log, and promised myself if I noticed them getting worse over time I would report at my next appointment (and then would have a note to take with me). They didn’t really get worse, they came and went and eventually disappeared. Even now (after 4 years) occasionally I get a hip twinge, but I can refer back to my list and so long as its nothing new/more severe I wait and see.
Maybe it would have been safer to have raised them with my doctors, but for some reason although I asked loads of questions about the cancer treatment I held off on minor aches etc. So far there have been no serious problems.
Sarah
i have hip and back pain at the moment which is worrying me and very annoying not being able to walk without grimacing.
The thing is how long do we wait and put up with pain for?
I know i have had scares before one scan showed a torn tendon although quite how i did that i have no idea.
I absolutely hate this disease and the anxiety it causes when we have pain.I also hate the fact that to access the oncologists or hosp seems a mammoth task. I have written to my hospital recently asking if it would be possible to have a drop in service for people with concerns of pain etc after treatment has finished. Haven’t even had a reply which says it all.
Katie i am glad your pain has subsided. From friends who have had taxotere it has some nasty side affects for quite sometime.
Hope yoru stil pain free.
Rx
Ruth - I would go with that well-known BC maxim - if you have pain or a condition which does not improve in two weeks, talk to you oncology team.
Hope it is nothing serious,
Jenny