Sorry your not feeling to great and hope today is a bit better.rib pain due to the inflammation can be very painful at times i just try and take some ibuprofen. I find it worse when im in bed and im trying to turn round ,ive been told it will get better but can last for sometime after rads finish x
Hope its better soon, how did they discover that xx
I still have rib pain nearly 5 years on and I’ve been on treatment all the time. The rib pain is iccasional, always when I’m seatef and can be relieved by lying down. I am in serious painkillers for bone mets mainly in my pelvis but this rib pain comes sharply through the painkillers.
I’ve bought bra extenders which have helped.
I had stage IIIc so had a mastectomy as well as all lymph nodes removed under my right arm and up my neck. Had reconstruction after 18 rounds of radiation. Broke 3 ribs just turning in bed then a broken collar bone that could not be set a couple of years after that. Wearing a bra was impossible. Had my reconstructed breast and my left breast reduced as much as possible which made my plastic surgeon cry! It’s been 11 years post treatment and my rib and shoulder pain is barely tolerable…also have lymphedema in my right arm. I see the sun rise everyday, saw my kids graduate from college, one got married and have a granddaughter to spoil rotten! My daughter is found a great guy to share her life with and a wedding is being mentioned. It’s been so worth it living on this side of the grass! Find something to giggle about even at the worst of times ladies!
My radiation oncologist at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas told my that some of us are genetically predisposed to have a painful effect from radiation which could remain or even get worse over time…ugh! They continue to evaluate the survivors of the Japanese atomic bomb all these years for answers. Someday. Hugs!
Hi i to had really sore ribs i finished rads October 2016 ,the constant pain has now subsided but still get the random niggle now and then but nothing like it used to be, hope yours is better soon x
I’m nearly 10 years post breast surgery …lumpectomy and 25 radio … so glad to find this forum after googling rib pain and radio … also had cervical cancer another 25 radio chemo and brachytherapy… don’t know if that would affect my ribs though!! . I seem to strain the intercostal rib muscles and it’s getting more frequent or taking less to strain my ribs. I’ve just bought a rib brace and fingers crossed it seems like good support. Won’t wear it all the time but for riding and find it great on long car journeys or sitting for a long time. Anyone else find it’s worse as the years go by? Mind you small price to pay me thinks. ?
Hello. New to this group. I had lumpectomy and 28 rounds radiation therapy back in 2010 on left breast close to my lower arm pit and not far from the lymph node surgical site. I’v had just started Having pain under my my ribs on left side these past 7 months but find I get relief when taking off the bra and laying down. I did start a new position at work and sit down quite a bit. I notice I lean to my left and slouch on that side quite often. I have attributed the pain to bad posture. I have picked up weight yes lively tamoxifen and attributed my pain to not getting new bras. My doctor did tell me that he did take out some muscular structure which puts more strain on that side. After reading these posts my worries of what it could be has decreased. I recently had a mammo and everything is clear.
Hi
Sorry you are having such a lot of pain hope they can sort it out for you my rib pain has gone again but I spoke to specialist nurse and rib pain can come and go but yours seems extreme I wish you well
Like everyone else I’m so glad I came across this thread! I wish I’d been told about this pain ongoing after radiotherapy, I would have known what it was instead of worrying it was something worse!
thanks all of you xx
Hi I’m new to this site
I’ve been getting very panicky because over the past few days my ribs have become very sore and hurt when I bend over. I was so relived when I saw these posts as I thought that it may be the worst news. I had a mastectomy Jan 2017 and 15 rads stage one grade one idc and am taking tamoxife. I’m finding this journey really hard and need to move forward so every niggle and pain is another panic.
Still looking fir the new me x
Thank you for your kind words. I thought it would get easier after a year but I am finding it so difficult at the moment. I had my first mammogram since my diagnosis last week and I had a full on meltdown. I couldn’t believe it. I have always been so resilient and practical. X
Thanks to everyone for posting about this. I just keep thinking, ‘Why didn’t the doctors tell us this could happen?’ and I was certainly one of those patients who asked lots of questions of my radiologist and did a lot of research on my owe. I agree with the post that questions how this can happen, that this information is something the doctors seem to be unaware of, with all the major cancer centers and research in the U.S. and U.K. I am 2 years and 7 months post-radiation treatment and for at least 2 years I have had variously back pain, breast pain, and rib pain. It is not continuous and not excrutiating (because it only lasts a short while each time), but it occurs daily, sometimes multiple times a day. It’s always frightening because I always wonder if this time it’s going to continue in the same spot, which is the sign the doctors tell us to look for to catch metastasis. This is a lot of fear and pain to not be talking more about it. I will see my surgeon and have a mammogram in April and will tell her to put it in my record. Thanks again to you all, and I hope all our pain subsides and does not follow us the rest of our lives.
Hi, while rib pain is there for me, breast and armpit pain are greater. I HAD a lumpectomy in OCTOber 2015, finishd radiation December 17th, 2015. All was well until about MARCH 2016. MY BREAst became red, painful, the skin became orange peel and striated. Constant pain was about 4-5 (OUT of10), the acute, stabbing pain was a 7 or 8 (MADe me shriek). The doctors looked for infection, reaction to the estrogen syntheis inhibitor that I am on and took a biopsy. Eight weeks later, I WAS told to see another doctor, who sent me to another doctor. Well, I mmoved from MASsachusetts to OREGOn and started all over again. Every doctor that I saw said that they had seen this reaction to radiation before but never as bad as mine. They recommended a complete matectomy with a tissue transplant (FROM my thigh)>
I was not enthusiatic. And, along the way an Occupational Therapist that I SAw recomended a treatment used in veterinary and sports medicine: Near INfrared LIGHT. (my apoligies, my caps key seems to not release when I move to the next letter!)> IT worked! The pain is not all gone, but is more like a 0 -2, with rare spikes of 4-5. I started APRIL 2017 and over the first few weeks I noticed some iimprovement. By six weeks I HAd plateaued in my progress. As long as I use the light therapy (SEE Below), my pain is managable.
HOWever, last week I HAD my first mammogram since the 10/2015 surgery. Since then, my pain has worsened, which I HOpe is temporary. But, I wonder if my body has become sensitized to radiation.
I would like to learn from others as well as share my experieces to help others. Thank you for listening.
* NEAR INFRAred light act to increase the production of NItrous OXIDe which acts as a vasodilator. The increased blood flow brings more oxygen and nutrients while taking away more waste (SUch as damaged tissue).
I also have swelling along the ribs were I was radiated in 2008 and persistent rib pain…the pain has been a constant but the veiny swelling is new and about the size of a drink coaster. Bras are quite painful but I am large busted despite the lumpectomies and feel awkward without one.
Hi there! I’m new here. I started radiation in August 2010 and finished in October of 2010. I am still suffering from rib pain. If I don’t think about the pain it’s not there. But some days it just hurts. Even if they had told me about this side effect of radiation, I still would have gone through with it.
I am thankful to have other pink sisters to chat with.
MoniJoy
Hi monijoy, I finished rads in Oct 16 and find I can go for a while with no pain then I suddenly stretch over to far or the wrong way and the pain is there I guess it’s something we are all going to have to live with, but your right I would never have not had the treatment x
Hi I had radiotherapy 6 years ago and developed chest and breast pain this summer. I thought the cancer was back and Was sent to the John Radcliffe for tests. X rays ultra sound. Seems that I have costochondritis and the rib pain radiates into the breast even the nipple and am told this won’t go back to normal. So stuck with rib and chest pain and scared to even lift my shopping bag in case I make it worse. Does anyone have a better prog Isis than this.
I have started wearing genie bras that are soft and dont dig in. I am 38c but they do fit larger ladies. Worth a look for the comfort factor. I can’t bear a normal bra any more
Mine seemed to go on for a good nine months but gradually receded and went away after about a year