Hi everyone.
I completed weekly paclitaxol 2 wks ago and have developed sore and stiff hips. Gp and chemo unit thought it could be due to chemo but this is a new smptom for me. I had pain in other places during my chemo which could be quite bad for a couple of days but would then resolve but this seems to be getting slowly worse and is really restricting my mobiltiy. I was wondering if anyoe else has had these symtoms. I have bone secondries but as far as i’m aware not in my hips/pelvis.
Maddison
Hi Maddison
Sorry to hear you’re struggling – haven’t had that chemo, but I also have bone (and liver) mets, and developed serious pain in my right hip in January – bone scan in February showed bone met progression in right sacrum & hip, but by that time, the pain had pretty much gone! Guess the “wonderful” drugs (Xeloda, Bondronat & Aromasin) kicked in after a few weeks and sorted those little devils for the time being. I have had a couple of similar episodes since my mets DX in Oct 2003 – 2 or 3 weeks of pain, then it subsides. I wonder if that’s a pattern familiar to anyone else?
Hope you’ll be feeling lots better soon.
Marilyn xx
Thanks Marif
Woke up this morning with shoulder pain as well. I’m hoping its just due to after effects of chemo. Havnt had a bone scan in a while but only had mets in spine and ribs before, (bone that is) as I’ve got them in liver and lungs as well but no symptoms from them. I take bondronat and I think will be starting Aromasin when I see Onc in 2 wks. Before I found original lump under arm in feb 2005 I had had an episode of severe pain in ribs which lasted afew weeks and then went totally. That was the same area where I have mets so the pattern does sound familiar. Hvae you had liver mets since 2003?
Maddison
Hi Maddison
Sorry to hear you’re having more pain and hope it is just the after-effects of your chemo . . . or maybe you just slept in an awkward position? It can get very scary and confusing when we have “unidentified” pain – and we just can’t help but think the worst case scenario.
Yes, I had liver mets diagnosed in October 2003, shortly after my bone mets; I’m pretty sure I’d had the bone mets for at least a year before that, as I’d been getting terrible pains in places that eventually showed up as “hot-spots” on my bone scan. It took forever to get that diagnosis because my local Breast Care Unit had delayed/stopped seeing their old patients (had my primary BC dx in May 1997), as they only had enough resources to see newly referred people. Scandalous or what?!? Finally, my GP and I both requested that I be seen as a matter of urgency, as I was in a lot of pain, and that did the trick: bone scan, referral to onc at Christie Hospital, liver scan, blast of radio, the drugs, etc.
My liver mets were dx via an ultra-sound scan that they did as a matter of course after bone met dx; I have scans every 4 to 6 months or so. Initially, liver mets shrank and some disappeared when I started Xeloda & Arimidex (changed to Aromasin after two years, when I had some liver progression), and except for that one episode of progression in November 2005, I’ve had “stable” results. Went for my most recent ultra-sound scan three weeks ago, and the doc couldn’t find any of my liver mets!!! While I’m sure they’d show up on a CT scan, I’m not complaining! Have no liver pain, and bloods & LFTs have always been normal since mets dx.
I wonder how you feel about asking your onc for a bone scan when you go in two weeks? I know my onc team are always ready to respond if/when I have any new pains or symptoms, and I would hope yours would do the same. Then, if you have some new “hot-spots”, they might be able to offer you some rads to reduce/remove the pain. My onc definitely wouldn’t want me to stop Bondronat & go onto an IV bisphosphonate, as he believes we get a better, more consistent dose when taking the tablets, which ensures that any bone pain that some of us get just before the monthly IV injection isn’t confused with met progression.
Hope that’s useful for you, and that you’ll be feeling lots better very soon.
Marilyn xx
Hi Marif
I had bone scan in Jan 07 which showed no activity in the 2 hotspots in ribs and the 2 hotspots in spine were stable. Felt really positive. Had CT scan in Oct as I had coughed up some blood which showed extensive spinal mets as well as lung and liver. I don’t know what had happened in those 9 mths but the cancer seems to have gone mad. Didnt do anything different and felt really well. I was on Arimidex which obviously didnt do anything. I will ask for a bone scan if I still have the pain . Hoping its the after effects of chemo but in the back of mind I dont think so. Lfts and cancer markers have been raised slightly but have reduced during the chemo…
Maddison xxx
Hi Maddison
yes definitely get it checked put- but could be absolutely nothing to do with it…I had really persistent rib pain after first chemo for primary in 03 and had a bone scan in 05 which found nothing…and then after raised markers in 07 found lots of little spots in my bones with no symptoms whatsoever, unfortunately in my liver as well. With hindsight I can see I had some liver symptoms but really the bones were a total suprise. definitely chemo induced stiffness and pain is a real thing, i hope it is that…
take care,
Cathy
Thanks Cathy
Hips not as bad today although stiffened up this afternoon. will see how I go. Sun shone today so i felt in a better frame of mind anyway.
maddison
Hi Maddison
I have mets in my hip and pelvis. It took forever to get it finally dx as mets last Nov as originally it was thought to be arthritis. Looking back I was in terrible amounts of pain. I couldn’t walk properly as I couldn’t put any weight on the hip. I couldn’t even lift my leg up. The pain was like a constant dull ache. It was worse at night and stopped me from sleeping. Not sure if that sounds familiar. I’d say if in doubt definitely get a bone scan done – or at least an X-ray (though mine weren’t picked up in an X-ray). I’m a good lesson in not letting things go on and on and on unresolved. I’m pleased to say now that I’m completely pain-free. I had a total hip replacement, followed by rads, hormonals etc and am currently on a course of FEC. I’m now back riding my horse, walking my dog, back at work part-time and not taking any pain-killers. I hope you feel better – the sunshine and longer evenings definitely go a long way to cheering me up too!