Glad to see the discussion finally got around to the good old bowels!
I am still far looser with what comes from my back end than I ever was before BC. I spent months with diarreah every day, to the point where my bowels were checked for parasites or bugs etc, which they weren’t.
I was popping Imodium like nobodys business, but eventually my GP gave me something called Smecta, a powder you mix with water, taken 3 times a day. Apparently this doesn’t “harm” the bowels quite the same as Imodium. After 3 weeks eventually the diarreah decreased to 3 or 4 times a day instead of 8 or more times.
I still get that awful tummy pain just before you know you just have to run to the loo, especially after very strong coffee for some reason.
I too have suffered with aching joints and muscle stiffness. I have been on tamoxifen, Arimidex and now on aromasin. Things seem to get worse. I got my onc to refer me to a rheumotologist whom I saw in April, the good old NHS is so great that I have had my appointment cancelled 7 times so I wonder if I will see him again!!! Thank g they did not treat you like that with BC! I have had steroid injections in my knees and I found that helps just had them done again Fri. Any way to get to the point of this woffle.
I have been rubbing glucosomine and emu oil on my knees and using little magnetic plasters and a knee brace which is also magnetic, I thought all of these were helping a little, then I read about EMU OIL capsules so in for a penny in for a pound I went and bought some and I can honestly say they have helped me. I have kinda tried everything I finished chemo in May 2008 and Rads in July 2008 so I don’t want to cheer you up but It doesn’t get any better. Hope my tip works
Sorry to hear you’re still having problems so far down the line. I’m always hopeful that I’ll be the one to buck the trend so I’m not too worried. (Ask me again in 6 months and I might feel differently.)
Although I’ve been unlucky enough to get a particularly nasty version of this disease I’ve been very lucky in other ways. I was incredibly lucky to have a good friend who is a specialist in cancer research. That helped me get a very early diagnosis and has made a big difference to my outlook on things.
im so glad im not the only one … i thought i was going mad
ive been in so much pain worse after sitting about … or
first thing in the morning
Im just about to start rad’s so will take it up with the onocologist
when i see them
well it looks like im on good company here!!! i am in AGONY everythning aches. im on arimadex and have been for 3 weeks, not had chemo and about to start rads in jan. im 51 and have gone from never taking a tablet in my life to taking a bin load everyday. im taking calcichew d3 x 2 glucosamine and starflower oil. im assuming then that this is the arimadex’s fault, i know the surgeon is reluctant to change the tablet. does it ease off?(well i can dream!!)
sue
I’ll join this thread, as i also suffer from aching joints, knees, elbows, toes, and when laying in bed my bottom aches. I’ve been on arimidex since march when had dx. had 3 opps as no clear margin. I’m 64 so not had chemo but had 18 rads finished in sept.
I’ve been taking Ibuprofen and co-codamol when really bad but normally take paraceamol. I’m going to dr next wk see whay she recomends.
Hi everyone-
It was reassuring to hear I’m not alone- I’m feeling about one hundred and five at the moment,(I’m 49}, My seventy two year old mother is more nifty than me. Every morning it feels like someone has smashed mey feet with a hammer and my elbows in particular are really swollen. My right hip and butt also hurt! I limp around every morning.I have been on Arimidex for nine months. I had 3 WLE’s last year, 4 tumours and 4 weeks of rads. I went back to work in April.It all got too much at work the other week and I am now off sick again and on tablets for depression, which isn’t really about the tumours I had removed last year- it’s about the pain from Arimidex!!! Meanwhile other breast cancer survivors seem to be presenting chat shows and climbing mountains. I have a lovely family and husband but I am struggling to stay positive. You can all be proud of yourselves if you’ve managed to remain cheery! My eyes keep leaking!
Goldwing Girl
i have the leaky eyes too lol. onc has told me to stop taking arimidex for 1 week and see if there is any improvement if so he will then change it for something else
sue
Just thought I’d come back and let you know that my joints have improved a bit since I first posted. I’m still very stiff in the morning and after sitting around, but the horrible constant pain has eased. I treated myself to an electric blanket and it helped a lot.
Goldwing Girl, don’t be too hard on yourself. Some people come out the other side quite quickly with no lasting after effects but a lot depends on the treatment they’ve had. It doesn’t mean the rest of us aren’t trying hard enough. Hopefully with your lovely family around you at Christmas your depression will lift enough for you to enjoy them.
Hi everyone,
Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. I went to occupational health 2 weeks ago to see if I could rally round to return to work after Christmas, but my leaky eyes let me down. He signed me off for another two months. I feel a bit brighter this week, I am sleeping better now they’ve upped the happy pills. We finally put the Christmas tree up today and there is still a lot of snow outside, so with my three teenagers there is some festive spirit going on. I know I am lucky, I think we don’t always realise how thinly we spread ourselves.
Anyway, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy 2010.
Love Goldwing Girl xx