For the past 3 years I’ve been getting what feels like a muscle spasm behind my ribs on the bc side. It come on very suddenly normally when I bend forward or twist in certain way. It’s really painful and takes my breath away. It only lasts for about 10 seconds or so. It feels like something is being pinched or squeezed. I can go weeks without it happening.
Just wondering if anyone else has this and what it could be? I’m assuming it’s damage from rads.
It’s 4 and a half years since rads and lumpectomy with therapeutic mammoplasty.
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Blackcat182
I also have the same situation , I had a mastectomy in 2019 during Covid …I had 5 x3 rounds of radiotherapy over one week instead of the customary 15 x 1 rounds, over three weeks ,I was told it was being done across the country to limit hospital visits and possible Covid exposure.
I’ve had both physio and acupuncture to relieve this pain to little avail. I have been told it is due to radiotherapy, shrinking the muscle in the chest. I take amitriptyline to block nerve pain and take pain meds too.
Stretching exercises help for a while but soon after the pain returns so exercise has to always be regular or the muscle shrinks back causing this issue .
Good luck but ask to see a physio who deals with cancer patients they understand what’s happening.
Good luck
D
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Thanks for your reply, I too had the short version of rads in June 2020 due to covid. I’ve definitely got some radiation induced fibrosis going on as my breast and shoulder is very tight. Exercise and stretching helps. But these sudden muscle spasms or cramps when I bend forward is really unsettling, I have to stand up straight for a few seconds and wait for it to fade away before a can move again.
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I’ve had exactly the same symptoms as you but not on bc side and i have had this occasionally in the past prior to breast cancer, so it could be nothing to do with your treatment and just a coincidence!
I have the same, also ribs/chest bc side, not all the time but maybe on average about once a week and when I move/twist a certain way. I had 5 rads May 2020 during lockdown, reduced from 15 the same as you, then more rads at the end of 2023 same side. The pain only lasts a minute or so before it starts to ease but it is sharp and debilitating whilst it happens. I had assumed it was radiotherapy damage too so it’s good to hear from you, although sorry you are in pain.
Lisa x
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Hi
I get a similar ache/ spasm sometimes when i twist to wipe my bum!
Pilates has helped to stretch my side and if it really gets me a warm bean bag ( microwave version) for a few minutes as i hate taking pills unless i really have to
( i had 1 session x 14 days of radiotherapy on right cooked boob August and September 2023 and its definitely less frequent now)
I also used Epson salts in a bath weely
Good luck
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Hi again
My shoulder same side as mastectomy has been frozen several times over last years this latest and longest period I put down to the fact I’m now stage 4. New meds new side effects. But the cramping under rib cage was after radiotherapy in 2019. Physio have said it’s caused by the radiotherapy, like someone else mentioned I get mine on the toilet, when I twist. But I also get it if I reach up high.
Oncologist states it’s muscular and nothing to fret over, but he doesn’t live my pain.
I hope you get more joy from your drs,
D
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Yes you’re right it might not be linked to my cancer treatment. Whilst googling yesterday I came across this thread from the mumsnet forum and there are loads of people on there with the same issue. I will try and link the thread incase anyone else wants a read.
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Hi
In my case, what I referred to as ‘occasional muscle spasms’ post BC treatment (chemo, then right sided mastectomy and lymph node clearance, radiotherapy and 2 years worth of abemiciclib alongisde ongoing Letrozole and bisphosphonates) was due to brain mets. However, maybe the symptoms were different in that the.spasms were painless. They started in my trunk, then moved to right arm and then to right leg and foot after which i temporarily lost coordination of right foot, arm and hand. This was over a period of 12 months. My GP booked me in for a brain MRI which revealed a large brain tumour with surroundomg oedema thought to be either metastatic bc or an aggressive meinigioma. It was in my parietal lobe and overlay the motor strip. A neurosurgeon planned to remove it under intraoperative neuromonitoring to minimise deficit. Sadly this was not possible and only 50% could be removed to avoid further damage to motor control. In the few weeks whilst I awaited the MRI and then surgery I rapidly deteriorated to the extent that even my left foot was affected by lack of coordination following spasms, on one occasion not being able to walk and constantly dropping or spilling things held in my right hand. Fine motor skills in my right hamd are still very poor, hence lots of typos, but that has been a problem for a long time. Pre surgery my neurosurgeon was not sure if the spasms were partial/focal seizures or just irritation from the swelling. He put me on dexamethasone to reduce the swelling with a plan to start anti seizure meds if the soasms didn’t go away. Up until then the spasms were not visible e
Sorry my right hand still has a mind of its own and didn’t mean to send that unfinished message with lots of typos.
The day after I started dexamethasone I had a seizure affecting same parts of my body with visible repetitive jerking in right arm and then right leg. I was conscious throughout but it lasted a long time. I was then put on anti seizure meds and haven’t had a seizure since. 3 weeks post surgery I learnt that the tumour is breast cancer mets and still oestrpgen positive as with primaty tumour. I was hoping it was a meningioma but aware that, whatever the case, radiotherapy would likely be necesary post surgery. 2.5 weeks layer I am still awaiting full histology report and keen to know whether the latest tumour is HER2 -ve as with the one that was in my breast back at the end of 2021. Aware that it is unusual for hormone +ve mets to go straight to brain and nowhere else I am surprised and alarmed by results and longing for details of other investigations to be passed to me and my local hospital so that a treatment plan can be sortef before I further deteriorate such that I would not qualify for radiotherapy. I have headaches every day but usually only mild and probably didn’t make much of these earlier because they really were so very mild. One CNS confidently told me they were due to low fluid intake. I was irritated at the time as , being on abemiciclib, I was really careful to carry litres of water with me wherever I went and to constantly sip water even if i didnt feel like it. I greatly regret not making more of my symptoms and of putting the spasms down to BC treatment.
Apologies for typos. I struggle to use right arm and hand but this is so important I wantwd to let other BC survivors know not to dismiss misvle spasms. I believe i may have had brain mets at outset but as i didnt habmve headaches they wouldnt habe scanned my brain.
Best if luck everybody
Abemified