Hi all, I am a bit concerned just now. I found out I had liver secondaries nearly 3 months ago and am on chemo every week. My oncologist said my stomach is swollen because the liver is swollen so its pushing outward from below the ribs thus the swollen tummy. Does this ever go away - I have always been slim and am having a hard time looking at my distended stomach every day. Some days its seems to be going down then the next day its as bad as before. Probably a trivial thing to moan about but it is getting me down. God its bad enough looking at my mastectomy every damn day without this as well. Any good news would be really welcome. I will ask next time I see my oncologist but just wondered if anyone else has the same thing.
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Hi Katie,
I was in hospital all day yesterday when I got home at 10pm last night was so knackered I just went to bed. Sorry I could not reply sooner.
In the 5 years since secs diag I have have had this happen a couple of times. My tummy was so swollen I looked pregnant. It does on the little picture I have o here! Then after 6 x fec it shrank back. Capecitabine made me pu on a fair bit of weight so you could see it again. Taxol and avastin I could feel my insides go back, a bit like when you have given birth. My problem now is they are trying to move out again so causing me a fair bit of pain.
Love Debsxxx
Hi Debs many thanks for your reply. I am on taxol just now, had 11 so far. With being so slim before it probably looks to me worse than it actually is but I just feel like I have this balloon tummy the majority of the time. I did think maybe I’d put on some weight but according to the scales its only 4 pounds I’ve put on. It is not sore at all, maybe a little uncomfortable. Do you think it will go down once the treatment has stopped, does the treatment aggravate the liver at all, youd think it wouldn’t tho. I should prob ask my oncologist all these questions but I am terrible I dont really ask a thing, I get really nervous when I go in and i just clam up, lol. I also have secondaries in my spine, hips, and lung, but I feel well enough so the treatment must be working, its just this stomach thing that worries me.
I’m being treated for liver secondaries…I haven’t noticed a swollen stomach, but I think Taxol (which I’m also having) encourages fluid retention, too - could this be part of your problem?
Hi S, yes it might be water retention as well. After my first taxol my ankles swelled up, as well as my stomach, and they did give me some water tablets. I am just worried that if after 11 taxols the liver is still swollen, then there is a problem, but maybe not, fingers crossed X
Yes, I get puffy toes and sometimes fingers, too. Also my recon site and side seem to swell up, too. I think the Taxol finds the weak spots in our bodies (a place that always hurts for a day or so after this chemo is my right knee, on which I had keyhole surgery a few years ago, weird).
I wouldn’t be surprised if there is alround bloating, too. Certainly there are days when I never seem to go near the loo, others when it’s my second home. You too?
Keeping my fingers crossed too for you and me both!
Hi Katie, I have secondaries in my liver since last March and have had a distended stomach on and off since then. I look pregnant some days - very attractive. My onc says my liver and spleen is enlarged and that I also have ascites- fluid in abdomen. Hope this helps you Kate, xxxxx