Headaches, white nipple and hot flushes
Headaches, white nipple and hot flushes I haven’t posted for a while and have now finished all my treatment.(6 FEC chemo and 25 rads) I finished my rads 3 weeks ago and all seemed well. Now I keep getting shooting pains in my breast (I had lumpectomy) and around my nipple where it’s usually brown is now white. Anyone tell me is this any cause for concern - has it happened to you?
I also keep getting headaches or rather more like pains in my head that seem to come and go, around my temples.
I also get lots of hot flushes and am on clonidine and the BCN says I won’t know for up to a year if it’s the menopause, because of the chemo.
But out of all of the post treatment things the one that is affecting
me the most is aching joints. I mentioned to the oncologist Drs who didn’t know why. Mornings I wake up and seem to have siezed up! My ankles are the worst and feel like they have just gone stiff until I walk about and they seem to loosen.Even talking on the phone for 10 minutes my elbow stiffens.
Oh dear I’m going on a bit but these little niggles start to get on top of you when they gang up like this!
Wishing you all well x
Hi Hi Joanne
I just wanted you to know that you are not alone in this!
Personally I can’t give you any hints re the nipple, so can only suggest seeing your GP or mentioning it to your BCN/onc.
But, although I am 42, I have already been through the menopause (when I was 35) due to surgery. I then went through it again during chemo and am now fully back into meno mode on Arimidex! I get the ‘Mornings I wake up and seem to have siezed up! My ankles are the worst and feel like they have just gone stiff until I walk about and they seem to loosen’ to be totally honest it makes me feel like I am in my 80’s instead of the 40’s.
I get hot flushes once or twice every hour all day long, I get the night sweats and OMG I get pins and needles during the night , enough that when I finally get up my right hand can stay dead for up to half an hour! It really is draining and I can really feel for you, I’m getting more an more tired through lack of sleep from flushes, sweat and P&N’s. I too get the headaches, I keep putting them down to other excuses but I am pretty sure that they are part and parcel of the meno again, as I had them the first time round.
Are you on Tamoxifen? I know a lot of my symptoms are down to the Arimidex I now take, so maybe if you are the Tamoxifen could it be part of the cause?
My GP and BCN just keep telling me that eventually my body will re-adjust to the side effects of the Arimidex and the meno symptoms should disappear again! At the moment both my hubby and I agree the symptoms are worsening each week…
I do feel for you and hope that you can get to the bottom of your nipple problems and that also these horrid symptoms stop soon.
Lynn x
Hi Joanne
I finished rads on 3rd Jan, had WLE and Lymphs a year ago in 4 days time!! 6th April!
My nipple is a different colour to the other one, it is much lighter at times I would say its an off white colour. My skin came off the nipple whilst having rads and its left it very hard to the touch. I also sometimes get shooting pains but was told this is caused by the trauma of the operation and then the rads.
Hope this helps
Suzanne
x
Hello Joanne
I haven’t started rads yet as I’m only two thirds of the way through chemo but the FEC also gave me the shooting pains in my breast and head - exactly as you describe. My onc said the breast pains were the nerves starting to wake up after the surgery. Mu nipple hasn’t changed colour though.
I’m post menopausal but I also had dreadful hot flushes with FEC.
Hope you feel better soon.
Anthi
Thanks for your comments Thanks for your comments. It’s also true that you become aware of every ache and pain.
Lynn - I’m not on Arimidex or anything because my GP wasn’t sure that I was allowed to go on anything. My BCN says I may be able to go on HRT but would need to discuss it with my oncologist first.
It’s interesting that you say you get pins and needles in your right hand. I get that too ! (my chemo hand incidently)The docs tell me I have carpal tunnel syndrome. Next time yours goes numb check your little finger as my hand goes numb except my little one and that’s because of the way the nerves run down your hand. The nerves run through a channel in your wrist and when they get compressed your hand goes numb. I don’t know why it happens at night but will be asking when I go to see the plastics drs in a weeks time.
Same symptoms Hi Joanne
Yes…ditto to everything! I finished chemo Nov 05 and 20 rads Jan 06 following WLE. A year on and I feel like my joints have seized up at times. Worse in the mornings and later in the evening if I get up out of the chair after watching TV for an hour or so, my ankles and feet just won’t bend. I have to walk “flat-footed” for the first few minutes. My middle toes are always numb and tingling but I’ve seen an Orthopaedic Surgeon who says it’s something called Mortons Neuroma which could or could not have been brought on by the chemo.
Also having hot flushes because at the age of 48 when diagnosed, I hit the menopause full on after 2nd chemo!
I’m er neg (actually triple neg) so can only take clonidine for the flushes which occur all through the day 2 or 3 times an hour (I’m just switching the fan back on at my desk as I type !). Also my nipple is a creamy-white colour and looks very dry. I have experienced shooting pains in the nipple in the past and just below in the ribcage but these don’t seem so frequent now although over this weekend I’ve noticed some redness and soreness come back under the breast that had radiotherapy. One consolation is though I used to suffer horrible migraines monthly but I haven’t had one since being diagnosed with bc ! Neither do I miss having periods!
It does make you wonder when all these things will stop but I’m sure they will in time.
Good luck. Keep well!
Bev x
Hi Joanne,the aches and pains do go eventually.Mine lasted for nearly a year after chemo.My back was so painful at times I couldnt walk without support and it took a while each morning for my ankles and knees to ‘unstiffen’…my feet were even sore!There were times when I’d ache all over as if I had flu- I felt 110! Got through bottles of cod liver oil(which I still swear by) Three years down the line and I’m feeling fine - actually have more energy than pre chemo days but put that down to my improved lifestyle and diet.
Lifestyle and Diet Hi Josyemarie
Hope you don’t mind me asking, in what way have you changed your diet and lifestyle?
Love Lesley x