Hi all i am new to this but i have really enjoyed reading up on all your reviews and it has helped me immensely.
I was just wondering if anybody else has suffered from back and shoulder pain which also effects under the arm which has had the lymph nodes removed. It always comes on when i am standing up or walking. My onc said it is most likely to be muscular as i had a bone scan before my mastectomy which was clear ( thank goodness) my lymph nodes were also clear.
I have just had my 3rd treatment of Epi and start 20 sessions of radiotherapy after the 4th chemo and then another 4 treatments of CMF.
I just do not know if it is a muscular problem or if anybody else has had similar problems.
Thanks
Lorraine
Can’t offer anything medically sound - but there are all kind of weird pains associated with the otherwise numb armpit, the shoulder, the other armpit (it’s jealous and wants to get in on the act even though its breast is quite clear) - you name it. I also had lymph nodes removed - 20 of them & mets in 5 - but WLE rather than mastectomy, and a clear bone scan. It’s all just part of the drill… drill… drill… You’re in company with a crowd, which is a comfort of sorts.
M-L
Hi Lorraine
I had mast and total node removal 2.5 weeks ago - and the pain under my arm, back and shoulder is chronic - the doc gave me liquid morphine initially then the bcn said that it was to do with the nreve endings that had been messed about with during surgery - I now have gabapentin - it is starting to work - but like you when I am standing for a while or walking for a while - the pain is terrible. To cap it all I now have an infection in the wound (2nd time as had one with lumpectomy) so am taking strong antibiotics.
Hope you can get something sorted - 'cos it’s not good to suffer in pain.
Best of luck
Pam
xx
Thankyou for your comments they are much appreciated as i thought i was the only one out here that was suffering with these weird aches and pains.
I hope you all get on well and hopefully all the treatment will be over and done with soon, thats what i keep telling myself by Xmas it will be all over with and i can get back to normality. I will just have to wait on appt for the rec.
Goodluck
Lorraine
Hi Lorraine The way you describe your pain is exactly like mine. I had a masectomy in March including 20 lymph nodes removed. The area under my armpit is numb, so is the side of my arm and I get back pain right across my shoulderblade especially when I go out for a walk. I posted a question about it under the section about undergoing treatment surgery recently and got quite a few comments back . Maybe you could take a look . It might be helpful. It seems that it is quite a common problem. My onc says that you get pain in the back because it is the nerve endings connected to the spinal cord.
Best wishes Rachel