Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi 021210 I've had front rib tenderness and my pectoral muscle has been quite sore and tender for the last month - tho easing off now (I'm now 3.5 months post rads). Looking in my Dr Susan Love's Breast Book she says that radiotherapy causes inflammation of the pect muscle and as it begins to regenerate it can get sore and stiff (usually 3-6 months post rads) She also mentions costochondritis, inflammation of the space between the breasts where ribs and breastbone connect - again caused by rads. Says both will go in time. Hope this helps. Fx ... View more

I think you are still able to watch it via ITV player. Try this link http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=loosewomen ... View more

I've just had my flu jab done at the supermarket - Sainsburys, Asda, Lloyds etc are all doing them (at their pharmacys), cost around £8-10. Just need to phone and book an appt. Painless jab over and done with within 5 minutes - then do the shopping! Just a precaution as I don't want to get really ill this winter ontop of BC etc. Just remember to offer your 'other' arm (avoiding lymphoedema) ... View more

Interesting article in the news about soya http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14442851 Soy 'does not ease the menopause' Soy appears to do nothing to relieve the symptoms of menopause, scientists say, despite the high hopes of many. A controlled study involving nearly 250 US women going through "the change" found soy tablets did not abate hot flushes or bone density loss. The tablets were no better than placebo over the two-year-long investigation, Archives of Internal Medicine reports. But experts said other studies have shown soy can ease menopause symptoms. The dose given in the latest trial was twice that normally ingested by people with soy-rich diets. Soy products like tofu contain natural plant oestrogens and experts have suggested that these might help women going through the menopause whose own oestrogen levels are dwindling. 'Not a candidate' Many women are already offered oestrogen in the form of hormone replacement therapy or HRT to help with menopausal symptoms. But following reports that prolonged use of HRT may carry a very small increased risk of other conditions, like breast cancer and stroke, some do not want to go on HRT and look for alternatives. The researchers from the University of Miami say their work suggests soy is not a candidate, although they stress that they only looked at soy isoflavone tablets rather than other dietary sources of soy. They recruited 248 menopausal women to take part in their study and randomly allocated them to one of two groups: soy or placebo. The soy group received 200mg of soy isoflavone tablets daily for two years, while the women in the placebo group were given dummy pills. During the follow-up, no significant differences were found between the two groups regarding changes in bone loss - a common side effect of the menopause. Menopausal symptoms such as sleep disturbances affected both groups to similar degrees, although the soy group did appear to experience more hot flushes than the placebo group overall. Lead researcher Dr Silvina Levis said: "My advice would be that women should reconsider taking these products for menopausal symptoms. We found soy isoflavone tablets did not provide any benefit.” "We did not look at soy foods but I suspect these too would probably not be helpful." Dr Malcolm Whitehead, a menopause expert at King's College Hospital in London, said: "I'm not at all surprised by the findings. In my clinical experience, women say this doesn't work for them." He said HRT could be a safe and effective treatment for most women. A spokesperson from the charity Women's Health Concern said that other studies had shown soy could be helpful for treating symptoms of the menopause ... View more

radiance gel http://www.shopatpennybrohn.com/product1015.asp?PageID=1 ... View more

Hi bun, I hope not because thats the one I'm on! Generics [UK] Ltd are being re–branded (taken over by) to Mylan, so it might be worth the pharmacist looking under Mylan to order them. Tell me how you get on, then I'll know for next prescription. Thanks http://www.generics.uk.com/ http://www.generics.uk.com/products.htm?letter=T ... View more

I asked these questions to dr.organics before my rads and this is their answer: dr.organics aloe vera gel is 98.7% organic aloe vera. The other ingredients are 2 gelling agents to stop the product turning watery and food grade preservatives to stop the product going brown and smelly. Quite often companies mean that 99.9% of the aloe vera that is in the product is 'gel' as opposed to the total product is 99.9% aloe vera. (!!!) I used it throughout my radiotherapy treatment and its brillant - lovely and cooling. Before rads I just washed my skin with aqueous, then afterwards applied this aloe vera gel generously every hour or so to stop the itchyness, redness and soreness. (take some to the hospital with you to apply after) Brilliant product. ... View more

bumped for OAL ... View more

Hi OAL - Just referring to your original post and link about Aqueous Cream containing a detergent called sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) - there was a good programme on BBC2 tonight called 'Wonderstuff' (watch on iplayer now) which told you all about SLS and showed you how it is made. Interesting! Aloe vera rules! ... View more

Thank you hjv123 🙂 I feel like a transformer at times - getting knocked down and broken, then pulling myself together again, transforming into a slightly different person! Early days - still shocked and exhausted by it all (rads tiredness not helping too), but can’t wait to get my old self back with more energy! Summer holidays have started, lazy mornings and ice-cream! yippee!!! x ... View more

I too now just use the aqueous for washing. I got rather itchy skin after 8 rads using aqueous. Then I used Penny Brohn Radiance skin gel (brill, but £ve) and dr.organic aloe vera gel (sold at H&B) generously every hour or so after my treatments, and my skin is no longer so itchy! Had 15 rads so far and feel comfortable. The gels take away the heat, swelling, redness and itching. Even the radiotherapy nurse said they were ok. The reason why they can't advocate anything other than aqueous or E45 is that there have been no clinical trails done on other products. Plus some people might not buy pure 99% aloe vera gel by mistake. So it is safer for them to recommend the aqueous and E45. ... View more