Joint/Bone Pain

BBK
BBK Member Posts: 53
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I've probably asked this before...but, I'm gonna ask again. I finished 4 rounds of A/C Chemo the beginning of May. On July 2, I started with the 5 years of Tamoxifen. (I had a mastectomy in January, with immediate tram flap reconstruction; invasive ductal carcinoma, with 0 lymph involvement, and no apparent spread -- all scans came back negative). I'm this week having very annoying bone/joint pain -- now in both hips, knees, right ankle, and left wrist. Is this related to the Tamoxifen? A side effect I'll have to live with? Or what? Any suggestions for relief? I see my breast surgeon next week, so will ask her about this. Just checking in with my "friends" here, who may have "been there, done that" and have some sage advice! Am I perhaps doing too much and should slow down? It frustrates me that I'm not back to my old self, and able to handle the load I've always handled so easily. I guess i'm not sure how much is too much, and haven't found my limitations yet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! The pain wakes me up at night, and is a constant source of irritation during the day. Thanks heaps and bunches!

Barb (glad for a cozy house after a rainy summer day here in southern Maine)

Comments

  • jfsnowflake
    jfsnowflake Member Posts: 15
    #2
    Hi Barb: No exact response to the bone pain. It has been 7 years since AC and 3 since Taxol..and I did have 4.5 years on Tamoxifen. I remember having new pains in joints etc..I remember that clearly because each time I wondered if the cancer was back. Ugh!! Somewhere in the midst of time they subsided. One thing I can tell you for sure....is that your body deserves time to "get back" to where you want to be. You have had major surgery and been bombarded with tough drugs. Your body is working hard to be strong for you, give it some time to do just that!!
    Not really much of an answer to your question, but a reminder of how much you have been through and that fatigue related to treatments takes time to overcome! Peace to you as you await healing!!
    Jane
  • geral
    geral Member Posts: 130
    #3
    Hi Barb,

    I typed you a rather lengthy response here, but my computer bombed, so I lost it! Sorry, but I don't feel like re-typing it. Long story short, yours sounds like fibromyalgia. Do a search at the bottom of this screen on 'fibromyalgia'. Alot of good info that may pertain to you.

    Congratulations on finishing chemo and good luck with your pains!

    Take care
    Geral
  • lindatn
    lindatn Member Posts: 229
    #4
    Don't know if this will help as I have the same questions as you and the same darn pain. I started Tamoxifen in Dec of 2002 after finishing radiation on Dec 6th. My breast became RED and my joints started hurting. Especially my hips and knees. In April of this year we have had the extra stress as my husband starting 42 rounds of radiation for prostate cancer so I have considered some of the pain as tension. Dr says Tamoxifen doesn't cause hip or knee pain. I have found the Drs don't always tell us the truth only what the drug companies tell them the side effects might be. I have read you gals for a year or more and you have been great. This prostate cancer seems to be the last straw for me. He has five more treatments left and then with a lot of prayer hopefully all cancer was destroyed with radiation as it is locally advanced. Last year we were getting ready to retire and have fun, we still try but with both of us dealing with cancer it has been hard not to be depressed. Linda
  • ryley
    ryley Member Posts: 55
    #5
    I have experienced joint/bone pain after my chemo treatments ended. If you look way back in postings from a couple months ago, some others had experienced the same joint/bone pain after chemo, so I believe it's a post-chemo thing. I think (hope) it subsides after time because it is really irritating. I, too am trying to get back to what is "normal" for me to do and enjoy. Your tamoxifen probably just coincided with the end of your chemo and seems like a side effect of that.

    Hope that helps. All we can do is wait (always waiting it seems) and see.

    Ryley
  • chemoqueen1
    chemoqueen1 Member Posts: 50
    #6
    I have heard that the Tamoxifen can cause joint pain as well as depression, mood swings and hot flashes. There is another drug they can use instead of Tamoxifen, I think it is called Arimdex or something like that. Anyway, I will start Tamoxifen in a couple of months and am going to ask my Onc about alternatives, the sound of joint pain does not sound too apealling to me.
  • geral
    geral Member Posts: 130
    #7
    geral said:

    Hi Barb,

    I typed you a rather lengthy response here, but my computer bombed, so I lost it! Sorry, but I don't feel like re-typing it. Long story short, yours sounds like fibromyalgia. Do a search at the bottom of this screen on 'fibromyalgia'. Alot of good info that may pertain to you.

    Congratulations on finishing chemo and good luck with your pains!

    Take care
    Geral

    Hi again!

    I have alot of joint pains also such as hips, knees, heels, wrists, hands, etc...Well, today, I went for my followup appt. since my bloodwork and x-rays taken at the Rheumatologist a month ago. The good news is that I don't have Rheumatoid Arthritis, but I do have Fibromyalgia and early stage OsteoArthritis (OA). He prescribed Amitryptiline (Elavil) which is a mild anti-depressant for the Fibromyalgia. I already take Glucosamine/Chondroitin for OA pain. Also, told me to exercise.

    -Geral
  • SandraM
    SandraM Member Posts: 1
    #8
    ryley said:

    I have experienced joint/bone pain after my chemo treatments ended. If you look way back in postings from a couple months ago, some others had experienced the same joint/bone pain after chemo, so I believe it's a post-chemo thing. I think (hope) it subsides after time because it is really irritating. I, too am trying to get back to what is "normal" for me to do and enjoy. Your tamoxifen probably just coincided with the end of your chemo and seems like a side effect of that.

    Hope that helps. All we can do is wait (always waiting it seems) and see.

    Ryley

    I too have experienced joint/bone pain. I finished my chemo (a/c) middle of April...started radiation May .... complained to Ocologist of bone pain ... had a bone scan performed......the results being negative....no cancer/nothing. I. too, point my finger at the Chemo, and was told that it will take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year to get back to where you were prior to treatments.

    God Bless You and Yours.....

    sandy :-)

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