weird arm pain

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reece
reece Member Posts: 20
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi
I had a MRM Aug, 2002, 18 nodes removed,chemo and radiation. Just last week I started to have a pain on my shoulder blade on that side (right). It feels sort of like a bruise, but there isn't one. It doesn't hurt continuously, only if I touch it, or lean on it. Now, I'm having similar pains in that arm. It's a strange feeling really. there are a couple of spots that feel like a bruise when I touch them, again no visible bruise. Then my forearm, wrist and elbow hurt if i rub it. Like when putting on lotion or washing and drying my hands. It's like a "pulling" sensation, combined with a bruising feeling.
I don't have any swelling, so I'm hoping it's not lymphedema. I haven't injured my arm either. I'm hoping it's not recurrance - anyone else have these symptoms a year later? I see my onc. in 2 weeks, and I'm not panicking, yet, but i wonder if i should call a lymphedema specialist? Is this a sign of lymphedema?
reece
ps- i had a similar feeling in my other arm, but only on the vein, and that was due to chemo burn.

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  • newboobs
    newboobs Member Posts: 121
    #2
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    Hi -- long time no see. My arm on the mastec. side aches sometimes when I strain it --too much yard work, etc. You need to call your local ACS office and go to their Lymphedema education workshop and visit www.lymphedema.net. I always wear a compression sleeve when I fly too --

    Be sure to ask your doctor about it. Good Luck!
  • chas707
    chas707 Member Posts: 30
    #3
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    I had what sounds like about the same thing that you are descibing. Mine did not start out at the shoulder blade though, it started on my forearm right where yout arm bends, right on top of a vein. It only really hurt to touch it or rub it, then it got very sore to the touch and it seemed to move down my arm to my hand, my hand was very sore like between my nuckles of my index and second finger. Then moved all the way to my index finger. It would swell and hurt to rub it on the inside (side that touches second finger) It was strange really. I had a Bilateral Mast Feb 02 with lymph removal on right side, this was happening on my right side this summer, a little over a year after surgery. I went to see my surgeon that performed the surgery and told him of my symptoms. He put me on a regimine of IBprofin, (however you spell it)he said it sounded like an inflamed muscle. I also would experience a "pulling sensation" every since my surgery that I thougt had something to do with it because it would pull in that same general area on top pf my forearm down to the top of my hand if I bend my wrist and flexed my hand down. I also had a brief run in with the lymphodema monster early last fall and once I got it under control I dont have much of a problem with it, only like when I drive for a long strech, it will ache and swell. It seemed like an agrivated or inflamed muscle that finally flared up good and after I treated it with IBProfin and it ran its course I dont have any problems at all now with it. No pulling or soreness at all. Oh another point I wanted to mention was that when it worked its wasy down to my hand and finger, it was always first thing in the morning that it was the sorest. I hope this helps. Sound like you may have the same thing that was going on with me. Please email me if you have anymore questions. chas707@adelphia.net
  • KimInBeirut
    KimInBeirut Member Posts: 39
    #4
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    Had very similar symptoms recently (I finished radiation in March, my surgeries were Dec and Jan). This has happened twice to me - both times after I started exercising again. This time was pretty debilitating, though - my neck, shoulder, shoulder blade, etc was very achy and I had the same "feels like a bruise" in some spots when I touched them. I went to the doc and found out I broke a rib (I have no idea how) and also have some severe muscle inflamation. The prognosis right now is that I just "overdid" it with exercise, but I'm having a bone scan next week to confirm that.
  • workingtired
    workingtired Member Posts: 13
    #5
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    Hi,
    Believe it or not, I just went back to the surgeon yesterday for the same type of pain. Had a simple mastectomy back at the end of May of this year, and started getting pain in my arm runing from the inside of my arm pit all the way down to my finger tips. I can't straighten out my arm and if I try, you can actually see a raised cord pop out toward the surface of the skin. The surgeon told me it's called cording and put me on an anti-inflamitory drug called indomethacin. Told me in about 7-10 days the swelling should go down and the pain should subside. She also gave me a script for physical therapy which I can start in about 10 days if I still can't straighten out the arm. She lead me to believe it would probably go away with the anti-inflamitory.

    I am somewhat relieved, although I thought I was over the surgical recovery stage and was moving around pretty well until two weeks ago when this popped up.

    Hope your arm pain subsides. Go get some answers from your physician, or you'll drive yourself crazy.

    Angela

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