Hand pain from taking Xeloda

crickless
crickless Member Posts: 14
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I'm desperately searching for relief from the constant hand pain that began when I started taking Xeloda for a B.C. recurrence. The drug is doing its work very well and I don't want to stop taking it, but I spend most of my time reading books because there is so little I can do. I have tried vitamin B-6 (with my oncologist's approval) with no relief; in fact, I think it made the pain worse. I also tried massage, at the recommendation of the Cancer Center at a local hospital; that was expensive and again brought no relief. Do anyone have any suggestions about where I might seek help?
I am very fortunate to have a loving husband who does the shopping, cooking and laundry, while running his accounting business full time--all by himself. He never complains or gives any indication he resents doing most of what gets done around the house. I can make a few meals, but nothing that involves chopping, slicing, etc. I can still feed myself, but sometimes I have to have someone cut my meat for me. My hand hurts when I brush my teeth. And, I'm trying to decide which of my friends is the right one to ask to clean the inside of my refrigerator, because that's another thing I can't do. I try to have a sense of humor about things like that, but I find it very difficult to ask other people to do so many things for me ALL THE TIME!

I started my own business 3-1/2 years ago, when I was orginally diagnosed with B.C. (right after being laid off from my job). Last fall, my business was just starting to take off after I invented Magic Wand Greeting Cards and was selling them at a large independent book store. Then, in November, I was diagnosed with a recurrence, and my business has come to a halt. I can no longer make the wire magic wands.
I'm thankful that at least I can drive my car and go the the park most days to read for several hours. I'm only 62 and NOT ready to retire, but I'm thinking of applying for disability because there is no work I can do. I can't even write a note on a greeting card or make out a check. I can TYPE a short message. (This one, I did in pieces, not all at once.)
I am NOT looking for sympathy, because as I said the drug is working AND I feel pretty good except for the hand pain. I would really, really appreciate any suggestions anyone has. My oncologist has run out of suggestions.

Comments

  • vac
    vac Member Posts: 97
    #2
    is it pain or cramps. i get really bad hand cramps were my thumb sticks behind my hand and my finger stiffens it hurts really bad it last for about 10 minutes. and so do my toes. all i do is message my hands, i don't know what else to do. good luck
  • cruf
    cruf Member Posts: 908
    #3
    Hi! Just wondering if you have seen an Orthopedic Surgeon or a Hand specialist? There might be something there that can be helped. Have you tried any antiinflammatory medications such as Bextra(Been a lifesaver for my shoulder pain) or Vioxx or Celebrex. There is no reason you should be suffering so. Did you ever try PT or OT. They have modalities that help pain relief as well as exercises that can maintain your mobility. Please consider these options. Let us know how you are doing. Feel free to e-mail me at anytime. HUGS!! Cathy
  • crickless
    crickless Member Posts: 14
    #4
    vac said:

    is it pain or cramps. i get really bad hand cramps were my thumb sticks behind my hand and my finger stiffens it hurts really bad it last for about 10 minutes. and so do my toes. all i do is message my hands, i don't know what else to do. good luck

    The pain is constant, not a temporary cramp. I have trouble sleeping because of it. Sometimes I just can't get my hands in a comfortable position. Thanks for your reply. --Caroline
  • crickless
    crickless Member Posts: 14
    #5
    cruf said:

    Hi! Just wondering if you have seen an Orthopedic Surgeon or a Hand specialist? There might be something there that can be helped. Have you tried any antiinflammatory medications such as Bextra(Been a lifesaver for my shoulder pain) or Vioxx or Celebrex. There is no reason you should be suffering so. Did you ever try PT or OT. They have modalities that help pain relief as well as exercises that can maintain your mobility. Please consider these options. Let us know how you are doing. Feel free to e-mail me at anytime. HUGS!! Cathy

    Cathy, Thanks so much for the suggestions. I can't take anything that contains Ibeprofon, so that excludes a lot of the anti-inflammatory meds. I'm not familiar with Bextra, but I'll check it out. The only thing I've tried so far is x-strength Tylenol, which is what usually works for me but not for this hand pain. My oncologist has left the practice where I first found him and won't open his new office until mid-October, but I'll try to get in touch with him to get his approval for options to try. I really was about to give up but your list of the many possible options has encouraged me to keep looking for pain relief. Thank you so much. --Caroline
  • jamjar62
    jamjar62 Member Posts: 135
    #6
    Hi...I also take Bextra for my hip pain from Tamoxifen. My GP gave me samples of Vioxx, Celebrex, Tylenol Arthritis, Mobic and Bextra. Vioxx, Mobic, and Celebrex really tore up my stomach and the Tylenol isn't strong enough. I tried the Bextra and it didn't seem to be working so I went back to the Celebrex because it worked and I just walked around with a constant stomachache. When I finally went to an ortho for another problem (tennis elbow) he told me to try the Bextra again and give it time to work. It needs to build up in your system and he said it works the best of any of the anti-inflammatories without the stomach issues. I've had great results with it.

    Keep pluggin away and don't stop until you get relief. There is no reason to go through life in pain. My mother is 62 and I hate to think of her confined to the house because of side-effect pain.

    I would suggest you go to an orthopedic doc. My oncologist also couldn't offer me any suggestions. I love him but once the cancer issues are taken care of, he's pretty useless. Doesn't really want to deal with the residual side effect issues. Find a good ortho or a GP who will LISTEN, TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY and DO SOMETHING!

    Blessings,
    Karen
  • crickless
    crickless Member Posts: 14
    #7
    jamjar62 said:

    Hi...I also take Bextra for my hip pain from Tamoxifen. My GP gave me samples of Vioxx, Celebrex, Tylenol Arthritis, Mobic and Bextra. Vioxx, Mobic, and Celebrex really tore up my stomach and the Tylenol isn't strong enough. I tried the Bextra and it didn't seem to be working so I went back to the Celebrex because it worked and I just walked around with a constant stomachache. When I finally went to an ortho for another problem (tennis elbow) he told me to try the Bextra again and give it time to work. It needs to build up in your system and he said it works the best of any of the anti-inflammatories without the stomach issues. I've had great results with it.

    Keep pluggin away and don't stop until you get relief. There is no reason to go through life in pain. My mother is 62 and I hate to think of her confined to the house because of side-effect pain.

    I would suggest you go to an orthopedic doc. My oncologist also couldn't offer me any suggestions. I love him but once the cancer issues are taken care of, he's pretty useless. Doesn't really want to deal with the residual side effect issues. Find a good ortho or a GP who will LISTEN, TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY and DO SOMETHING!

    Blessings,
    Karen

    Karen, Thanks for the info. I've decided my first step should be a visit to my GP. He is a real sweetie, and DOES listen and take action. He will give me good advice for things to try. I can tell him that TWO different people from this discussion group have recommended Bextra. I will also ask him about acupuncture; my search for "hand pain" on this discussion group found someone who had success with that. If my GP thinks it's worth a try, I'd like to take that road first. I'm one of those people who always gets the "rarely reported" side-effects (or the ones that are not even mentioned). This discussion group is a Godsend! Thanks again. --Caroline

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