leg pain

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Twinks56
Twinks56 Member Posts: 37
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I had breast cancerover two years ago.Doing fine with that,am taking tamoxifin.For about the last week my left calf has really been hurting and my knee.It hurts to bend it or it just throbs like hell.Anyone else have this problem? What did you do? I am worried about blood clots due to the meds I'm on.The bad thing is we lost our insurance the end of last month and I don't know what to do.Any suggestions would be appreciated.Twinks 56-Teresa

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  • hillbillycat
    hillbillycat Member Posts: 79
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    Hi Twinks,
    I hope you have went to the dr. I know what you mean by worrying about having little or no insurance. I have been there and it prevents me from obtaining the necessary treatment I should get but if I had a serious symptom I would go anyway. I am studying to be a nurse and one of the things we learn is that if you bend the leg and there is pain in the calf then there is a chance it could be a blood clot. So I think it is serious enough that you should go to the dr. and have it looked at. It would also set your mind at ease.....Shirl
  • cruf
    cruf Member Posts: 908
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    Please go to the MD and have your leg checked. Any calf pain with any swelling or redness needs to be checked out! Please let us know how you're doing. HUGS!! Cathy
  • inkblot
    inkblot Member Posts: 698 Member
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    Hi Twinks:

    Ditto Cathy & Shirl's advice.

    It could be any number of things...even so simple as a pulled or strained muscle.

    My rule of thumb regarding aches/pains, is that if something lasts for more than two weeks, with no improvement, then I go have it checked out. Of course, with any redness, swelling or discoloration, I would go straight away. (Remember that pulled/strained muscles and the like can take many weeks to completely heal even with treatment)

    Hope it improves soon!

    Love, light and laughter,
    Ink
  • sarahohio
    sarahohio Member Posts: 9
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    I had chemo last year and have had terrible leg pain especially at knees. also on tamoxifen, dr just gives pain pills. I would like to know why also. did you take taxol? I did thats when pain started.
  • SheilaG
    SheilaG Member Posts: 8
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    sarahohio said:

    I had chemo last year and have had terrible leg pain especially at knees. also on tamoxifen, dr just gives pain pills. I would like to know why also. did you take taxol? I did thats when pain started.

    I too have been on tamoxifen for the last 18 months and my knees hurt. I cannot do any type of exercise like lunges and I feel like I am 80 years old when I get out of a chair or off the floor. I am just hoping that continued exercise and loss of the weight I have put on helps!
  • Sharon345
    Sharon345 Member Posts: 26
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    My knee and the area above and below my knee has hurt since October. In December I complained to my med onc. My leg wasn't swollen or red but he wanted to check for a blood clot so I had a ultrasound at the Cardiac dept in the hospital. It was clear. He also had me get a x-ray to check on the bone. It was also O.K. He didn't offer any suggestions on why it hurts. It has gotten better now but I have to be careful what I do with it. My shoulder on the opposite side of my cancer location hurts and my thumb hurts on the same side. I have read others here that have their thumbs hurting. My family doctor says it doesn't look like arthritis because its not swollen. She thinks I have over-used it! ?? Maybe. I've have been on Tamoxifen for two years. My unprofessional opionion is that the Tamoxifen is to blame because of things I have read on this site. But definitly get it checked out. It's better to know if it's something bad than stress out wondering. You've probably got a clinic locally that will work with your bill. Just ask your current doctor's office for any suggestions.
  • throbinson
    throbinson Member Posts: 14
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    My doctor told me that tamoxifen definitely does sometime cause leg pain and discomfort. Mine isn't so much in the knees as it is in the back of the thighs and calves. My ankles swell too. My doctor monitors it but says it's nothing to worry about unless it is one-sided, then she would be concerned about a blood clot.

    It's an annoyance for me, more than anything else.

    Tracey R