Body and joint pains from taxol/carboplatin-did many experience these and how were these handled

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  • Tresia23
    Tresia23 Member Posts: 77
    #22
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    JoAnnDK said:

    I have pain NOW, a year later
    My joint and muscle pain has become much more pronounced in the last three months, a year after finishing chemo and radiation. I saw my primary care doc yesterday and she warned me about how hard Advil is on our livers. Just what we need, right?

    She gave me a script for Tramadol. Has anyone taken it? It has a zillion awful side effects. Grrr

    JoAnn

    Take care with Tramadol
    You are right JoAnn. Tramadol has some very unpleasant side effects. I have not taken it but have administered it to patients. Not everyone experiences the side effects but those who do usually stop taking it immediately. Take a look at some of the chronic pain websites or even fibromyalgia sites. They have lots of good suggestions for pain managment. Georgia
  • Tresia23
    Tresia23 Member Posts: 77
    #23
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    Derek_Beaucage said:

    Carboplatin Pains
    I know your post is old, but I wanted to post a reply for anyone about to get Carboplatin looking for information. Everyone reacts differently to chemo, but this has been my experience. I was diagnosed w/ testicular cancer stage I seminoma. I had surgery (orchiectomy) and have received 1 round of Carboplatin. Pain isn't one of the more common side-effects of Carboplatin, or so I believe, and my doctor never even told me it was a possibility. I received 7 AUC's of the stuff.

    Before the nurse began my Carboplatin drip, she first gave me steroids and anti-nausea medicine via my IV. I was not sent home w/ steroids, that was the only time they gave it to me. Also, after the Carboplatin drip was finished, they flushed regular saline solution through my IV which I was told was to help clean out my veins. (You don't want chemo just sitting in there). So ask that your nurse do this! 1 to 1.5 hours after I was finished chemo, at home, I started feeling a weird, painful sensation all over my body. It got increasingly worse. The pain was deep in my bones, from the middle of my back down to lower back and hips, and above my knees and all the way down to my feet. Nothing in arms or neck. It felt almost like growing pains, but much more intense, coupled w/ a type of "restless-leg" sensation, which I believe is a nerve thing, so maybe chemo also affects the nerves as well as bones? Thank God my mother takes Vicodin, and she gave me one that first night, other wise I know I never would have slept and would have gone crazy! So with that said, if when you go home after treatment and begin feeling similar pain, don't hesitate and call your doctor right away! Even if the pain isn't unbearable at that point, you don't want to let it get that bad! Plus if it's too late and the pharmacy is closed you'll have to spend the night suffering. You might even want to ask if they will call you in some pain medicine so you can have it on hand in case this happens.

    I think all of the posts I've read about people having pain from chemo have said that the pain begins a few days after, mine started the day of treatment. It was quite intense for a few days, maybe even 4 or 5, but even now, 10 days later I'm still having pains and still taking Vicodin which my doctor has been prescribing to me. The type of pain I've been experiencing has shifted a bit. The "growing-pains" and deep-bone aches all over my body has kind of changed to where I now experience sharper, more "stabbing" like pains in my neck, shoulders, elbows, mid-back, lower back, and knees, and I still wake up feeling very sore and stiff, and still experience the weird nerve "restless-leg" type of sensation, which I have not only in legs but really all over my body.

    I've heard chemo is cumulative, and that each treatment your symptoms can be worse each time. Hope this info helps someone out, and don't hesitate to email me with any questions! Cheers

    Body and joint pains
    Hi Derek,
    I have been reading all these posts and cannot help thinking that it would be useful to share some resources in dealing with chronic pain which is what the post chemo experience seems to be. I have had fibromyalgia for a long time and have been down the road of pain meds, yoga, tai chi, acupuncture and the rest. There are some things I do know which I think are helpful in reducing pain intensity. I take fish oil, magnesium and try to have a low protein alkaline diet. I exercise even when it hurts. I say to myself 'that hurts' but I keep going. Sleep is sometimes a problem but since I have started practising mindfulness I am having some improvement there too. I try to go to bed at the same time and keep my room dark at night (helps with melatonin secretion). It might be worthwhile for you to have a look at some fibro websites. There are some great links on this one if you go to their recources in side column and click on that. It will drop down with lots of good sites. Their advisory board is full of experts in pain management expecially Daniel Clauw who has written some great papers on this subject http://www.afsafund.org/fibromyalgia.html
    Take good care of yourself,
  • Karenhopeful
    Karenhopeful Member Posts: 38
    #24
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    Mdotsie47 said:

    Pains and the nadir
    I am getting exactly the same regimen as you. I had no problem the day of the infusion. The leg pains were worst the 3rd to 6th days. I am still in some pain, mostly at night, so I take a norco then.

    I have had the problem of my knees folding under me suddenly, so I have started walking on the treadmill instead of outside. Sometimes the pain is bad enough that I just give up and go to bed, but I have a fear of getting weak. My mother died of a pulmonary embolism brought on by staying in bed from weakness so I guess that put this fear into me.

    I think you are smart to say "don't fight it", I am trying to find a balance.

    I would like to know what any of you has been told about the nadir for carbo/taxol. My chemo nurse said it starts around the seventh day and usually is worst from the tenth to fourteenth day. She told me not to eat out, not to eat raw or undercooked food, not to expose myself to people with infectious illness, to stay home and take it easy if the low blood counts are making me tired. Does this advice sound like what you have been told?

    Mdotsie47
    Your last paragraph sounds lilke my cancer information book. Personally, I'm not forcing myself to do anything. If I want to sleep I do.Though I get up and come downstairs every day. Up until last week, my back would really hurt and I'd be short of breath if doing anything. My back pains have eased up since my second chemo. No other problems after the second chemo. I'm trying not to worry about things that may happen, but I do worry that my blood counts will go too low soon and I'll need to get Nupigen shots. My main reason for "worrying" is that we are going to try to plan a couple week vacation between treatments. But who knows if I'll feel this good after the 3rd chemo treatment. I hate the thought of being far from home and developing a problem and my insurance will not cover me while away.

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