Chest pain from radiation
Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if it gets better or if it's just something I have to put up with until I'm done.
God bless all of you who read and respond to these questions. Sometimes I didn't know where I could turn for answers, but I've never seen this question here.
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I completed radiation about 2 months. I, too, had chest pain during treatment. My docs said it was likely a combination of things: a.) the burning/tightness of the skin; b.) the fact that my radiation treatments were causing some lung damage; c.) the tightness of my recent surgical sights. The pain has disipated somewhat since treatment ended - although the first two weeks after completion there were days that I was in such stomach pain I could barely walk!!! Now, I get an occasional, but brief bout of chest pain. It doesn't last long and doesn't happen often, but when it does I can barely breathe. I have found that a few seconds of "relax, relax, breathe, relax" repeated to myself help a great deal.0
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Thank you for responding. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has this. I will try what you suggest about relaxing. My chest pain is always there to some degree and I can only take shallow breaths. That makes it hard to walk or garden or do anything even remotely active.KimInBeirut said:I completed radiation about 2 months. I, too, had chest pain during treatment. My docs said it was likely a combination of things: a.) the burning/tightness of the skin; b.) the fact that my radiation treatments were causing some lung damage; c.) the tightness of my recent surgical sights. The pain has disipated somewhat since treatment ended - although the first two weeks after completion there were days that I was in such stomach pain I could barely walk!!! Now, I get an occasional, but brief bout of chest pain. It doesn't last long and doesn't happen often, but when it does I can barely breathe. I have found that a few seconds of "relax, relax, breathe, relax" repeated to myself help a great deal.
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I'm definitely not an expert on radiation having just finished my 2nd treatment yesterday! But I noticed that my chest, under my arm and even my shoulder blades hurt.
This past Tuesday, I had my first appt with the simulation. I laid with my arms up over my head for 45 minutes. Then at my first appt on Thursday, I laid that way for 30 minutes. And yesterday, it was 10 minutes.
Both my right and left side are sore but my left side (which is where I am radiated) is much more sore. I think that the pain is from muscles being in weird, uncomfortable position for so long. By the time I was done on each day, my fingers were numb and my shoulders were screaming. It's been a looooooong time since I've worked out but I think the pain feels similar to muscle strain.
Karen
Karen0 -
To those just starting, or mid-treatment, may I also suggest using the cream they give you right from the start. Don't wait until your skin starts to burn - it was only after several treatments, before I started to see outward physical effects, that I asked the docs if the cream was "preventative" in anyway. Yes, it is, so start creaming right away! Also, during treatment I found my energy level went from a high one day followed by a day when I could barely do anything but sit in a chair all day. On my "high" days I'd run around, move boxes, work around the house and go gung-ho. I always felt like I had to "make up" for my laziness the day before! I must tell you, my body suffered from it.0
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Yes, Kim, I have fatigue like that too. Everyone said the radiation is nothing compared to chemo, but with the chest pain and fatigue, I almost have to say they are a toss up.KimInBeirut said:To those just starting, or mid-treatment, may I also suggest using the cream they give you right from the start. Don't wait until your skin starts to burn - it was only after several treatments, before I started to see outward physical effects, that I asked the docs if the cream was "preventative" in anyway. Yes, it is, so start creaming right away! Also, during treatment I found my energy level went from a high one day followed by a day when I could barely do anything but sit in a chair all day. On my "high" days I'd run around, move boxes, work around the house and go gung-ho. I always felt like I had to "make up" for my laziness the day before! I must tell you, my body suffered from it.
And yes, the cream (Aquaphor) is a skinsaver. I use it twice a day -- right after chemo and right before bed -- and almost halfway through I am just a little pink (and I'm fair skinned, so burns easily). My nurse told me they are doing a clinical trial with women who've had lumpectomies and having them use it 3X daily, so I figure 2X would work well enough for me.
Thanks for the responses.0
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