living with joint pain long after chemo (WHY)

beckym69

bluerose said:

Hello
I don't know if you had radiation or not but even though my treatments were 20 years plus ago even then the radiation specialist told me that side effects might include early arthritis after treatments just from the rads alone. I didn't get a long list of later side effects that I can remember but I do remember that and it has come true, I have alot of arthritis all over as I had total body radiation. That's one thing to think about as far as why you might be experiencing the pain.

I know too, have heard, that some chemo will do that as well and can also affect nerves that can lead to pain. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia which is pain not only in joints but in the fleshy areas as well, can be almost anywhere, and that can be linked to nerve damage some say although I don't know if the jury is really in on that as yet.

Chemo and rads is hard on the body and as you no doubt know many cancer treatments are not specific to the tumours/cancer cells so there can be collateral damage of healthy tissue and joints in many treatments. I don't know how much chemo you had or what drugs were used and I am not a doctor so best thing is to maybe contact a late effects clinic to see if they can go over your treatments and give you some idea of what you might be experiencing.

Don't be afraid to go for second opinions either. Some doctors are leary of 'blaming' side effects on past treatments for who knows why and it is hard to pin down sometimes but there is a real likelyhood that some of your pain comes from the treatments and late effects clinics can help you pin that down, or try to. You can probably find a late effect clinic near you if you are in the states, here in Canada where I am they don't have that type of clinic but our bigger cancer hospitals are covering things like that now in some areas.

All the best with pinning down your health issues and remember you aren't alone. Many of us have side effects from chemo treatments. It's still a relatively new field - the treatment of cancer so they are working things out and one big area is cutting down on side effects if at all possible.

Blessings,

Bluerose

Hello
Thank you! Wasn't aware of late effect clinics! No I haven't had radiation yet, they started me on rutuxan and treanda. We had to cut my prechemo steroids r/t me being allergic so I am having more n/v and other just blah side effects but if it works I can handle alot.

When they found out it was a B-cell NHL they were sure it was large B-cell because of my symptoms and the aggressiveness but turned out to be follicular. I never fit in the boxes though with anything, lol. I am not sure if radiation is the next step if the chemo doesn't work on my bone marrow too. We are kinda waiting to see how this turns out before discussing further options. I have noticed the neuropathy is getting worse with chemo, but I had it before from disc rupture so I am familiar with it.

I do appreciate you taking the time to message me back and telling me about the clinics. I am in the States so I will start researching. Thanks again!!!

Sincerely,
Becky

bluerose

beckym69 said:

Hello
Thank you! Wasn't aware of late effect clinics! No I haven't had radiation yet, they started me on rutuxan and treanda. We had to cut my prechemo steroids r/t me being allergic so I am having more n/v and other just blah side effects but if it works I can handle alot.

When they found out it was a B-cell NHL they were sure it was large B-cell because of my symptoms and the aggressiveness but turned out to be follicular. I never fit in the boxes though with anything, lol. I am not sure if radiation is the next step if the chemo doesn't work on my bone marrow too. We are kinda waiting to see how this turns out before discussing further options. I have noticed the neuropathy is getting worse with chemo, but I had it before from disc rupture so I am familiar with it.

I do appreciate you taking the time to message me back and telling me about the clinics. I am in the States so I will start researching. Thanks again!!!

Sincerely,
Becky

Don't fit into the boxes anymore, familiar
Neither do I. I don't present the same way to doctors either, always something different about my symptoms that can throw them because of all the treatments and the side effects. It's all very complicated and confusing, you sound alot like me in what you are dealing with afterwards as well.

Even down to the bursitis. Man that hurts doesn't it? Mine is on my right hip and I can't even touch that area most days. I am getting a really sensitive stomach too, that just started about 7 months ago, right around my navel - the surface of the skin is really sensitive and at night sometimes I have to make the sheets around my stomach into a bit of a tent to keep the material away from that sensitive skin - no doubt the fibro.

It's hard to know what is causing what pains anymore isn't it? Just too many things that we are diagnosed with can cause similar symptoms - it's all pretty overwhelming at times, I hear you.

My neurapthy is worse too. It hasn't been officially diagnosed yet which is stupid after all this time but I was dealing with severe heart damage and arthritis and you only have so many hours in a day to investigate these things I guess.

You are so blessed that your children are so supportive, unfortunately mine aren't. It's been very hard for me dealing with that too since I had the bone marrow transplant for my family but everything for a reason I guess although not sure what that reason is.

Some chemo drugs can do the same kinds of damage as rads can. Did you have vincristine by any chance? That is famous for nerve damage or at least used to be, maybe they monitor it more now or have changed doses, hard to keep track of changes in treatments. I had adriamycin as well and that is what they think damaged my heart. I think today they monitor adria much more from what I heard.

So much depends on the person too though as to how they will handle treatments and of course doses and stages of cancers are different - hard to compare sometimes.

Fatigue is a pretty common hanger oner. I still have major fatigue and is one big reason for my extended disability - usually need at least one nap a day if not more. I have many sleep disruptions and I am never rested.

I really have a feeling that one reason fibromyalgia patients are in greater number these days is because of the after effects of cancer treatments years back and they don't recognize that yet. I mean it's not the only reason for it but I bet they will find it's a big part of the diagnosis of fibro. That's my feeling anywho.

Do you have pain in the palms of your hands and do they get hot and red sometimes? Painful too? I don't think that's the arthritis, again I think it's the fibro.

My doctor recommended pain management clinics and I have had so much going on I haven't looked at it yet but I think it's a good idea. I am on 24/7 time release morphine capsules everyday, twice a day, for my low back pain with the disc degeneration and arthritis, just one day it got really bad about 5 years ago and put me in a wheelchair for awhile. I am out of it now but bought a chair that folds up in case I have bad days and I need to get out to doc's appts and the like. Hope you don't have to get into all of that. Remember people can have similar health issues after treatments but we are all different so please don't assume that you will get the symptoms I have even though we are similar in some ways. Same goes for you and other survivors. Read what they have to say and note similarities but don't get bogged down in the 'oh no is that happening to me' kind of things.

Hope I have helped you a little and feel free to ask me anything and I will try to help. I find that just respecting what my body is saying goes a long way. If I feel really tired I just rest and that way you are not fighting against the flow. One day at a time.

Blesssings,

Bluerose

CountryGal7557

beckym69 said:

Curious
Bluerose,

I have just been diagnosed with Follicular NHL in Sept 2010. Prior to being diagnosed they told me I had fibromyalgia, cervical and lumbar spondylosis, and while being tested have bursitis in my right hip which they thought originally was the lymphoma because they way it lite up on the pet scan. I am not sure what I am in for exactly, but am on my 4th cycle of chemo in 6 close ones then I have to go every 3 months for 2 years. Once I get in remission they said if there are very few cell left in my bone marrow we won't do anything with it at this time. If not we will have to address it, next bone marrow biopsy should be in April. I guess what I am curious about is I still have alot of bone and joint pain and I don't know if it is from the cancer, chemo, or the other junk they said I have. I am just very scared because I pray my remissions last a long time, but who knows. I just don't like being sick and hurting. I am a 35 year old single mother and nurse and haven't got the energy to do either. Does this get better? I have wonderful daughters who are thank god old enough they are very low maintenance but I still feel worthless. By the time they finally found it I was a stage 4B and my spleen was large enough you could see it protruding and I couldn't eat and keep anything down. If you have done this for 20 years do you have any tips or advice because I am up for anything.


Thank you in advanced,
beckym69

Follicular B-Cell Indolent NHL
I was diagnosed with Follicular B-Cell Indolent NHL Stage 4A March 2010. A Bone Marrow and PET scan determined it was gone by July. I also was on Treanda and Rituxan. I have read a lot of positive things about Treanda (plus a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEDNldZeYfE&feature=related
and when these two drugs are administered together, it's even better. It sounds like you are in good hands. I went to Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo ND, didn't need to go to Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

I have blogged my journey if you're interested in reading it. maybe our stories are similar.....http://lifeisgood2010.wordpress.com/

I just posted yesterday about the aches and pains I've been having and now tonight came across your post - your diagnosis is a bit farther advanced than what mine was, but I do have hope for you knowing that you are on Rituxan and Treanda....that is the latest and best! I'm guessing you didn't loose your hair! neither did I, and that is because of Treanda....good stuff!

From the posts that I've read it sounds like these aches and pains don't go away, but maybe can be decreased by exercising, walking. which I quit doing because it seemed to get worse, so now I am planning on walking everyday (again) and see if it will improve.

My ankles are the worst and sometimes the knees.

If you'd like to keep in touch, please email me at Countrygal7557@gmail.com
Good Luck
Janelle

CountryGal7557

CountryGal7557 said:

Follicular B-Cell Indolent NHL
I was diagnosed with Follicular B-Cell Indolent NHL Stage 4A March 2010. A Bone Marrow and PET scan determined it was gone by July. I also was on Treanda and Rituxan. I have read a lot of positive things about Treanda (plus a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEDNldZeYfE&feature=related
and when these two drugs are administered together, it's even better. It sounds like you are in good hands. I went to Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo ND, didn't need to go to Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

I have blogged my journey if you're interested in reading it. maybe our stories are similar.....http://lifeisgood2010.wordpress.com/

I just posted yesterday about the aches and pains I've been having and now tonight came across your post - your diagnosis is a bit farther advanced than what mine was, but I do have hope for you knowing that you are on Rituxan and Treanda....that is the latest and best! I'm guessing you didn't loose your hair! neither did I, and that is because of Treanda....good stuff!

From the posts that I've read it sounds like these aches and pains don't go away, but maybe can be decreased by exercising, walking. which I quit doing because it seemed to get worse, so now I am planning on walking everyday (again) and see if it will improve.

My ankles are the worst and sometimes the knees.

If you'd like to keep in touch, please email me at Countrygal7557@gmail.com
Good Luck
Janelle

disappointed
this was my first post to CSN and I am very disappointed that not one person has responded to my post. not sure how this site works, but I will be looking elsewhere for a Cancer Support Network.

blessings to all who are still going through treatment and those who are in remission, I hope you remain cancer free for the rest of your natural life.

ron50

bluerose said:

Don't fit into the boxes anymore, familiar
Neither do I. I don't present the same way to doctors either, always something different about my symptoms that can throw them because of all the treatments and the side effects. It's all very complicated and confusing, you sound alot like me in what you are dealing with afterwards as well.

Even down to the bursitis. Man that hurts doesn't it? Mine is on my right hip and I can't even touch that area most days. I am getting a really sensitive stomach too, that just started about 7 months ago, right around my navel - the surface of the skin is really sensitive and at night sometimes I have to make the sheets around my stomach into a bit of a tent to keep the material away from that sensitive skin - no doubt the fibro.

It's hard to know what is causing what pains anymore isn't it? Just too many things that we are diagnosed with can cause similar symptoms - it's all pretty overwhelming at times, I hear you.

My neurapthy is worse too. It hasn't been officially diagnosed yet which is stupid after all this time but I was dealing with severe heart damage and arthritis and you only have so many hours in a day to investigate these things I guess.

You are so blessed that your children are so supportive, unfortunately mine aren't. It's been very hard for me dealing with that too since I had the bone marrow transplant for my family but everything for a reason I guess although not sure what that reason is.

Some chemo drugs can do the same kinds of damage as rads can. Did you have vincristine by any chance? That is famous for nerve damage or at least used to be, maybe they monitor it more now or have changed doses, hard to keep track of changes in treatments. I had adriamycin as well and that is what they think damaged my heart. I think today they monitor adria much more from what I heard.

So much depends on the person too though as to how they will handle treatments and of course doses and stages of cancers are different - hard to compare sometimes.

Fatigue is a pretty common hanger oner. I still have major fatigue and is one big reason for my extended disability - usually need at least one nap a day if not more. I have many sleep disruptions and I am never rested.

I really have a feeling that one reason fibromyalgia patients are in greater number these days is because of the after effects of cancer treatments years back and they don't recognize that yet. I mean it's not the only reason for it but I bet they will find it's a big part of the diagnosis of fibro. That's my feeling anywho.

Do you have pain in the palms of your hands and do they get hot and red sometimes? Painful too? I don't think that's the arthritis, again I think it's the fibro.

My doctor recommended pain management clinics and I have had so much going on I haven't looked at it yet but I think it's a good idea. I am on 24/7 time release morphine capsules everyday, twice a day, for my low back pain with the disc degeneration and arthritis, just one day it got really bad about 5 years ago and put me in a wheelchair for awhile. I am out of it now but bought a chair that folds up in case I have bad days and I need to get out to doc's appts and the like. Hope you don't have to get into all of that. Remember people can have similar health issues after treatments but we are all different so please don't assume that you will get the symptoms I have even though we are similar in some ways. Same goes for you and other survivors. Read what they have to say and note similarities but don't get bogged down in the 'oh no is that happening to me' kind of things.

Hope I have helped you a little and feel free to ask me anything and I will try to help. I find that just respecting what my body is saying goes a long way. If I feel really tired I just rest and that way you are not fighting against the flow. One day at a time.

Blesssings,

Bluerose

G'day all
I'm sort of in the catergory of bluerose but not so far down the track. I have just finished year 13 ex stage3c colon ca(6 nodes). I had a year ,48 sessions,of 5Flourouricil enhanced with levamisole. I have had no signs of ca since. I have had arthritis,pancreatitis,gallbladder removal.three lots of kidney stones,severe proteinurea(losing up to 3gramms of protein a day through urine). I was treated with 75mg daily of prednisone for 18mos. I was then dx with fsgs (scarring of the kidney filters) and treated with 4 blood pressure meds. I soon developed severe peripheral neuropathy in both feet ,legs and left hand. No one knows why. After pred I suffered a major auto-immune arthritis attack. A bone scan showed arthritis in every joint. I was put on methotrexate ,it helped for nearly 18 mos then started causing acute vertigo attacks. I have been on arava ,one of the new designer arthritis drugs for a couple of months. I had two lots of blood tests last week ,one for kidney the other for arthritis. My gp clinic called monday and said to see a doctor. I was scheduled to see the arthritis doc today so I rang the kidney specialist. My protein loss has stabalised to between.4 and .6 gram in 24 hrs (.15 is the max acceptible) in the last year now it has shot up to 1.5 again. I saw my arthritis doc ,four of my liver markers are in the red and I have moderate diahorreah.I have to stop arava immediately. He took more blood to look for another liver enzyme which has to me present for me to try another drug,imuran. This is a transplant drug for goodness sake. To top it all I just got the results of an mri I had to see if they could find a cause of the neuropathy. They couldn't but they did find a degenerative stress fracture of the spine with severe arthritic degeneration. At least I know why walking hurts. I have said it many times and I'll say it again,surviving survival ain't easy....Ron.

bluerose

ron50 said:

G'day all
I'm sort of in the catergory of bluerose but not so far down the track. I have just finished year 13 ex stage3c colon ca(6 nodes). I had a year ,48 sessions,of 5Flourouricil enhanced with levamisole. I have had no signs of ca since. I have had arthritis,pancreatitis,gallbladder removal.three lots of kidney stones,severe proteinurea(losing up to 3gramms of protein a day through urine). I was treated with 75mg daily of prednisone for 18mos. I was then dx with fsgs (scarring of the kidney filters) and treated with 4 blood pressure meds. I soon developed severe peripheral neuropathy in both feet ,legs and left hand. No one knows why. After pred I suffered a major auto-immune arthritis attack. A bone scan showed arthritis in every joint. I was put on methotrexate ,it helped for nearly 18 mos then started causing acute vertigo attacks. I have been on arava ,one of the new designer arthritis drugs for a couple of months. I had two lots of blood tests last week ,one for kidney the other for arthritis. My gp clinic called monday and said to see a doctor. I was scheduled to see the arthritis doc today so I rang the kidney specialist. My protein loss has stabalised to between.4 and .6 gram in 24 hrs (.15 is the max acceptible) in the last year now it has shot up to 1.5 again. I saw my arthritis doc ,four of my liver markers are in the red and I have moderate diahorreah.I have to stop arava immediately. He took more blood to look for another liver enzyme which has to me present for me to try another drug,imuran. This is a transplant drug for goodness sake. To top it all I just got the results of an mri I had to see if they could find a cause of the neuropathy. They couldn't but they did find a degenerative stress fracture of the spine with severe arthritic degeneration. At least I know why walking hurts. I have said it many times and I'll say it again,surviving survival ain't easy....Ron.

But other than that Ron, how are you? lol
Hey, you have to laugh at all this once in awhile eh? I know I do and yup I have chronic issues like you do.

As far as your neuropathy is concerned have you ever had a nerve conduction test? I am supposed to have one to assess nerve damage from chemo drugs and possibly radiation. I had the drug vincristine years ago and that drug was famous for producing nerve damage down the road. There are probably others that will do that too. I have nerve damage badly and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia too which as far as I am concered is nerve damage or nerve problems when all is said and done. Do you have a rheumatologist? They are qualifited to diagnosis fibromyalgia (at least here in Canada that's the route), so my suggestions are to 1. get a rheumatologist to look you over and to do a nerve conduction test. I am nervous to have one done cause I had to have a pacemaker implanted to deal with the heart damage another chemo drug did. Sheeesh, it goes around and around eh?

Take care Ron.


Blessings,


Bluerose

DanielH

BeckyM69
I was diagnosed with NHL back in 1997. I've had CHOP chemo, autologous stem cell transplant, IBG treatments, Radiation, and Rituxin over the past 14 years. I too have suffered from neuropathy and joint pain, especially in the shoulders. I use Neurontin when the pain is extreme. It makes you sleepy, but it sure beats the pain!
Physical therapy only works so much for the shoulder and back pain. I've found that I have to keep moving. A neurologist also suggested staying hydrated. Dehydration is not good for nerve pain.

bluerose

DanielH said:

BeckyM69
I was diagnosed with NHL back in 1997. I've had CHOP chemo, autologous stem cell transplant, IBG treatments, Radiation, and Rituxin over the past 14 years. I too have suffered from neuropathy and joint pain, especially in the shoulders. I use Neurontin when the pain is extreme. It makes you sleepy, but it sure beats the pain!
Physical therapy only works so much for the shoulder and back pain. I've found that I have to keep moving. A neurologist also suggested staying hydrated. Dehydration is not good for nerve pain.

Very interesting about hydration
Hi Daniel. That is the first time anyone has said anything about dehydration and I know I am horrible at drinking water so this is my wakeup call. Like Ron I have a host of other issues like lower back disc degeneration but my arthritis and fibromyalgia don't help and it makes perfect sense that hydration could in fact make things worse. Duh on me. lol.

Thanks for posting that, I'm sure this is going to help.

Blessings,

Bluerose

briestarr

weazer said:

living with joint pain long after chemo (WHY)
I am so glad that I took it apon myself to try to find out if anyone else was suffering like me.
I went to my Onc yesterday for this reason and I'm set up for another bone scan on the 12th of April.
I'm six months out of Chemo and radiation....and my pain started right at the end of treatment and is getting gradually worse.
However now I have hope that I wont be crippled from this because I will try to exercise more and keep with it, I was discouraged because after a walk or even really doing some house work I would feel worse.
But you have given me hope and I will try to put an excercise routine together,
I'm a triple negative Breast cancer survivor and that in itself is frightening to me because of the lack of knowledge on how to treat it if I should have a reacurance. But it it what it is, and I'll be 51 in a week and I'm truly looking forward to regaining my strength and to concure this pain that I have, my fingers are a little bit better but my wrists elbows, hips and knees are aweful.
Thank You so much for giving me hope.
Weazer

Joint Pain/Triple Neg also
This is crap! Sorry... that is how I feel...
Triple negative here also, and in pain in knees, elbows and worst, shoulder!
It seems it is all on the affected side... anyone else have any other information about after effects of chemo? I had TAXOL the last 4 sessions. I had 8 sessions total. I am only 50 and this is NOT what I had planned... I hurt. and now, I know I am not alone.
email me if you have any suggestions. beebear1961@yahoo.com

Brenda

mm91174

I AM 25 YEARS PAST CHEMO AND
I AM 25 YEARS PAST CHEMO AND MY JOINTS STILL HURT

Hondo

mm91174 said:

I AM 25 YEARS PAST CHEMO AND
I AM 25 YEARS PAST CHEMO AND MY JOINTS STILL HURT

Hi M&M

Oh also please don’t tell me that I will have this stuff hurting me for the next 25 years. I will need a large supply of medicine..

Well Oh :+))
Hondo

Kay5

Hondo said:

Hi M&M

Oh also please don’t tell me that I will have this stuff hurting me for the next 25 years. I will need a large supply of medicine..

Well Oh :+))
Hondo

Bone and Joint pain
I agree with Hondo... I hope this pain after chemo isn't long term. My fingers and legs are stiff and in pain all day long. Has anyone had relief from bone pain with exercise? I finished my last round of chemo in August and the pain started three weeks ago.

Hondo

Kay5 said:

Bone and Joint pain
I agree with Hondo... I hope this pain after chemo isn't long term. My fingers and legs are stiff and in pain all day long. Has anyone had relief from bone pain with exercise? I finished my last round of chemo in August and the pain started three weeks ago.

Hi Kay

Bone pain is something you will need to find what works well with you I use Tramadol HCL 50mg with Tylenol three times a day and feel great all day long. Tramadol is a very light pain medicine as I don’t like the hard stuff that you get hooked on.

PS: Also welcome to CSN

╠╣ONDO

Kay5

Hondo said:

Hi Kay

Bone pain is something you will need to find what works well with you I use Tramadol HCL 50mg with Tylenol three times a day and feel great all day long. Tramadol is a very light pain medicine as I don’t like the hard stuff that you get hooked on.

PS: Also welcome to CSN

╠╣ONDO

Thanks!
Thank you, Hondo! I see my oncologist next week. I will discuss the matter with him. Thank you for the welcome. I wish I would have found this site sooner. There is so much to learn.

Hondo

Kay5 said:

Thanks!
Thank you, Hondo! I see my oncologist next week. I will discuss the matter with him. Thank you for the welcome. I wish I would have found this site sooner. There is so much to learn.

Hi Kay
Same here my treatment was in 2003 and 2004 I did not find this site till 2009. I stay here mostly on the Head & Neck site to help other like me just starting through there treatment in hopes it makes it easier for them to know what to expect.

Wish you well next week on the doc visit
╠╣ONDO

aneesa

I'm not alone...
Thank you! I thought that I was the only one experiencing joint pain. None of the medical staff that I've encountered through my cancer treatment hinted at the possibility of joint pain. Ankles, feet, hips, finger joints and the shoulder on the side of the breast cancer surgery and radiation and now the back of my neck started 2 days ago.

It feels like I have loads of toxins in my body and I don't know how to get rid of it. When I wake up in the mornng, it feels like the toxins have settled in my fingers and my feet. I feel better when I get going and keep moving. Today, I feel very despondent. The doctors make it seem like after cancer treatment, you just bounce back and everything is back to normal. They don't seem to care about after treatment problems. They don't collect data from sites like this one, to better prepare their patients. They don't even consider that joint pain, for instance, could be a consequence of cancer treatment. Why? There is enough evidence on this page to suggest a very very strong link.

I am going to find a way to rid my body of every last bit of these toxins causing such havoc. I cannot be 40 going on 90! That is no way to live.

Thank you all for sharing. Now I know that I'm not alone and that I'm not going insane. Onwards to a pain free 2012.

triciagold

Joint pain after chemo
I, too, am suffering pain after chemo that ended 10 months ago.It is also a problem in my fingers and shoulders. My heel and hips were especially bad. I have been diagnosed with tendonitis in a couple of places and burcitis in my hips and arthritis in my fingers and shoulders. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was coming up on needing my second hip replacement. I was 50 years old. I had arthritis going in to this treatment in my hips and spine but never in my fingers or shoulders. That said, I suffered 0 arthritis pain while being treated with chemo. Probably due to the large quantities of steroids pushed through each chemo day. After treatment, pain was soooo bad. I have tried physical therapy, motrin therapy and steroids. All helped while I was taking them. I, now, am following the advice of Dr. Andrew Weil (On-line). He has an anti-inflammatory' diet. It is helping some. My fingers and shoulders are back to normal after a couple of days. My bursitis is gone and my heel feels better. I gave up sugar in the way of candy, ice cream, marshmallows and white rice,bread,sugar. I have been a heavy sugar eater. I have also increased the food and teas that he has recommended. I don't think anything is wrong with my knee joints but the tendons above my knee caps have been a problem too. I have had some relief with this diet, I am hoping for more as time goes on. I'll post again if I get ahead of all of this with my new diet. I have found some of this 'anti-inflammarory' diet on Livestrong as well. I have read ehough to think that the pain may not come from the chemo but as a reaction to the massive amounts of steroids we are put on while being treated. Maybe they need to take us off of those more slowly.

CountryGal7557

triciagold said:

Joint pain after chemo
I, too, am suffering pain after chemo that ended 10 months ago.It is also a problem in my fingers and shoulders. My heel and hips were especially bad. I have been diagnosed with tendonitis in a couple of places and burcitis in my hips and arthritis in my fingers and shoulders. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was coming up on needing my second hip replacement. I was 50 years old. I had arthritis going in to this treatment in my hips and spine but never in my fingers or shoulders. That said, I suffered 0 arthritis pain while being treated with chemo. Probably due to the large quantities of steroids pushed through each chemo day. After treatment, pain was soooo bad. I have tried physical therapy, motrin therapy and steroids. All helped while I was taking them. I, now, am following the advice of Dr. Andrew Weil (On-line). He has an anti-inflammatory' diet. It is helping some. My fingers and shoulders are back to normal after a couple of days. My bursitis is gone and my heel feels better. I gave up sugar in the way of candy, ice cream, marshmallows and white rice,bread,sugar. I have been a heavy sugar eater. I have also increased the food and teas that he has recommended. I don't think anything is wrong with my knee joints but the tendons above my knee caps have been a problem too. I have had some relief with this diet, I am hoping for more as time goes on. I'll post again if I get ahead of all of this with my new diet. I have found some of this 'anti-inflammarory' diet on Livestrong as well. I have read ehough to think that the pain may not come from the chemo but as a reaction to the massive amounts of steroids we are put on while being treated. Maybe they need to take us off of those more slowly.

chemo is poisonous gas from WW II
I have the same joint pain that everyone else has posted about. Our stories are different, but we all had chemo, steroids, rituxan for various lengths of time to kill "cancer". these poisons we are pumped full of also attack the "good" too. that's common sense.

I got relief from this joint pain unexpectedly when I was on pain killers after emergency surgery June 2011. I was painFREE for two weeks after the pills ran out, when I decided I'd spend a sunny summer afternoon mowing the lawn. each step was stiff and painful. The pain was back.

Jan 2012 The pain is worse after riding in the car. the low vibration from the car floor for only 1/2 hr ride has caused the ankles to lock/stiffen and I'm an old lady getting out of the car.

The poison that attacks cancer, also attacks the ligaments similar to the aging process. I'm 54 and have empathy for my 86 year old Dad as he gets out of my car, after riding for an hour his legs and feet have stiffened up, and as he attempts to "warm" them up, he waddles into the VA home. The chemo has aged me 30 years sooner than I wanted, but I'm a survivor and I will do whatever it takes to make for a better quality of life each and every day with my husband of 33 years. Life is Good, I just wish it could be a little bit better.
Janelle
Dx March 2010
Remission July 2010 thru Present

Muschi

aneesa said:

I'm not alone...
Thank you! I thought that I was the only one experiencing joint pain. None of the medical staff that I've encountered through my cancer treatment hinted at the possibility of joint pain. Ankles, feet, hips, finger joints and the shoulder on the side of the breast cancer surgery and radiation and now the back of my neck started 2 days ago.

It feels like I have loads of toxins in my body and I don't know how to get rid of it. When I wake up in the mornng, it feels like the toxins have settled in my fingers and my feet. I feel better when I get going and keep moving. Today, I feel very despondent. The doctors make it seem like after cancer treatment, you just bounce back and everything is back to normal. They don't seem to care about after treatment problems. They don't collect data from sites like this one, to better prepare their patients. They don't even consider that joint pain, for instance, could be a consequence of cancer treatment. Why? There is enough evidence on this page to suggest a very very strong link.

I am going to find a way to rid my body of every last bit of these toxins causing such havoc. I cannot be 40 going on 90! That is no way to live.

Thank you all for sharing. Now I know that I'm not alone and that I'm not going insane. Onwards to a pain free 2012.

get rid of toxin
Aneesa this is for you and I know it will work. Drink a lot of veggie and carrot juice (you have to use a good juicer, if you are interrested I will give you the name),add one apple with either juice for the taste. Drink the juices once or twice a day do also an coffee anema twice a week. The reason I know it helps is because I did the juicing one year before the chemo and I felt not too bad during also that time, never threw( wrong spelling? Sorry I am German,haha)up, just felt a little under the weather. The reason for that was I got my body cleansed of all the toxins before I had in me and so when the chemo dumped all the new toxins in my body it was long not as bad. When I am finished with the herception treatment I will do the same again. I have a little join pain in the morning when I get up but as the day goes on it is getting better. The weird thing is my thumb on my left hand is giving me the most trubble. It is very stiff sometimes and than it is all ok again, weird!
I hope it will help you also, I am sure it does!
Ilona

colldoll

Joint pains
This is so interesting. My 11 year old son had chemo for stage 3b rhabdomyosarcoma alveolar for 2 years and radiation for 6 weeks. He was on vincristine, iphosphamide, cyclophosphamide, etopside, actinomycin and adriamycin. He has been cancer free for exactly 5 years. Woo Hoo! However he still gets really horrible muscle cramps. He is very active but feels very sore regularly. Each time I mention this, the doctors say the drugs are out of his system now. So why does he still get them so often?