help, my feet our killing me

vac
vac Member Posts: 97
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
my feet hurt so much i don't know what to do. i can barely walk. my doc said i had neuropathy she put me on gabapentin. it has helped a little, i am still in alote of pain. i also have heal spurs. i work in a hospital as respiratory therapist. i am all over the hospital by the end of my 12 hour shift i could barely walk. has anyone exsperience this kind of pain. it hurts worse when i get up from sitting. i do alote of foot excercise and stretching. i was told the pain was caused by chemo. i did the 6 weeks of chemo and i had a stem cel transplant, but that was 3 years ago and my feet start hurting 8 months ago. please help thanks vicki

Comments

  • Susan956
    Susan956 Member Posts: 510
    #2
    I did get neuropathy in my feet while I was taking Taxol Chemo treatments. They still hurt some, but have gotten better the more time that passes after Chemo. I have never hear of the neuropathy getting worse after Chemo has finished. You may want to try another Doc and see what they say.

    Take Care... God Bless...

    Susan
  • pansylover
    pansylover Member Posts: 80
    #3
    My feet hurt alot also. It just gives me an excuse to have reflexology(sp) done. Mine hurt more after I sit a spell too. When I get to work I have to make myself get up an moving...I don't think the feeling goes away..I am 2 yrs out..Everyone is different.I've asked my onc and he states it will subside...I asked When...I die? lol have you tried a guided imagery cd for teh pain? I use mine often....
    Cindie
  • kathydaly
    kathydaly Member Posts: 81
    #4
    dear vac----are u on arimidex or aromasin or femara?
    all 3 of those AI'S can cause the kind of pain u r describing and a lot of other pains.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #5
    I read the side's for the aromatase inhibitors, too....check it out with your doc....
    Put your feet up when you are sitting....get some cushy insoles for your shoes....

    REMEMBER the 'other' miracle elixer....WATER!!!! I drink 2 quarts a day, done with chemo for 6 months....NO pains!!!!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • vac
    vac Member Posts: 97
    #6
    KathiM said:

    I read the side's for the aromatase inhibitors, too....check it out with your doc....
    Put your feet up when you are sitting....get some cushy insoles for your shoes....

    REMEMBER the 'other' miracle elixer....WATER!!!! I drink 2 quarts a day, done with chemo for 6 months....NO pains!!!!

    Hugs, Kathi

    i am on tomoxafin i drink alote of water, that is all i drink. no sodas, i also drink milk and 1 cup of coffee in the morning. i wear mbt shoes which are very cushy, can't wear any other shoe. i bought a foot spa and put epsom salt. my mom told me to do that. my sister wants me to do accupunture. what is you thoughts about that. thanks for the help
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #7
    vac said:

    i am on tomoxafin i drink alote of water, that is all i drink. no sodas, i also drink milk and 1 cup of coffee in the morning. i wear mbt shoes which are very cushy, can't wear any other shoe. i bought a foot spa and put epsom salt. my mom told me to do that. my sister wants me to do accupunture. what is you thoughts about that. thanks for the help

    I haven't had the pleasure of acupuncture, but I notice more and more studies are proving that it really does provide pain relief when an expert is doing it. Also, I noticed that the university hospital I had my surgery at offers it for cancer patients now while they are undergoing chemo. I don't live close enough to use it, but I would consider it if I did. You might also experiment with ice water instead of warm to see if that works better. My son does the ice water bit after he races. Hot water brings blood to the area and increases swelling right after an injury (like walking or running on sore feet). Cold water reduces the same. However, note that muscles are very tight when they are cold. Don't exercise or stretch cold muscles or they might tear. My son does the ice bath right after a practice and then takes it easy for awhile. A podiatrist specializes in feet and might be able to notice if you need insoles in your shoe to correct a problem or be able to see on an xray if the heel spurs are causing the problem. A sports medicine doctor helped me once with a pain across the middle top of my foot. I had laced my running shoes a bit tight and my foot had swollen some during a walk causing the laces to get even tighter. Though it was only for a short time, afterward my foot hurt every time I walked and it seemed to be getting worse every day. He told me that the liagaments across the top of my foot had been injured(they are very close to the skin and ran right across bone underneath) and that I needed lots of ibruprofen and really good fitting running shoes that I would have to wear every time I wore shoes for about a year. He wasn't kidding! I even had to wear them to church and to work. The better running shoes felt better right away than my usual leather shoes. After about 9 or ten months I noticed the pain was pretty much gone for good. Now I really watch how I lace my shoes not to mention how well the shoes fit in the first place. Apparently skiers also manage to injure their feet the same way fairly frequently. While I was on tamoxifen when I hurt my foot, it was not the Tamoxifen that caused it, just an injury. A final thing I worry about a lot when a pain won't go away is about whether it mean the C stuff has come back. Worrying about about it or denying that it could be that doesn't cause it or make it go away. If your pain doesn't respond to treatment you try on your own, it's time to get to the experts and let them do some tests to find out just what is causing the problem. Good luck!
  • jdubious
    jdubious Member Posts: 113
    #8
    Hi Vicki,
    My husband works in a grocery store and his feet hurt so bad he could hardly stand up or walk. We went to a place where they sell foot orthotics (I think that's how you spell it)
    They take a computer measurement of your foot - where the arches are, size, etc. Then they give you these insole things that match your foot. The insoles will fit in your regular shoes. My husband noticed a difference as soon as he put the insoles in his shoes at the shop. One thing you learn is what size your feet really are. My husband was wearing 11 1/2, turns out his feet are 10 1/2 WW.
    They will try to sell you shoes, but they will also tell you the different brands of shoes that are better for your feet, and not all are expensive brands (like sketchers has some good athletic shoes)The people that work in these places have some sort of certification (at least here in Washington state) so they have some training in feet.
    Some insurance plans cover the orthotics so it might be something to look into. I've just gotten new insurance and my feet hurt too! So I'm going to check out. I'm 2 years out from chemo, but I do take arimedex and I know that my feet have changed shape/size since chemo. My expensive danskos are killing my feet and they used to feel good! But if your feet hurt it pretty much ruins your whole day!
    hope you find relief!
    jill
  • kathydaly
    kathydaly Member Posts: 81
    #9
    hi vac again, just wanted to reiterate the acupucture and orthotics suggestions are excellent suggestions. i thought acupuncture, suuuure, same day relief for left arm , hand, shoulder and neck, plus a massage!!! the orthotics felt weird at first, but i could walk w/NO heel pain right away, yipeeee. there's a lot of smart ladies in here, try them, good, licensed ones,OK? okie dokie, lotsa support 4 ya here, hehe kathy

Discussion Boards