Pain during radiation

jne66
jne66 Member Posts: 26
in Breast Cancer #1
I just finished number 10 of 37 radiation tx. My skin is ok but I have pain where my lump was and where the 1 positive lymph node was. Has anyone else had this? Radiation onc said there shouldn't be any pain. I don't want to be a whiner.

Comments

  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #2
    Possibly....
    It's possible the pain is caused by the position your arms are in during radiation.....aren't they above your head? I had a good deal of pain in my right arm during rads due to that position...it " pulls " on the area of the lumpectomy and node removal....your rads oncologist is correct in that rads doesn't cause pain like this....

    Don't know if this is helpful...
    Wshing you pain free days..
    Hugs, Nancy
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #3
    Is the pain only while in
    Is the pain only while in position for rads? I had some discomfort/mild pain in my arm and on side from the position arm had to be in. The Techs were great about paddng and positioning so it was as comfortable as possible. Remember that the surgery did some damage to the nerves and muscles so some pain is quite possible. I had a Mod. Rad. Mast. with 19 positive nodes so area involved is fairly large. I have great ROM back and only have some stretching feel when moving in some directions but can't handle the pain I get if should be overhead for Scans.

    Talk to your Dr and the Techs about exactly where you're feeling it, the type pain (sharp stabbing/aching/pulling/etc.), when it starts (immediately/part way through). May need to slightly position you differently - it is doable..

    Susan
  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #4
    Rague said:

    Is the pain only while in
    Is the pain only while in position for rads? I had some discomfort/mild pain in my arm and on side from the position arm had to be in. The Techs were great about paddng and positioning so it was as comfortable as possible. Remember that the surgery did some damage to the nerves and muscles so some pain is quite possible. I had a Mod. Rad. Mast. with 19 positive nodes so area involved is fairly large. I have great ROM back and only have some stretching feel when moving in some directions but can't handle the pain I get if should be overhead for Scans.

    Talk to your Dr and the Techs about exactly where you're feeling it, the type pain (sharp stabbing/aching/pulling/etc.), when it starts (immediately/part way through). May need to slightly position you differently - it is doable..

    Susan

    My breast still hurts to touch sometimes.
    I was told that radiation does cause pain in breast tissue. Some have it for years after treatment. Not bad 3 years later but still tender sometimes. You are not wrong to tell you doctors when you are in pain. Keep speaking up until someone hears you.

    Roseann
  • jne66
    jne66 Member Posts: 26
    #5
    I thought itmay be from
    I thought itmay be from positioing during rads just seemed odd to me it was in my 2 positive areas. My surgery was 6 months ago thought I'd be healed from that but maybe scar tissue is pulling? I know takes longer for the nerves to heal. I guess at the bottom of it is the fear of cancer still being there or retiming. I need to quit being so negative.
  • Different Ballgame
    Different Ballgame Member Posts: 868
    #6
    As long as you have pain...
    Dear jne66

    As far as I am concerned, if you continue to have pain, you continue to tell the doctor. Something is giving you pain while you are being radiated and the doctor needs to solve it.

    If it is the position you are in, then they need to make you more comfortable in that position.

    Whatever you do, do not stop telling the doctor that you are in pain...when you are in pain. You are NOT a whiner.

    You did not have pain before radiation. Remember that!!! Remind the doctor of that fact. BE FIRM.

    Lots of Hugs,
    Janelle
  • sylvan
    sylvan Member Posts: 66
    #7
    pain from rads
    I had pain from rads. The oncologist said it wasn't real common but that it did happen. It didn't start out right away but by about half-way through, he gave me some pain meds. He also said that sometimes the swelling that occurs can be rather painful. Actually, the whole thing was rather painful. The burns and such too. Also I had extreme nausea from the rads. That isn't very common either but it happens. All I can say is, talk to your doctor. If it hurts then ask for pain meds. If you have nausea, they can give you meds for that too.
  • Muschi
    Muschi Member Posts: 85 Member
    #8
    MAJW said:

    Possibly....
    It's possible the pain is caused by the position your arms are in during radiation.....aren't they above your head? I had a good deal of pain in my right arm during rads due to that position...it " pulls " on the area of the lumpectomy and node removal....your rads oncologist is correct in that rads doesn't cause pain like this....

    Don't know if this is helpful...
    Wshing you pain free days..
    Hugs, Nancy

    I agree with
    I agree with Nancy, I had only pain when i had to put the arms up and only on the side where I had surgery. I am finnished with rads almost 3 month ago and it still hurts on my right shoulder when I strech. I like to use my right arm as much as I can because if I don't it will get stiff. I remember that was what my surgent told me and I guess it is the same after rads. We need to use all the parts of our body in order to be one day without pain again.
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #9
    MAJW said:

    Possibly....
    It's possible the pain is caused by the position your arms are in during radiation.....aren't they above your head? I had a good deal of pain in my right arm during rads due to that position...it " pulls " on the area of the lumpectomy and node removal....your rads oncologist is correct in that rads doesn't cause pain like this....

    Don't know if this is helpful...
    Wshing you pain free days..
    Hugs, Nancy

    No, rads don't give you
    No, rads don't give you pain. Maybe it is the way your arm is when you are getting your treatment? I know my arm was in an unusual position when I had rads.


    Hoping your pain goes away,

    Lex
  • JuJuBeez
    JuJuBeez Member Posts: 332
    #10
    I had some discomfort in the
    I had some discomfort in the surgery areas during rads from the position my arm was in. I had rads 2x/day for 5 days. By the end of the week, the techs had to move my arm for me after treatment was over. I couldn't bring it back down to my side.

    I had PT for a few weeks after rads for mild lymphedema and loss in range of motion. I still get some pain in my surgery areas, esp the lymph node scar, depending on my activity, or if I lay on that side too long, or the weather is damp. My PT tech and Rad Onc said that our nerves get 'angry' when they move them out of the way during surgery, and that pain in those sites is pretty normal. It's cold and snowy today, and my whole left arms aches, actually.

    Please don't ever feel like you're being a whiner. I know for me, since diagnosis March 2010, every time something feels different or changes my first thought is 'great...what now..' but I do have everything checked out. I think the diagnosis changes us and our awareness of our bodies.

    Good luck to you, and please let us know how you're doing.

    Julie
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #11
    i never had pain..but each
    i never had pain..but each of us so different..I got no reaction or side effects from treatments..I wish you the best..I'll check back in..

    Denise
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #12
    roseann4 said:

    My breast still hurts to touch sometimes.
    I was told that radiation does cause pain in breast tissue. Some have it for years after treatment. Not bad 3 years later but still tender sometimes. You are not wrong to tell you doctors when you are in pain. Keep speaking up until someone hears you.

    Roseann

    You are not whining at all.
    You are not whining at all. I didn't have any pain with rads except the tenderness from the "not quite" burning I got. I got really dark pink, but, didn't burn. I hope your rads oncologist will understand and give you a solution.


    Hugs, Leeza

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