Help please anal cancer pain

Karrie1962

my sister was diagnosed with Anal Cancer on Monday. We are waiting for the results from her scan to see what stage it is and if it has spread. Her consultations are meeting in thursday to discuss her case.

in the meantime she is in excruciating pain to the point where she is almost screaming. She is taking 10 mls of morphine every 4 hours but it is not helping. Is this normal and what can we do to control the pain?

also she lost her appetite several weeks ago and is losing lots of weight. Is this normal and what can we do about it.

all replies will be greatly appreciated

thanks 

xxxx

eihtak

Karrie1962....

Hello,

I am so sorry that your sister is in such pain. Everyone has varying degrees of discomfort depending on size and location of the tumor, but yes, excruciating pain is not uncommon as there are very sensitive nerves in this area... In the months prior to being diagnosed (that was over 7 years ago now) I was taking over the counter pain relief such as extra strength tylenol at least every 4 hours and got very little relief...I didn't care what the recommended dosage was at the time!

Once diagnosed I was prescribed oxycontin and it didn't take long for the dosage to gradually increase. Soon I was taking a timed release oxycontin every 12 hours and oxycodone as needed in between for break-through pain. This is NOT the time to tough it out as pain relief is needed to get through this treatment, to rest, and heal. Because pain meds can be constipating I was also prescribed a stool softener...this can be very important. It wasn't long after treatment ended that I was able to wean off the pain meds but it is important to do so gradually just as when increasing doses in the beginning. Please have your sister be persistent when asking for increased meds, while most oncologists are still willing to do so, there is a raised awareness to todays opioid issues.

Until I was able to get the pain under control I remember just kneeling along side my bed and crying into a pillow because it hurt to even lay down. For some odd reason I got momentary relief by agressively massaging my butt cheeks??? I'm assuming it had something to do with nerve lines.

Losing weight is normal even prior to beginning treatment and is a common symptom of cancer. Please encourage her to eat foods high in protien like greek yogurt. Often I'd just take a few bites every so often as well as sip on a milk shake throughout the day. Anything is better than nothing right now.

I'm sure once she gets a treatment plan in place she will receive lots of information...try not to be overwhelmed and take it one day at a time. Also, this site has a wealth of helpful members who will be happy to share tips and advice from people who have been right where your sister is. She will get through this...it is tough, but doable and relatively short treatment in comparison to many other cancers. 

You are so kind and your sister is lucky to have you there to help navigate this process. Please keep us posted as she moves forward and know that you'll both be in my thoughts and prayers.

katheryn