dry cough/ pain still

tracy2377
tracy2377 Member Posts: 25
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
my husband has limited small cell lung cancer and just finished his treatments thanksgiving week(4 treatments etoposide as well as cisplatin with 33 radiation treatments is now going through 10 treatments of brain radiation) he had his first cat scan which showed his tumors have diasapeared my question is he still has some pain in his chest from where he had the radiation as well as a dry cough the oncologist doesnt seem to be to worried about it but my husband is a very nervous about it. can any one tell me if you think this is normal having a dry cough as well as paine in chest where the tumor was? any advice would be greatly appreciated thankyou tracy

Comments

  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #2
    Coughs and doctors
    I'm sure they are following your husband closely with lots of scans to see how effective treatment is going. That means if they are not worried about cancer you don't have to worry about cancer. But that doesn't mean that the cough isn't worth someone's time and trouble to treat. The problem may be that the oncologist is a cancer doctor that is worried about drugs and cancer growth. A pulmonologist is a specialist in breathing problems involving the lung. I had to go see a regular pulmonologist to get my cough taken care of. He tested me for breathing problems and set me up with some meds to treat my cough. It took a few trips back and forth to find just the right combination of inhalers, nasal sprays, and oral meds, but we finally found some I could take. It was worth the doctor visits. I had gotten to where others at my workplace were worried I couldn't do my job because I was coughing so much. They were sure I was going to drop dead of lung cancer any minute. I was a bit worried myself. But sometimes the coughing is a result of cancer treatment or another condition. So if they say it isn't cancer, go to the pulmonologist to get the cough treated. Good luck!
  • quarkstart
    quarkstart Member Posts: 2
    #3
    dry hacking cough/ short of breath/pain in left back/shoulder
    Last radiation treatment August 6th and last chemo treatment August 26th. Received flu shot in October, got sick with cold related productive coughing that lasted a little over 3 weeks. I have never fully recovered. Doctors say that the pain is related to the tumor shrinking and pulling on the muscles. Stretching my back helps lessen the discomfort, somewhat. Coughing is still evident and worsens with fatigue.

    CXR shows radiation caused lung changes. Took antibiotics first but that did not really help, so now am starting a steroid treatment.
    Hopefully, it will stop the coughing and ease some of the shortness of breath.
  • quarkstart
    quarkstart Member Posts: 2
    #4
    Mistake
    No comment
  • Gilhooley
    Gilhooley Member Posts: 3
    #5
    quarkstart said:

    dry hacking cough/ short of breath/pain in left back/shoulder
    Last radiation treatment August 6th and last chemo treatment August 26th. Received flu shot in October, got sick with cold related productive coughing that lasted a little over 3 weeks. I have never fully recovered. Doctors say that the pain is related to the tumor shrinking and pulling on the muscles. Stretching my back helps lessen the discomfort, somewhat. Coughing is still evident and worsens with fatigue.

    CXR shows radiation caused lung changes. Took antibiotics first but that did not really help, so now am starting a steroid treatment.
    Hopefully, it will stop the coughing and ease some of the shortness of breath.

    SCLC surgery, 2 year survivor as of 1/15/11
    This is my first effort at relating my experience, please bear with me. 60 years old, 40 year smoker (quit the day they told me I had cancer, haven't smoked since). Diagnosed with SCLC January 15, 2009 from a routine physical & chest xray that I get every January. Lobectomy of upper left lung on Feb 4, 2009. Zero mets, tumor was @ the size of a quarter hiding behind a rib. They could barely biopsy it. I was six days in the hospital with some very caring people tending to me (only other hospital stay was being born). All the pain meds I needed eased everything but the constipation which lasted for a month. Fleets enemas from CVS solved that.

    I was in the hospital 6 days, home with Oprah for 2 weeks and said to hell with this & went back to work. Did 4 rounds of chemo in APR-MAY-JUN. No sweat, hair got thin, face turned gray, pretty tired, never got sick. Did 15 brain irradiations in September. Would rather have had more chemo than getting my eggs scrambled every morning. Hair completely fell out this time, ears got scabby, head really itched. Hadn't worn a hat since Cub Scouts. Chemo & radiation were both preventive.

    It is 2 years later and my ribs & back still bother me. Lat muscles on left side are shortened and they do cramp up, especially in the cold. Oncologist is very happy and tells me I am in remission and does not expect a further presenting as SCLC is very aggressive. It would be here by now if it was coming back.

    My wife, God bless her, insisted that I go to a pulmonologist which I would recommend to anyone surviving lung cancer. The chemo fried some lung and I have idiopathic fibrosis but there is no trajectory to it. I go to rehab every M-W-F for exercise and all the O2 I can suck down. The REHAB IS EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL to recovering strength & stamina. I walk a treadmill for 20 minutes, stationary bicycle for 10-12, recumbent stairstepper for 20 minutes. When I started I was on all the lower settings. A year later and I am on the high settings.

    I take the Target equivalent of Mucinex w/cough suppressant every morning, takes care of the coughing and gets the tubes cleaned out. I also use a Homedics vibrator that really shakes the sticky stuff loose. I recommend both.

    When I was diagnosed, I did the usual internet research and found the same dismal statistics. I couldn't find anyone, anywhere that could relate a positive outcome. I think I owe it to tell some stranger somewhere to never give up, there is always hope. I expect to get my three score & ten or fifteen in. My wife and I are closer than ever after 34 years of marriage. Our faith in God is stronger than ever. We have experienced an inner peace during this trial that can only be a foreshadowing of what is to come. We pray together daily and always thank God for our blessings.
  • onemore
    onemore Member Posts: 57
    #6
    Gilhooley said:

    SCLC surgery, 2 year survivor as of 1/15/11
    This is my first effort at relating my experience, please bear with me. 60 years old, 40 year smoker (quit the day they told me I had cancer, haven't smoked since). Diagnosed with SCLC January 15, 2009 from a routine physical & chest xray that I get every January. Lobectomy of upper left lung on Feb 4, 2009. Zero mets, tumor was @ the size of a quarter hiding behind a rib. They could barely biopsy it. I was six days in the hospital with some very caring people tending to me (only other hospital stay was being born). All the pain meds I needed eased everything but the constipation which lasted for a month. Fleets enemas from CVS solved that.

    I was in the hospital 6 days, home with Oprah for 2 weeks and said to hell with this & went back to work. Did 4 rounds of chemo in APR-MAY-JUN. No sweat, hair got thin, face turned gray, pretty tired, never got sick. Did 15 brain irradiations in September. Would rather have had more chemo than getting my eggs scrambled every morning. Hair completely fell out this time, ears got scabby, head really itched. Hadn't worn a hat since Cub Scouts. Chemo & radiation were both preventive.

    It is 2 years later and my ribs & back still bother me. Lat muscles on left side are shortened and they do cramp up, especially in the cold. Oncologist is very happy and tells me I am in remission and does not expect a further presenting as SCLC is very aggressive. It would be here by now if it was coming back.

    My wife, God bless her, insisted that I go to a pulmonologist which I would recommend to anyone surviving lung cancer. The chemo fried some lung and I have idiopathic fibrosis but there is no trajectory to it. I go to rehab every M-W-F for exercise and all the O2 I can suck down. The REHAB IS EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL to recovering strength & stamina. I walk a treadmill for 20 minutes, stationary bicycle for 10-12, recumbent stairstepper for 20 minutes. When I started I was on all the lower settings. A year later and I am on the high settings.

    I take the Target equivalent of Mucinex w/cough suppressant every morning, takes care of the coughing and gets the tubes cleaned out. I also use a Homedics vibrator that really shakes the sticky stuff loose. I recommend both.

    When I was diagnosed, I did the usual internet research and found the same dismal statistics. I couldn't find anyone, anywhere that could relate a positive outcome. I think I owe it to tell some stranger somewhere to never give up, there is always hope. I expect to get my three score & ten or fifteen in. My wife and I are closer than ever after 34 years of marriage. Our faith in God is stronger than ever. We have experienced an inner peace during this trial that can only be a foreshadowing of what is to come. We pray together daily and always thank God for our blessings.

    Hi
    What wonderful news!
    Hi

    What wonderful news!

    My dad has mesothelioma! It is a rare cancer from being exposed to asbestos.

    He had a few treatments and surgery but it was inoperable. Radiation has slowed down the growth but it is still growing. He may be trying a chemo form in a pill next.

    He has a good attitude and is fighting. He is a wonderful man. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him.

    Best wishes to you always!

    Onemore
  • dmcl11
    dmcl11 Member Posts: 22
    #7
    cough
    cabott is right go to pulmanologist im still coughing 1 yr after end of treatment. Seeing pulm trying different meds and inhalers they say it is due to scarring from radiation

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