What do bone mets feel like?

Txgrl said:

My dad has bone mets. Very

My dad has bone mets. Very painful. He takes morphine for the pain.

Zoe,

Any unusual pain should be shared with your doctor. I would be very surprised given your initial diagnosis that you now have bone mets.

But that what doctors are for.

Icemantoo

Srashedb said:

I think the type of pain with

I think the type of pain with bone mets varies; my husband initially thought it was a slight sprain as did his gp.

a year after taking Advil (took care of pain but needed to take it) and physical therapy not helping it all, he had MRI which showed mass in kidney as well as nearly fractured vertabrae.

sarah

I've felt bone mets a couple ways. When it started in my pelvis, I thought it was an old muscle injury acting up. I had pain there years before. But it increased and became constant. Needed percocets to move around the house. My ribs ended up breaking from the tumors. I could pass out with coughs or sneezes. I had to move in slow motion. They hurt the most. My spine felt like ruptured discs. It would take my breath away. I guess I should just say they hurt a lot. It sure is nice that they have healed.

Septemberzoe said:

Thanks everyone for the

Thanks everyone for the info...right now my pain comes and goes and almost seems to move from my back to the front of my ribs...not painful enough to take anything for it...think I'll give it a little while and see how I feel...sometimes my mind drives me crazy  with aches and pains....thanks again... Xoxo

My husband had severe back pain that took him to the doctor.  He thought he must have injured his back doing some outdoor work.  It was persistent. He couldn't get in and out of bed without help.  started sleeping in a chair with a heating pad.  Tylenol did not help.  The doc prescribed narcotics and that didn't help either.  anyway, long story shortened here.  He was diagnosed at stage 4 with mets to bones.  He says it's the worse pain he's ever felt.  The pain from the nephrectomy and back surgery pales in comparison.  It is constant.  Narcotics dull the pain.  He chose to have radiation to his hip, shoulder and spine for pain control.  That was effective.  A quality of life decision.  He now has no evidence of metabolic disease and his aches are less debilitating.  This isn't like arthritic pain.  It doesn't change with what time of day, positioning, or physical activity.  This is how my husband explains it, perhaps others feel differently.  

annie

twinthings said:

rib pain

I've had left side rib pain for the past 3-4 months.  It's one tiny spot, does not feel muscular, is not a dull ache rather a sharp pain.  I keep feeling like if I sit up straighter or stand straighter it will feel better but, it doesn't.  I haven't mentioned to doctor because I highly doubt there's any relation.  It's not bad enough to take meds for but, I tend to wait till I'm a 8ish on a pain scale before I take anything and it's far from that...maybe a 4.  I have had ct's so, if I had bone mets I'd surely know from the ct's. right?

Like you, tho, if I hadn't had kidney cancer, I wouldn't give it a second thought...except that it's hard to forget about when it constantly hurts !

Hope yours gets to feeling better real soon!!

I am afraid not, Twinthings.  CT-scans can certainly miss bone mets.  The best kind of imaging is with a full body nuclear bone scan or an MRI.

Cold turkey! Wow!

I am so proud of you, Sindy! You are an inspiration to us all!

Way to go!

Hugs

Jojo

NanoSecond said:

Au Contraire

I am afraid not, Twinthings.  CT-scans can certainly miss bone mets.  The best kind of imaging is with a full body nuclear bone scan or an MRI.

I have to agree with nanosecond's reply. My wife has bone mets in most bones and only felt pain when she had a pathological break in her arm . That's how we found out she had cancer. Her Dr's do not rely on ct scan as they do not give a clear indication of lytic lesions. Bone scan and mri is the tools they use to monitor if cancer is progressing. My point is mets could be painful or not,everybody is different so do not put off any indicator longer than you have too. If it's nothing at least you have peace of mind.Best wishes to all !!

SOUL-MATE

twinthings said:

Cold turkey, Neil

Good to know, Neil.  If it's still bugging me in another 6 months or so, I'll mention it to doc. 

I know I told you before that I've cut back on sugar, but, I don't think I've told you, as of today, I am 25 days clean.  Well, mostly.  I have not had so much as a bite, lick or taste of any kind of dessert, icecream, cookie, cake, brownie...nothing...other than the sugar I get from what's hidden in the food I eat.  I went cold turkey!!  I'm so proud of me!

 

Wow.  I am very proud of you too.  Guess what? If you keep it up you are going to discover how little "sweetness" you need.  That is, if you happen to eat a sugar-laden sweet at some point in the future you may likely find it too sweet for your taste.  Plus, you will begin to discover subtle tastes that you had not noticed before.  Enjoy!

soul-mate said:

CT scan & mets

I have to agree with nanosecond's reply. My wife has bone mets in most bones and only felt pain when she had a pathological break in her arm . That's how we found out she had cancer. Her Dr's do not rely on ct scan as they do not give a clear indication of lytic lesions. Bone scan and mri is the tools they use to monitor if cancer is progressing. My point is mets could be painful or not,everybody is different so do not put off any indicator longer than you have too. If it's nothing at least you have peace of mind.Best wishes to all !!

SOUL-MATE

Interesting to know.  I have never read of anyone with bone mets not experiencing some level of pain.  While I am very happy that your wife does not feel discomfort, I am also now realizing that pain may not be our indicator that something is happening with my husband.   While I am trying to grasp some explanation for this, perhaps it has to do with the size of the tumor?  I would imagine that would be a factor. 

Are there other people out there that have not had pain with bone mets?

Thankyou for posting.  Appreciate it.  I am truly happy for you and your wife that the mets do not cause her pain. 

Annie

NanoSecond said:

Try this

Consider a breakfast of eggs and (nitrate-free) bacon.  Seriously.  No bread though.  It's the grains and cereals that put on the pounds.

Worked for me.  I started eating 2 softboiled eggs every morning.  Surprisingly after 4 months, my cholesterol dropped, blood pressure went down and don't need meds, and I lost 25 pounds that I had been struggling with forever.  My calorie count was the same.  It was what I ate, not the calories. 

a_oaklee said:

Interesting to know.  I have

Interesting to know.  I have never read of anyone with bone mets not experiencing some level of pain.  While I am very happy that your wife does not feel discomfort, I am also now realizing that pain may not be our indicator that something is happening with my husband.   While I am trying to grasp some explanation for this, perhaps it has to do with the size of the tumor?  I would imagine that would be a factor. 

Are there other people out there that have not had pain with bone mets?

Thankyou for posting.  Appreciate it.  I am truly happy for you and your wife that the mets do not cause her pain. 

Annie

Annie, I posted to say pain was not an issue till the break but the palliative care that she has now controls pain and chemo is to slow the cancer from progressing. The hydromorphone contin slow release twice a day and 1 or 2 2mg hydromorphone breakthrough makes her day painless and does not impair her thinking or limited mobility . Quality of life is the most important thing to make it through this journey and we enjoy one day at a time. Mets can be lytic or blastic and everyone is different. I wish everyone the best on their journey.

SOUL-mate