radiation and sore throat

jrowe
jrowe Member Posts: 13
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am wondering if anyone else has experienced a sore throat while receiving radiation treatments for bc? Also, has anyone experienced joint pain while on tamoxifen?

Comments

  • BBK
    BBK Member Posts: 53
    #2
    I've been on tamoxifen since June 2003...so, obviously still have a long way to go! But, YES, LOTS of joint pain. For a long while, my right knee was very stiff and painful. Now, it's my right shoulder giving me difficulties. Of course, my wrists and fingers are almost always painful. The pain seems to jump around to different joints each week -- some are more painful than others for longer or shorter periods of time. I can't seem to pinpoint anything that might aggravate the pain...it's just always there. Has that been your experience, too? My onc. is convinved it's NOT the tamoxifen...but, I'm convinced that it IS! She took me off for a month and I was better. But, put me back on and the pain returned. She's still convinced that this is the best treatment plan for me...I'm not always sure. Sometimes the pain is unbearable. I also have intense hot flashes throughout the day (lasting up to 4 minutes) and night, and I have an itchy vaginal discharge (both of which my onc. tells me is normal). Lovely side effects. Do you have any other side effects? I take Aleve or Ibuprofen for the joint pain...but, it doesn't really do much good. I try to make the most of my good, less-pain days. And, I try to not get too depressed or beat myself up over the bad, pain-filled days. The bc never hurt...the side effects from chemo, and surgery, and tamoxifen...well, that's another story! Hope you have a GOOD day today! ~Barb
  • krisrey
    krisrey Member Posts: 194
    #3
    Hi Jrowe,
    I just finished my radiation on Dec 30th. I did not experience any kind of throat problems at all, but I have a friend that did experience some problems with her superclavical area and they discontinued the treatment in that area. Be sure to tell your nurse and doctors of any discomforts at all.
    As far as the tamoxifen, I have only been on it since Oct 24, but I have not really had any side effects other than some hot flashes, but that started with the chemo. I have not had any joint pain and the hot flashes have not been bad at all. I don't know if being on it for 3 months is long enough for the side effects to really kick in, but my onc nurse said that most likely any nasty side effects would have settled in by now, so I keep my fingers crossed.
    If you go back an read some of the older postings, there is some great information on tamoxifen that others have repsonded to.
    Hope this helps a little.
    Kris
  • vac
    vac Member Posts: 97
    #4
    i am going start radiation next week the nurse told me that one of the side effects is a sore throat. i have been on tamoxifen since dec 2002, i have had joint pains that are in my shoulders i hope that is from the tam also hot flashes but not as bad when i started
  • DeeNY711
    DeeNY711 Member Posts: 476 Member
    #5
    Following the first supraclavical radiation, I went grocery shopping and at some point realized that there was a lump in my throat that was increasing in size. I became quite alarmed and feared that my airway was going to be compromised. However, it sort of peaked and then subsided. The effect was never as dramatic in all the subsequent treatments, although that feeling of swelling within the throat and sometimes even a little strange feeling while swallowing food or beverage did occur. This gave me a perfect iron-clad excuse to indulge in a Slurpee from 7 Eleven whenever...
    Hugs,
    Denise
  • jrowe
    jrowe Member Posts: 13
    #6
    Thank you so much for your reply's. I have read and reread all the books and haven't found specific answers to either of my questions. I am having joint pain on the tamoxifen. My onc and rad onc both state that joint pain is "not listed as a side effect". I don't care what the books say, they need to listen to us. At first the joint pain was in every joint and it was difficult to move around. It has gotten better since it initially started, but I still have it. Now it jumps from joint to jointas Barb's is doing. My rad onc told me today that my throat pain is probably from the radiation. They are radiating my supraclavicle nodes and some of the rays are probably hitting my neck and throat. It isn't really a sore throat, it is throat pain upon swallowing....as Denise described. He told me that they will try to shield that area more. I can live with it as long as I know what it is and that it will go away. If I can't eat, maybe I can lose some of this chemo weight!! I had terrible hot flashes with chemo and my onc said that they would probably get worse with the tam., but they have actually improved! I was getting them hourly. I am taking Vitamin E 1200 mgs. daily per my onc. He told me that if the Vit E didn't work I could try Neurontin. I agree with Barb..the bc never hurt, but the side effects of chemo, tam and radiation are something else. But, gotta do what you gotta do. I just hope all of this pays off and makes the prognosis a good one. Especially since no one guarantees you anything! Thanks for all your comments, they help so much. I am so glad I found this discussion group!

Discussion Boards