Pain in chest

colon2
colon2 Member Posts: 183
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Has anybody else had pain in their chest after getting oxy and 5FU. I had treatment #5 this morning, and the pain started within a few moments after getting hooked to the fanny pack. It has to be the chemo, because this is the 3rd time. It is sort of like indigestion. It is a steady pain. The first time (#3) I thought I had maybe pulled a muscle or slept wrong. I have tried taking stuff for heartburn, indigestion, but it doesn't help. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. I did ask the nurse, and she didn't think it was a side effect. She wondered if my port maybe had shifted and we needed to get an X-ray. They can't get blood from it. They always have to stick me for blood. She said she was going to check with the DR. and call me back. I just thought I would ask and see if anyone else has had this problem.
Thanks, and God Bless You.
Carletta

Comments

  • standbyme
    standbyme Member Posts: 41
    #2
    pain during chemo
    My husband began to have pain in his neck during and after chemo. By the way, his port is placed in his upper arm (bicep). They also had problems getting blood from port so stuck him instead. This happened after he had had 9 rounds. It was ongoing through the next 3 treatments and Dr. could find nothing wrong. He then had a routine cat scan and chest xray.
    The oncologist phoned after this and said that the tip of the catheter had slipped out of place and was in his neck. The chemo was going in the wrong place hence the pain. He had to have the port replaced immediately and has had two more treatments since with no pain. This might be your problem.

    Good Luck
    Judy
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #3
    Hi Carletta,
    As Judy said,
    Hi Carletta,

    As Judy said, perhaps your port is moved out of place- so check out that possibility.
    My question to you, though, is the pain actually in your chest, or is it in your upper abdomen? If it's actually in the upper abdomen at your ribs, under your breast(s), then it could be pain in the liver. That was my case & my onc thought it unusual, but it happened after the first three times I had chemo- it was so bad I could barely jostle myself. My scan shortly thereafter showed most of the many tumors in my liver gone- hence, we determined it must have been the chemo working on those liver tumors.
    Just a thought of a possibility for you.

    If it's true chest pain, don't wait- get screened for possibility of the port misplacement and get an EKG.

    Hope all will be well-
    Lisa
  • colon2
    colon2 Member Posts: 183
    #4
    lisa42 said:

    Hi Carletta,
    As Judy said,
    Hi Carletta,

    As Judy said, perhaps your port is moved out of place- so check out that possibility.
    My question to you, though, is the pain actually in your chest, or is it in your upper abdomen? If it's actually in the upper abdomen at your ribs, under your breast(s), then it could be pain in the liver. That was my case & my onc thought it unusual, but it happened after the first three times I had chemo- it was so bad I could barely jostle myself. My scan shortly thereafter showed most of the many tumors in my liver gone- hence, we determined it must have been the chemo working on those liver tumors.
    Just a thought of a possibility for you.

    If it's true chest pain, don't wait- get screened for possibility of the port misplacement and get an EKG.

    Hope all will be well-
    Lisa

    Thanks
    I thank you for your responses. I too think that it may have shifted. The pain is in my chest. If you were pledging allegiance to the flag and moved your hand to the center, that is where it hurts. I talked to the Onc. nurse after i got home and she says to call her
    tomorrow if it is still hurting. We will have to get it checked out. Once again, Thank you,
    Carletta
  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    #5
    colon2 said:

    Thanks
    I thank you for your responses. I too think that it may have shifted. The pain is in my chest. If you were pledging allegiance to the flag and moved your hand to the center, that is where it hurts. I talked to the Onc. nurse after i got home and she says to call her
    tomorrow if it is still hurting. We will have to get it checked out. Once again, Thank you,
    Carletta

    I seem to remember
    My Onc nurse said the steroids can cause discomfort in the chest area. She said 'If you have crushing pain, etc.... that's NOT us, go to the ER, but if you have a burning sensation or minor discomfort....' That was part of her introduction speech to me.

    Carletta, hope this passes quickly and that it's nothing to worry about.
    Diane
  • PamPam2
    PamPam2 Member Posts: 370 Member
    #6
    chest pain
    I agree you should talk to your doctor and get everything checked out for the pain. I had bad pain, like real bad heartburn when I was on chemo too. It turns out it was the chemo causing my pain, causing irritation and inflammation of upper GI tract, tried several drugs, nexium was the one that finally worked for me. If your doctor rules out port or heart problems (and that would be great) maybe something like nexium would help you too. Hope you get to feeling better.
    Pam
  • colon2
    colon2 Member Posts: 183
    #7
    PamPam2 said:

    chest pain
    I agree you should talk to your doctor and get everything checked out for the pain. I had bad pain, like real bad heartburn when I was on chemo too. It turns out it was the chemo causing my pain, causing irritation and inflammation of upper GI tract, tried several drugs, nexium was the one that finally worked for me. If your doctor rules out port or heart problems (and that would be great) maybe something like nexium would help you too. Hope you get to feeling better.
    Pam

    Thanks
    Again I thank you all for the responses. It is much better this morning.I am wondering now if it could have been sensitivity to cold from the oxy. I did have on a low cut shirt yesterday,(makes it easier for the nurse to access port, and pass fanny pack thru.)When I went to bed and pulled up the covers, it went away. Or it could have been indigestion. Who knows. I guess it is definetly chemo related somehow. Especially since I felt like I couldn't breath for a few minutes after a coughing spell. I was making whooping sounds, trying to suck in air. That was a little scary, but I knew it was a side effect. I just give thanks to God for it being gone today. I also want to thank all of you . It helps to know that other people experienced similar side effects. I am feeling fine today.I am going to wear a buttoned to the neck shirt next time, and also ask for a prescription for Nexium in case. Hope everyone else is having a good day.
    Bless You All, Carletta
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #8
    colon2 said:

    Thanks
    Again I thank you all for the responses. It is much better this morning.I am wondering now if it could have been sensitivity to cold from the oxy. I did have on a low cut shirt yesterday,(makes it easier for the nurse to access port, and pass fanny pack thru.)When I went to bed and pulled up the covers, it went away. Or it could have been indigestion. Who knows. I guess it is definetly chemo related somehow. Especially since I felt like I couldn't breath for a few minutes after a coughing spell. I was making whooping sounds, trying to suck in air. That was a little scary, but I knew it was a side effect. I just give thanks to God for it being gone today. I also want to thank all of you . It helps to know that other people experienced similar side effects. I am feeling fine today.I am going to wear a buttoned to the neck shirt next time, and also ask for a prescription for Nexium in case. Hope everyone else is having a good day.
    Bless You All, Carletta

    dress for the fanny pack
    I always wore a shirt that buttoned all the way up so it was easy to open for treatment and easy to get off around the fanny pack. Of course at home, until disconnect, any pullover tshirt was just fine! I always wore elastic waisted pants also, for comfort in case i just didn't feel like changing before hitting the sack! Also helped with nausea and gas and stuff on days 1 and 2 as well. Sure hope next treatment goes better for you, those pains and coughing spells can be scary!
    mary
  • kmygil
    kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
    #9
    Check the port
    Yep. Check the port. Sometimes there's a shift and stuff starts poking where it shouldn't.

    Kirsten

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