Aches & Pains 7 mos after treatments

Aches and Pains after Seven Months Treatment
Jan,
Is there any possibility you might have neuropathy from the chemo? I finished my chemo last September, cutting it short because I was developing neuropathy. I have roving pains in my joints and muscles from my back to my toes--every day a different place--especially at night. My oncologist prescribed neurontin, but it really didn't do much and caused swelling in my hands and feet. I went to the orthopedic surgeon who did knee replacement surgery for me in 2007. He did some xrays and said everything looked fine. He is convinced the pain is from the neuropathy. He said marijuana works very well for it, but I am allergic to hemp, so I went to my internist. He prescribed nortriptilyne which is actually an old antidepressent, but it has been found to work well in easing chronic pain. I have only taken it for five day, but I had a pain-free night last night for the first time since I finished the chemo.
Lori

Songflower said:

Aches and pains
I think this chem regimen we take does give more aches and pains. I think you have to take it slowly. You sound like you are in high gear. Sometimes backing off and changing the workout can give muscles a rest. I am convinced the taxol affects the muscles for a long time and the fibers need to time to heal and rest before they make the come back. and they will come back. I know because I took it ten years ago for breast and it did come back and I could do step. I never could run. Actually, I thought after a few years I was actually stronger. But I had to give it time. Now I have neuropathy and must make big changes in my life. But I am doing it.

Diane

Aches and pains and neuropathy
My comments are intended for all of the respondents to this subject. I am recovering from TBI and I'm a professinal massage therapist. Before the TBI I was an engineer. My injury caused all of my muscles to become hypertoned. They kept compressing me more and more for years until I could barely breath and the pain was constant and excruciating. It took over 11 years to figure out what was going on and 5 more to begin to see a reversal of the trend. I was 54 years old with the body of an 80 year old. I now work almost almost exclusively with clients who suffer from the ubiquitous neuropathy that doctors use to explain just about anything that they don't have a clue about. It is routine for me to see clients get 10 - 20 years younger in a matter of 6 months or less. They don't like the wandering aches and pains, of course, but they love the new function that they experience and the ease of movement, etc. I am now 58 years old and my body is acting and feeling about 25 years old and getting better every day week. I still have wandering aches and pains and I'm thankful, though annoyed by them. As long as they are there I know I'm still alive.

The fact that you all have these roaming pains is the best evidence that your body's are healing. Old disfunctional tissue always exposes muscles and nerves to tensions and movements that are new to them. They respond like they should, by changing to adapt to their new reality. You may remember the soreness that followed hard workouts when you were younger, before your body developed callouses internally to keep you from torturing it all the time. Here is what to do.

Lighten up. Your body has a lot to deal with. Don't insist on going back to life as usual. That life was killing you.

Hydrate, move. Hydrate, move. Hydrate, move. It is not about exercise, it is about movement and the pleasure of moving.

Take nattokinase to help the body rid itself of damaged tissue, to improve microcirculation, and to protect yourself from the inevitable inflammation that results from the body's reaction to all of its "foreign" tissue.

Find a good massage therapist or learn how to treat yourself.

Choose a long slow uphill climb, enjoy the experience. It beats the heck out of a slow downhill battle with assured destruction at the bottom.

Best of luck!