joint and muscle pain

JanInMN
JanInMN Member Posts: 149
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
hey, ladies! So i am done with Chemo (Taxotere and Carbo) in Mid-May, and am still doing Herceptin until February. I just got expanders placed (delayed reconstruction). i have been having lots of joint pain (knee and hip). If I sit for long, it takes me a few minutes to start walking normally. My hands are achy in the morning, and sometimes my elbows too. I have been trying to exercise (walk and bike) almost every day. I've read that joint pain can be a side effect of both Taxotere and Herceptin. Has anyone else had this? How long does it last? It is making me sad to be in pain all the time...

Comments

  • Chickadee1955
    Chickadee1955 Member Posts: 356 Member
    #2
    Did you receive Neulasta
    Did you receive Neulasta shots after your chemo? That can produce what feels like flu symptoms of joint/muscle/bone pain. I have received the shot after each Taxotere/Cytoxin cycle and have had some minor issues with it. I was told to take Benadryl & Tylenol for it and it works. Some folks on this board have also been told to use Claritin & Tylenol. The antihistimine properties seem to counteract the increased blood cell production pain.
    You might check with your oncology nurse.

    Please let me know how your expanders work out for you. I am looking at delayed reconstruction in October. I can't wait!

    Hope the joint pain diminishes with time.

    Regards

    Chickadee
  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    #3
    Hi Janln,
    Yes! I took the same drugs. I finished up Chemo in Feb 2006 and Herceptin 2007. I've been on both Tamoxifen then switched to Arimedex then back to Tamoxifen.

    Everyone is different. I too had the hip, joint pain which did diminish but it never did go away completely...at least for me it didn't. I think that could also be a side effect from the Tamoxifen.

    Just keep a good healthy weight, and excercise regularly as that helps reduce the painful joints.

    I know it's difficult to have a life that had no pain to a life that includes pain. For me, I have just viewed it as a "new" normal and accepted it instead of it getting the best of me.

    Best wishes and blessings,

    Sylvia
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #4
    sea60 said:

    Hi Janln,
    Yes! I took the same drugs. I finished up Chemo in Feb 2006 and Herceptin 2007. I've been on both Tamoxifen then switched to Arimedex then back to Tamoxifen.

    Everyone is different. I too had the hip, joint pain which did diminish but it never did go away completely...at least for me it didn't. I think that could also be a side effect from the Tamoxifen.

    Just keep a good healthy weight, and excercise regularly as that helps reduce the painful joints.

    I know it's difficult to have a life that had no pain to a life that includes pain. For me, I have just viewed it as a "new" normal and accepted it instead of it getting the best of me.

    Best wishes and blessings,

    Sylvia

    I have the same experience
    I have the same experience as Sylvia. Dana Farber is giving women glutamine for the arthalgias. during chemo. I wish I had known I might have taken it. I also know the humidity makes it worse for me.
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #5
    sea60 said:

    Hi Janln,
    Yes! I took the same drugs. I finished up Chemo in Feb 2006 and Herceptin 2007. I've been on both Tamoxifen then switched to Arimedex then back to Tamoxifen.

    Everyone is different. I too had the hip, joint pain which did diminish but it never did go away completely...at least for me it didn't. I think that could also be a side effect from the Tamoxifen.

    Just keep a good healthy weight, and excercise regularly as that helps reduce the painful joints.

    I know it's difficult to have a life that had no pain to a life that includes pain. For me, I have just viewed it as a "new" normal and accepted it instead of it getting the best of me.

    Best wishes and blessings,

    Sylvia

    congrats BTW!

    congrats BTW!
  • JanInMN
    JanInMN Member Posts: 149
    #6
    Chickadee1955 said:

    Did you receive Neulasta
    Did you receive Neulasta shots after your chemo? That can produce what feels like flu symptoms of joint/muscle/bone pain. I have received the shot after each Taxotere/Cytoxin cycle and have had some minor issues with it. I was told to take Benadryl & Tylenol for it and it works. Some folks on this board have also been told to use Claritin & Tylenol. The antihistimine properties seem to counteract the increased blood cell production pain.
    You might check with your oncology nurse.

    Please let me know how your expanders work out for you. I am looking at delayed reconstruction in October. I can't wait!

    Hope the joint pain diminishes with time.

    Regards

    Chickadee

    I did receive Neulasta
    I did receive Neulasta during chemo. I never had any pain then. I wonder if the pain could have shown up 2 months after I finished up chemo. I'll check out the Benedryl and Tylenon with my doc tomorrow. Thanks for the advice!
    Good luck on your reconstruction! I've been very happy with the experience so far. The surgery to put them in was painful, but nothing like the mastectomy, and a very short recovery time (1 1/2 weeks). I've had one fill, and my second is tomorrow. My first fill was easy (except that they had a hard time finding the port :-) ).
  • JanInMN
    JanInMN Member Posts: 149
    #7
    sea60 said:

    Hi Janln,
    Yes! I took the same drugs. I finished up Chemo in Feb 2006 and Herceptin 2007. I've been on both Tamoxifen then switched to Arimedex then back to Tamoxifen.

    Everyone is different. I too had the hip, joint pain which did diminish but it never did go away completely...at least for me it didn't. I think that could also be a side effect from the Tamoxifen.

    Just keep a good healthy weight, and excercise regularly as that helps reduce the painful joints.

    I know it's difficult to have a life that had no pain to a life that includes pain. For me, I have just viewed it as a "new" normal and accepted it instead of it getting the best of me.

    Best wishes and blessings,

    Sylvia

    Thanks, Sylvia! I really
    Thanks, Sylvia! I really hoped that I'd get through this without any lasting effects, but that is unrealistic, I suppose. I'm going to try to not let it get the best of me, but right now, because it is new, it is making me sad. I'll get there, though. Thanks sharing your experince and for your encouragement :-)
  • JanInMN
    JanInMN Member Posts: 149
    #8
    carkris said:

    congrats BTW!

    congrats BTW!

    :-) thanks! Humidity has
    :-) thanks! Humidity has been super high here in MN! I'll have to watch that and see how it affects my joints!
  • Snowkitty
    Snowkitty Member Posts: 295
    #9
    JanInMN said:

    Thanks, Sylvia! I really
    Thanks, Sylvia! I really hoped that I'd get through this without any lasting effects, but that is unrealistic, I suppose. I'm going to try to not let it get the best of me, but right now, because it is new, it is making me sad. I'll get there, though. Thanks sharing your experince and for your encouragement :-)

    Just for the heck of it, try
    Just for the heck of it, try Motrin. I had severe back pain from Neupogen shots (basically the same as the Nulasta). Darvocit didn't touch. Onc said to take Motrin and that did the trick. Who'd of thunk.

    Take Care, Cindy
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    #10
    Hi Janln
    I got done with my
    Hi Janln
    I got done with my chemo at very end of April after that i started Tamoxifen and i still have all the joint pains...just not as bad...makes me feel like im a 100 years old when i try to get up and im also a very active person.
    Just lettin you know your not alone with this little cork of a side effect!
  • gelovime
    gelovime Member Posts: 15
    #11
    jo jo said:

    Hi Janln
    I got done with my
    Hi Janln
    I got done with my chemo at very end of April after that i started Tamoxifen and i still have all the joint pains...just not as bad...makes me feel like im a 100 years old when i try to get up and im also a very active person.
    Just lettin you know your not alone with this little cork of a side effect!

    You are not alone!
    Hi Janln, I have been feeling this 2 weeks ago, and I was wondering what it is???
    I have been trying to put peppermint oil on my body lotion in the last two days and I think it's working, it helps for several hours!!!
    I will continue with my experiment you can try and tell me if it works for you!
    I hope you feel better!

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