Eating Crow????????

mgm42
mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Recently, I made several posts about severe muscle cramping throughout my body, which I attributed to tamoxifen. My oncologist says there is no way that tamoxifen is causing my problems. So, she wants me to see a rheumatologist. Maybe it's not the tamoxifen. If it isn't, I'll be relieved to find out what it is so I can do something about it and get some relief. Also, I'll be glad to eat crow (well, maybe chicken) without salt or pepper. Thanks for listening. Marilynn

Comments

  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #2
    CROW.....EWWWE
    Hi Marilyn,

    I certainly hope they are able to figure this out. My sister in-law has had problems with rheumatoid arthritis and after much testing with meds she has finally found one that works well for her. Let us know the outcome.

    (¯`•.•´¯) (¯`•.•´¯)
    *`•.¸(¯`•.•´¯)¸.•´ ♥
    ☆ º ♥ `•.¸.•´ ♥ º ☆.¸¸.•´¯`♥RE
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #3
    This is the fun of aging
    This is the fun of aging while also battling cancer. I now have some arthritis which I sometimes attribute to arimidex but I really think some of it was there before arimidex. Getting old is not for sissies...lol.
  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #4
    CypressCynthia said:

    This is the fun of aging
    This is the fun of aging while also battling cancer. I now have some arthritis which I sometimes attribute to arimidex but I really think some of it was there before arimidex. Getting old is not for sissies...lol.

    You've got that right!!!!!!!
    You've got that right!!!!!!! LOL. Hugs, Marilynn
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #5
    Now in The Netherlands, it's an exter....
    ...and they are loud, brutish birds that steal all the seeds from my feeders!!! Not exactly the dish I would offer...ROFL!!!

    Whatever it is, whatever the reason...I hope they find it!!!! Living in pain, or fear of another cramp, is awful!!!!

    Please keep us posted, dear Marilynn, as to what they find...

    And, I'll send you a pheasant...it's MUCH better eating!!!

    BIG dutch hugs, Kathi
  • gagee
    gagee Member Posts: 332
    #6
    my doctor thinks (onco) that
    my doctor thinks (onco) that my arthritis is from the arimidex. they just don't know why it is everywhere. put me on plaquenol and seems to be helping but arthritis will never go completely away. i have it so bad in my hands and ankles that it is unbelieveable. just want some relief and a better life than what i have been having. fatigue is so bad also. suppose to get better being off the arimidex but it has been 8 weeks and still not better. this whole thing has been just miserable. only good news is the surgeon got the cancer.
    sorry to ramble.. but i am at such a loss throughout this whole ordeal.

    sorry my caps isn't working.

    hugs to all,
    diana
  • CR1954
    CR1954 Member Posts: 1,390 Member
    #7
    Marilynn....
    I had horrible joint pain and aching after chemo & rads, that I had not had before.
    My onc was puzzled by it, as was my PCP. I finally sought out a rheumatologist and he has helped tremendously.
    This is the kind of medicine they are expert in, so I think you are making a good decision to see one.

    Best wishes,
    CR
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #8
    when I complained of leg cramps
    MY oncolo said she has had many complaints while on tamoxifen...I THINK it is..personally...IN past I have taken other meds (not cancer related) I had wicked headaches..Dr said NOT from meds...well I STOPPED that med and headaches went away. SO maybe not common side effect but I Think related to tamoxifen-leg cramps...

    and if you read posts here..how many of just on this site have had same complaints? so I would think somewhat related
  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #9
    gagee said:

    my doctor thinks (onco) that
    my doctor thinks (onco) that my arthritis is from the arimidex. they just don't know why it is everywhere. put me on plaquenol and seems to be helping but arthritis will never go completely away. i have it so bad in my hands and ankles that it is unbelieveable. just want some relief and a better life than what i have been having. fatigue is so bad also. suppose to get better being off the arimidex but it has been 8 weeks and still not better. this whole thing has been just miserable. only good news is the surgeon got the cancer.
    sorry to ramble.. but i am at such a loss throughout this whole ordeal.

    sorry my caps isn't working.

    hugs to all,
    diana

    Dear Gagee
    I sympathize and empathize with you. Arimidex did something similar to me, but only in my hands and hips. I was ready for surgery on both hands because of "trigger fingers." Fortunately, I put it off and, consequently, my onco took me off of it. I was off for about a month or more. Then they put me on tamoxifen. I don't have bone and joint pain with the tamoxifen. I just get xthe muscle spasms. But, this is the third episode of these spasms. The first was during chemo, the second on Arimidex and now on Tamoxifen. My onco says "no way." I'm hoping the rheumatologist will come up with something. f

    In the meantime, hang in there. Know that others of us understand where you are coming from. I hope you return to some kind of normal shortly. Hugs, Marilynn
  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #10
    CR1954 said:

    Marilynn....
    I had horrible joint pain and aching after chemo & rads, that I had not had before.
    My onc was puzzled by it, as was my PCP. I finally sought out a rheumatologist and he has helped tremendously.
    This is the kind of medicine they are expert in, so I think you are making a good decision to see one.

    Best wishes,
    CR

    Thanks for the
    Thanks for the encouragement. I need it. Hugs, Marilynn
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #11
    Marilynn,
    Are you taking any
    Marilynn,
    Are you taking any cholesterol medicine? I have had and do still occasionally have the worst muscle spasms/cramps all over my body. I will get them in my stomach and diaphram, in my upper inner thigh that send shooting pains down my leg, my back, feet, hands. Oddly I only rarely get calf cramps. I started getting these on the first cholesterol medicine I was given. I think it was Lipitor. They were very bad and very frequent so I was taken off of it and given something else but I continued to have them. Finally I was put on zocor and like I said I only occasionally have problems now. According to my doctor, statins can cause these spasms but who knows. I have had arthritis problems since I was in my thirties so maybe they are from that. I have used quinine for these, increased my water comsumption, increased then decreased exercise, slept with more covers, less covers, stretch my body in the morning and evening but I still seem to have them. When I get one it brings tears to my eyes. These are way more than just a cramp you stretch out and many occur in areas that aren't easy to stretch out or walk off. Twice I have had them at doctor appointments and for one it was a abdominal spasm and the doctor was so concerned he wanted to put me in the hospital. He thought it might have been a heart attack but I told him that if that was the case I was having heart attacks every other day. This was back when they were at their worst. That's when he told me to stop the cholesterol and we went to something else.
    I truly sympathize and hope they find what is causing this because they are extremely painful and seem to come at the worst times. I actually had one while driving and I had to get off the freeway, park the car and get out and try to stretch it out.
    Let us know if you find resolution. I will keep you in my prayers. Sometimes the "litle side dishes" to cancer are just the worst.
    Stef
  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #12
    fauxma said:

    Marilynn,
    Are you taking any
    Marilynn,
    Are you taking any cholesterol medicine? I have had and do still occasionally have the worst muscle spasms/cramps all over my body. I will get them in my stomach and diaphram, in my upper inner thigh that send shooting pains down my leg, my back, feet, hands. Oddly I only rarely get calf cramps. I started getting these on the first cholesterol medicine I was given. I think it was Lipitor. They were very bad and very frequent so I was taken off of it and given something else but I continued to have them. Finally I was put on zocor and like I said I only occasionally have problems now. According to my doctor, statins can cause these spasms but who knows. I have had arthritis problems since I was in my thirties so maybe they are from that. I have used quinine for these, increased my water comsumption, increased then decreased exercise, slept with more covers, less covers, stretch my body in the morning and evening but I still seem to have them. When I get one it brings tears to my eyes. These are way more than just a cramp you stretch out and many occur in areas that aren't easy to stretch out or walk off. Twice I have had them at doctor appointments and for one it was a abdominal spasm and the doctor was so concerned he wanted to put me in the hospital. He thought it might have been a heart attack but I told him that if that was the case I was having heart attacks every other day. This was back when they were at their worst. That's when he told me to stop the cholesterol and we went to something else.
    I truly sympathize and hope they find what is causing this because they are extremely painful and seem to come at the worst times. I actually had one while driving and I had to get off the freeway, park the car and get out and try to stretch it out.
    Let us know if you find resolution. I will keep you in my prayers. Sometimes the "litle side dishes" to cancer are just the worst.
    Stef

    Thanks - Helpful Info
    I'm not on a statin, but I'm on Trilipix, for high triglycerides. I was taken off it about 5 days ago. So, no change. But, it's something to really consider. Thanks so much.
  • LadyParvati
    LadyParvati Member Posts: 328
    #13
    mgm42 said:

    Thanks - Helpful Info
    I'm not on a statin, but I'm on Trilipix, for high triglycerides. I was taken off it about 5 days ago. So, no change. But, it's something to really consider. Thanks so much.

    How about Benadryl?
    If you are taking benadryl to help control allergic reactions to the other meds, it may be the culprit. Benadryl causes muscle cramping in some people. I have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), and the benadryl really kicked my RLS into overdrive, so I became a walking zombie, up all night because of the muscle spasms. Once I was able to stop taking the benadryl, the muscle spasms mostly went away (went back to my norm).

    I've also found that if I walk at least 2 miles daily and do yoga in the evenings, I do not have problems with my RLS.

    Hope they figure out what's causing *your* muscle spasms soon and can fix it--it is NOT fun!

    In empathy,

    Sandy
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #14
    I had severe muscle cramping
    I had severe muscle cramping when on Tamoxifen and it seems to me that a number of gals on Tamoxifen complain about it. A good way to find out is to go off it for a bit (with your oncs permission of course) and see if anything changes. This is how I usually find out if I can blame the meds or not :) Good luck to you Marilynn,
    jan
  • Different Ballgame
    Different Ballgame Member Posts: 868
    #15
    I just got excited when I read you on another posting
    Marilynn,

    I do believe I read that you went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. All my doctors are at this hospital. I also am a volunteer for Lynn Sage Breast Center once a week - Wednesday mornings.

    From so many postings that I have read on this board, the oncologists never seem to state that tamoxifen or Arimidex, etec. could be the cause of your aches and pains, even though this is one of the stated side effect to the drug. Instead, you have to see other doctors and take tests to hopefully find out what is happening in your body. Good luck. Please continue to post.

    I live in Park Ridge. Are you near me?

    Lots of Hugs,
    Janelle
  • crselby
    crselby Member Posts: 441 Member
    #16
    Leg cramps caused by Tamoxifen
    Listen, when I was 47 I went into natural menopause. And began experiencing leg cramps mostly at night. And in places that had never cramped up from exercise before. The doc said it was from lower estrogen. Menopause, God's cruel joke on women.

    Then 11 years later came breast cancer and, eventually, Tamoxifen. Apparently Tamoxifen is God's synthetic joke on women... The leg cramps came back again. I've been on Tamoxifen for a little more than a year and the hot flashes and leg cramps have not let up, save for the fact that Effexor gives me some relief from hot flashes. (having one now!)

    For me, leg cramps are definitely caused by having Tamoxifen replace estrogen.
    ~~Connie~~
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #17
    RE said:

    CROW.....EWWWE
    Hi Marilyn,

    I certainly hope they are able to figure this out. My sister in-law has had problems with rheumatoid arthritis and after much testing with meds she has finally found one that works well for her. Let us know the outcome.

    (¯`•.•´¯) (¯`•.•´¯)
    *`•.¸(¯`•.•´¯)¸.•´ ♥
    ☆ º ♥ `•.¸.•´ ♥ º ☆.¸¸.•´¯`♥RE

    I don't like crow either!
    I don't like crow either! lol Praying this new doctor can help you!


    Sue :)
  • Different Ballgame
    Different Ballgame Member Posts: 868
    #18
    crselby said:

    Leg cramps caused by Tamoxifen
    Listen, when I was 47 I went into natural menopause. And began experiencing leg cramps mostly at night. And in places that had never cramped up from exercise before. The doc said it was from lower estrogen. Menopause, God's cruel joke on women.

    Then 11 years later came breast cancer and, eventually, Tamoxifen. Apparently Tamoxifen is God's synthetic joke on women... The leg cramps came back again. I've been on Tamoxifen for a little more than a year and the hot flashes and leg cramps have not let up, save for the fact that Effexor gives me some relief from hot flashes. (having one now!)

    For me, leg cramps are definitely caused by having Tamoxifen replace estrogen.
    ~~Connie~~

    3 Bars of Soap
    EVERYONE,

    I just read an old posting on 3 BARS OF SOAP placed under the sheets in your bed. Those who did it swore it alleviated their cramps.

    What do you have to lose? Try it, If it works, GREAT. Then post the good news.

    Hugs,
    Janelle
  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #19
    Different Ballgame said:

    3 Bars of Soap
    EVERYONE,

    I just read an old posting on 3 BARS OF SOAP placed under the sheets in your bed. Those who did it swore it alleviated their cramps.

    What do you have to lose? Try it, If it works, GREAT. Then post the good news.

    Hugs,
    Janelle

    Ivory Soap - 3 Bars
    I put three bars of Ivory soap under my bottom sheet, three nights ago. I haven't had one cramp while sleeping. Of course, my onco took me off my tamoxifen also, which I've been off of since Tuesday. So, it's hard to tell, which came first, the chicken or the egg. But, the Ivory is staying in my bed. I'll be going back on the Tamoxifen in another week. We'll see what happens and I'll be sure to post. Marilynn
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #20
    mgm42 said:

    Ivory Soap - 3 Bars
    I put three bars of Ivory soap under my bottom sheet, three nights ago. I haven't had one cramp while sleeping. Of course, my onco took me off my tamoxifen also, which I've been off of since Tuesday. So, it's hard to tell, which came first, the chicken or the egg. But, the Ivory is staying in my bed. I'll be going back on the Tamoxifen in another week. We'll see what happens and I'll be sure to post. Marilynn

    Marilynn, I just wanted to
    Marilynn, I just wanted to say how great it is to see your smiling face here again, really missed you :)
    hugs
    jan

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