Topic: Fibromyalgia and Breast Cancer

I think Barbe1958 has been through surgery and has Fibro...she has another link about Fibromyalgia if you look for that you will find her...

Dear Redhead,

I have just went through my first diagnosed surgery for breast cancer-Rt side.  I had a lumpectomy that was as large as a woman's fist.  I had a wonderful surgeon.  He did everything possible to save all the outside skin & nipple area.  The results were tremendous!  I too experience the neuropathy, but it is gradually going away--I am about one month out of surgery. 

I have a severe case of Fibromyalgia, and am learning that it has an effect in breast cancer-John Hopkins Hospital in MD.  I avoid several different kinds of food to avoid a lot of chronic pain.  I do very little medication.  I use Tramadol--prescribed by my Fibromyalgia specialist.  It works wonders.  I am careful not to use too much--in time you can become immuned to any medication until it doesn't become effective enough.  I ignore a lot of my pain, but if I use Tramadol, and keep it in my system just enough to take off the worst edge, I actually do not feel pain.  This is the first time I have felt like I could get out of pain, and it happened soon after my cancer surgery.  I am excited that I can live without so much pain.  I have not started treatment yet--I am waiting on the oncotype dx test to determine my treatment.  I only take my bloodpressure meds & the Tramadol. I usually take one tramadol, and then if it doesn't take off the edge, I use one 200 mg Ibuprophen to kick off the remainder.  It works for me.  I like to keep my mind sharp and ready for my work.  I am an artist, and writer.  I am getting ready to publish a music instruction book for college students for January semester.  So, I need out of pain, but functional at all times.  I hope this will help you.  I find that many foods high in starches cause tremendous muscle pain, and I stay away from fats and sugars.  These are hard on Fibromyalgia. I stay away from yeast products such as bread, pasteries, pasta, and rice.  They are not only starchy, and contain much sugars, but most of them contain yeast.  Let me know if this is helpful.  I am trying to do a study with my specialist to see if certain things will eliminate strong chronic pain.  I also understand that Fibromyalgia is a higher risk for breast cancer.  I am hoping I can do definite things that will eliminate the possibility of recurrence of cancer also.  If anyone has information, I would be abliged to know.  Hope this works for you.  Sandi Atkins-Whipple

I have fibro and am on tramadol. It is a mild opiate. It doesn't quite do it for me, but it does take the edge off. I had to bump it to three times a day in order to not end up in tears from the pain. The Tamoxifen really compounds the pain. I was on Mobic until my blood work came back showing kidney damage from CT contrast dyes and chemo treatment. The Mobic really did the trick, but can also cause kidney damage.

Marilyn, what you have described is exactly what fibro feels like.  It is horrible.  I was diagnosed with it a few years ago and the arimidex just makes it worse.  There is hope so get that referral.  I long for the days long ago when I felt really good. 

I am finally back posting as I have been so overwhelmed with the fibro, bc, surgeries, and now lymphedema. I came back and read all the posts and found them interesting and sad. that I didn't answer sooner. I never heard that fibro made you more susceptible to breast cancer that was new for me. I am on so many meds right now that i don't have to eat one meal, the meds are enough. Not Lyrica, that was a bad one for me. I am taking Femara instead of Tamoxifen  because I take Cymbalta for pain. But I digress.

My right breast surgery was a mastectomy and it was not so bad but then I developed a hematoma and the next day they had to redo the surgery and that was a downer. My diagnosis changed from stage 1 no chem or rad to 23 lymph nodes taken and 7 showing cancer. I just wasn't emotionally ready for it. The tumor itself was 7c if you took into consideration the spiderlike tentacles. The top was a bit over 2.. Because of the fibro I had decided early on, no implants and I was happy I did. After chemo and many shots of neupogen with critical levels on my blood work I started radiation for 33 days. I was burned badly and the skin was of no use during reconstruction. I had a surgery to transfer my blood vessels from going horizontally to going vertically with an incision across my bikini line and 4 weeks later 3 days before Christmas I had a Tram Flap and an uplift which was difficult and still is to get over. I developed Lymphedema halfway through the radiation and although it isn't very bad I use a flextouch pump 5 days a week to make sure I can control it and wear a garment when necessary. All of this has sent my fibro into awful flareups.and just everyday pain at all the trigger points. My hair is still growing slowly on my head but rapidly on my legs, that's just not right...

I am taking Tramadol (generic for Ultram a pain med)and Soma (muscle relaxer) morning and night, Topamax for the migraines, Elavel to sleep, Cymbalta (120) for pain Amatiza for constipation (the best stuff in the world) and Vicodin  or Percoset for the really bad days.I also take Zocor for cholesterol and Lavaza for Triglycerides.

Of all of this the hot flashes really are the worst to deal with. They don't let you sleep and they feel like little pins stuck all over your body. I tried Amberdeen from the Internet but now with the 5 year med my doc says I shouldn't take it. GREAT If men got these there would have been a cure years ago. Now that my journey is near the end with just one more minor surgery to go and waiting for my hair to grow back, I am finding it hard to find that person I was before. Even the fibro before didn't stop me from doing things, now I feel so overwhelmed it is hard to jump start my body every morning. My husband had a liver transplant and is on SSDI so I am the breadwinner with one left in college,6 kids between us and I raised 2 other stepkids,  14 grandkids and one on the way and 2 great grandkids. There is always some kind of drama going on.

There is new research going on that says fibro may be a virus and many studies are being conducted. We will see, at least it isn't like it used to be where no one believed there was an illness.

 I wish you all painfree days!

(((HUGS)))

redhead

hello,

my co worker has fibro and she said the magnesium with malic acid help her a lot.

this is the website for fibro care and other products.

http://www.e-tyh.com/productlisting1a.html

anyone heard about this or ask their doctors?

I've had fibro for 27 years. I did find the BC surgery with TE caused some flareups. My doctors treat my fibro as a sleep disorder stemming from a central nervous system problem. My complete treatment plan involves switching a wide variety of night meds until the right mix is found. I can sometimes take the same pills for a year and everything is fine. Then all of sudden it flares up and I have to play with different doses and meds until I hit the right combo.