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Topic: Fatigue and Pain

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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2
  • Posted on: Feb 22, 2008 10:38 am
rkbuff wrote:

My wife was diagnosed with ibc in Sept. 06'. All treatments (chemo, Surgery, Rads.) were completed by April of 07'. She is doing very well, with the exception of pain in her feet and also she still gets very fatigued.

She was lucky to be diagnosed very quickly - Her left breast became hard and slightly swollen so she went to her doctor who immediately sent her for a mammogram and biopsy. Within a two week period she found out she had ibc, had a port put in, full body scan done, MRI, blood work, mammogram and had her first round of Chemo.

After her mastectomy we found out she had no lymph node involvement. (Huge Relief) and she healed pretty good. She has not had any setbacks at all, So far so good.

Her only problem was some pain in her hip around the time she was finishing up her radiation. They did a bone scan and all was fine. (Huge Relief again).

So we are puzzled and frustrated as to why she is having the pain and fatigue almost a year after her treatments stopped.

They put her on meds. for neuropathy for her feet, but she says the pain is not the numbness and tingling kind but more as if the tops of her feet are broken. The pain is not enough to keep her from getting around but bother her enough that by the end of the day they really hurt.

We don't know if these are long term chemo (AC+Taxol) or radiation side effects or something else?

Her doctors have been great up until this point but they don't seem to have an answer for us.

Have any of you had the same problems? Will this go away in time?

Should we be concerned or will this just become the new normal for her.

Thanks!

Posts 1 - 4 (4 total)
kimmie39
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 308
Feb 22, 2008 07:40 pm kimmie39 wrote:

Hi,

This is my second round with BC but I can tell you that the first time I had hip and shoulder pain for several years. The doctor couldn't explain it but several other gals in my support group complained with the same sort of pain.

Hope that helps.

Kim 

Recurrent IBC Stage 3b Rt and Left w/ node involvement er - pr- her2-/ updated to stage 4 11/25/07 bone mets found on CT
snowyday
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1140
Feb 22, 2008 07:53 pm snowyday wrote:

Taxols can cause long term pain in bones and joints there are many women on the site with this problem. If you look up Taxols on the net you'll find lots of articles about the side effects. I hope your wife will eventually lose this nasty se, I hate it as well. Good luck

PN
Dx 5/18/2007, IDC, 3cm, Stage IV, Grade 3, / nodes, mets, ER-/PR-, HER2-
kwhite
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4
Apr 30, 2008 01:43 pm kwhite wrote:

You might check side effects for all the medications. I had aches & pains in joints, thought it was bone cancer (my big fear). When mentioned in support group meeting, others said they also had it. Research uncovered a report in Journal of Rheumatology(!) of a study of joint pain related to aromatase inhibitors. That led to further research & discovery that this is a known side effect in a large number of women taking these kinds of treatments.  NSAIDs help some - but oh! those damp winter days!  Good luck!

kwhite
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4
Apr 30, 2008 01:43 pm kwhite wrote:

You might check side effects for all the medications. I had aches & pains in joints, thought it was bone cancer (my big fear). When mentioned in support group meeting, others said they also had it. Research uncovered a report in Journal of Rheumatology(!) of a study of joint pain related to aromatase inhibitors. That led to further research & discovery that this is a known side effect in a large number of women taking these kinds of treatments.  NSAIDs help some - but oh! those damp winter days!  Good luck!

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