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CMF Question

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Comments

  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,423
    edited March 2013

    I kept trying to think of it as pregnancy too.  Something you have to suffer through in order to have life.

  • traii
    traii Member Posts: 379
    edited March 2013

    Hi Ladies.

    For those of you that have completed CMF tx....need your input please. Today I started having that irritating chest pain....well its not really painful, more a pain in the butt kind of pain thats been constantly there. I can breath properly, not short of breath, feels like the pain you get when you're on chemo. ( sorry if the description is vague) ! My last C pill was 2 weeks ago now.

    Question is, did any of you have any kind of 'chesty' feeling so to speak post CMF treatment ? I know it's early days yet to feel 100% but I don't have an onc appt until the middle of June and wondering if I should call now or should I wait this through.

    Thanks in advance .

  • Dianarose
    Dianarose Member Posts: 1,951
    edited March 2013

    Traii- do you have TE's or have you had any radiation?

  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited March 2013

    Traii...I didn't have any chest problems after my last treatment or during the chemo.  I know a few of the gals experienced chest discomfort while doing the chemo.  To be safe, I would call your oncologist and ask about the pain.  It's always better to be "safe than sorry."  If it is a possible side effect, they may be able to give you something to get rid of it. If it's nothing, then your mind is at peace.  Hugs!

  • traii
    traii Member Posts: 379
    edited March 2013

    No none of them Dianarose. Due for surgery in May sometime!



    Ritajean. I think I might see how I go in the morning and call onc.

    My mind would be at greater ease that's forsure !!



    Just wanted to see if anyones had any SEs post tx also.

  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,423
    edited March 2013

    I didn't have chest pain with chemo.  Just electric shocks post surgery which i was told were nerves reconnecting.

    Lately, every now and then i do get an ache at the mastectomy site but it's brief.  I think I can honestly say that in the last year and half since diagnosis there has not been one part of me that has not hurt.  From my scalp to my toes.  Aches comes and aches goes,

  • traii
    traii Member Posts: 379
    edited March 2013

    Timbuktu you are so right. I had chemo and rads 17yrs ago. I hadnt realised aches and pains could have been from that...I guess growing up with it all was my 'normal' and just went with it.. I think with BC every little thing you feel is concerning. But I need to live life not worying all the time ... who knows this what Im feeling could possibly be anxiety (my mum had that and felt what Im feeling now) ... i guess i need to do that 2 week rule. I dont want to sound like a hypocondriac with my onc...lol

  • mandy1313
    mandy1313 Member Posts: 978
    edited March 2013

    Traii:  I had terrible breathing issues at the end of chemo--like an asthma.  It started with my last tx and lasted for a few months...and that did cause chest pains. ...kind of dull aching in the bones.... I was under a doctor's care for it though my internal medical doc, not my onc.  I'd agree with Ritajean--call your onc to be sure.  Don't try to "tough it out" or to assume that what you have is what we have.  Hugs

  • curveball
    curveball Member Posts: 1,583
    edited March 2013

    @ Traii, I didn't have chest pain but I did get very sick with pneumonitis at the end of my chemo regimen. I don't know whether that can occur as a delayed reaction. Do you have any fever? Is there a consulting nurse you can call on the phone and ask about this if you can't get in to your onc's office today?

  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,423
    edited March 2013

    I didn't mean to imply that what you're feeling is nothing!  Don't worry about being a hypochondriac, you've been sick!

    I put off seeing my dr for 6 months because I thought the lump in my breast was nothing,  BIG mistake!

  • traii
    traii Member Posts: 379
    edited March 2013

    Thanks ladies :)



    Its 630am here and my pain has gone from a 5 down to a 1 being that theres hardly any pain. I will wait until after work to see how I go...but yes, im not tajing any chances now a days with anything just dont want to over react also!



    Thanks so so much ♡♥♡

  • softness1
    softness1 Member Posts: 100
    edited March 2013

    Traii,



    I had one step implants during my BM and every time I have chemo my chest tightens up. It grips my implants, my chest feels like someone is gripping it. My pecs go wild.. Prior to chemo my recon was coming along fine. I did have some tightening but not enough to sit me down. I asked my PS & he said its odd. I have muscle relaxers but have to take Alleve during work hrs. About 5 days after chemo it calms down... I'm being monitored but is being treated as a SE. My Muga scan came back with my heart being in great shape. Urgh it's sooo annoying

  • traii
    traii Member Posts: 379
    edited March 2013

    Softness I feel soooo much better today. :)



    Im having the one step implants too....guess i will have that pain in May :( arghhh!

  • softness1
    softness1 Member Posts: 100
    edited March 2013

    I love my results Traii.. Ok not initially, but over time I see where it's going. I have to wait until after chemo for my nipples, but I'm kind of impressed. Oh and for the scars please remember Bio Oil!!! I had my surgery 12/12/12 and the scar line is sooo faint.. I'm impressed. 

    I did have pectoral spasms a few weeks out of suregery & it was no joke, but it was part of the healing.. It was 3-6 weeks after surgery and it was new but over time the spasms became very faint....So I hope you won't have this .. I didn't have pain like this until chemo!!   I think my chest squeezing is chemo related..   

  • traii
    traii Member Posts: 379
    edited March 2013

    Thanks softness. I have used bio oil when i had my son !! Magic stuff!!



    Ok s my pain was heaet burn. Described to my aunty, brother and sil and they all described it the way i was feeling. Had a quickeze and it went away. Must of been from pastry!!! None the less its gone now...ive never had heart burn!!!

  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,423
    edited March 2013

    How wonderful Traii!  What a wonderful outcome.lol

    That's what I meant about everything seeming to hurt at one time or another.  What a blessing when you find out it's hearburn!

  • traii
    traii Member Posts: 379
    edited March 2013

    Lol timbuku...its funny every little ouch here or pain there...relieved it was heartburn!!...lol

  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,423
    edited March 2013

    Anyone have incontinence problems after CMF?  Anyone have treatment for it?

  • Robin3
    Robin3 Member Posts: 93
    edited April 2013

    Hey guys, it's been quiet here. So I thought i'd drop in and say hello. I'm 4 treatments into my CMF and 4 to go! I feel good. Can't wait for it to be over! :-)  Hope everyone is doing ok.

    Robin

  • traii
    traii Member Posts: 379
    edited April 2013

    Hi Robin,

    Good to hear, half way there for you. So glad you feel good. Bet you can't wait for it to be over :) It's such a nice feeling not having to visit the hospital for chemo...you're nearly there :)

    Hope everyone else is doing well :)

  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited April 2013

    YEA Robin,  You're on the downhill slide now!  So glad to hear that you're doing well!  Keep us updated!

  • laurreg
    laurreg Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2013

    Sorry took so long to reply but dont go on much. Just finished 6 tx cmf. Had bad naus etc first rx. Meds didnt help much. Onc prescribed sancuso patch. Worked great. Was nvr completely naus-free but was bearable. One thing didnt expect, most hair loss tx 5 and 6. This varies but now have little bald spots. Good luck and hopefully this helps.

  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited April 2013

    laurreg,  I'm sorry that you've had to fight the nausea problem.  Are you finished with treatments now or do you have to complete 8 treatments to be finished?

  • Robin3
    Robin3 Member Posts: 93
    edited April 2013

    Laurreg When you say most hair loss, did you lose a lot of hair or it was just the most you lost overall? Can anyone tell? i had my 5th (yes 5th!!) treatment today. So you have me worried. :-)

    Hi Ritajean! I have done 5 today of 8! :-) Yahoo! :-) I cannot wait to be done. So far today, this is the best I have felt. I'm afraid to jinx myself. But so far so good. :-)

  • Robin3
    Robin3 Member Posts: 93
    edited April 2013

    You guys have been quiet. #5 have been pretty uneventful except i'm more tired this time. Hope everyone is well.

  • PeggySull
    PeggySull Member Posts: 368
    edited April 2013

    Timbuktu,



    I had a different chemo regimen (with the exception that I too had cytoxan. I have had problems with incontinence when I laugh or cough strongly near the end of chemo and after.



    I'm not sure if this is the direct result of the chemo or indirect result of going through menopause during treatment, as menopause causes a thinning of the bladder walls (layman's explanation of what a doctor told me years ago).



    I've also had 2 UTIs that I'm similarly unsure about the origins. Before I went on HRT years ago I used to have UTIs all of the time. While I was on HRT I never had one. Of course, I went off HRT as soon I learned I had BC.



    I am doing Kegel exercises now to help with incontinence. Need to consult with someone about the UTIs now that I'm finished chemo.



    Hope this has helped more than confused.



    Peggy

  • Timbuktu
    Timbuktu Member Posts: 1,423
    edited April 2013

    Thanks Peggy.  When all of my other issues are sorted out (hopefully) i will tackle this one. My onco seemed reluctant to deal with it.  Asked if I'd had issues before, etc.  I told her yes, a bit, but not like this.  It must be the cytoxin that causes the problem.  when I was on the chemo...I was constantly running to bathrooms with a terrible urgency.  Now I still have to but I try to time myself.  Still, yesterday, at the movies, i had to go twice, once before the movie and once during.  Oh, and once after!  And when I just see the stall I can feel it start to come!  It's a race to see how quickly I can pull my pants down.  It's not such a problem at home since i go a lot.  but I always wear a pad.

    I did get my first UTI after menopause.  The last one was decades ago.  Then i got another UTI when recovering from surgery.  That was a year and half ago and so far so good.  But it did seem odd, after about 40 years, to suddenly get them  They are no fun!  Oh, I think i felt another coming on some months ago but I had the antibiotics on hand and quickly took them.  It just took 3 days of that and it was gone.  I try to keep on top of it as being caught without antibiotics the infection can spread and become unbearably painful.  

    Thanks for sharing and let me know if the kegel excercizes really help.  I do them once in a while but not consistently.

    Oh, and coffee makes the urgency much much worse!

  • Robin3
    Robin3 Member Posts: 93
    edited April 2013

    When you guys did CMF did you notice your eyes watering a LOT. I was warned of dryness, but i have the complete opposite. Also my nose runs, and i think i'm missing nose hairs cause it just drips out. How ladylike! LOL  Is this wierd and just me?

  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited April 2013

    I didn't have the watery eyes, Robin, but my nose did drip quite a bit.  I think you're right about the nose hairs.  Right now, though, I have a drippy nose but that's due to allergy season!  Hang in there.  You are doing wonderful and you're on the downhill slide now, gal!

  • mandy1313
    mandy1313 Member Posts: 978
    edited April 2013

    Hi Robin!  I had the watery eyes--I also had dry eyes--my eyes decided to try all of the side effects. :-)

    The watery eyes came after two tx--my eyes were just pouring tears.  I remember having lunch with an acquaintance and having to continuously wipe the tears which were pouring out of my eyes, and going to a cousins wedding and being unable to wear any eye make up and having squinty pink rimmed eyes which teared continuosly.  Believe it or not, my eyes teared less when I used "refresh" which is an eye lubricant.  But nothing really stopped the watery eyes though after a couple of weeks, they stopped on their own and guess what--I got dry eye (which is much easier to handle).  I think the watery eyes cause some of the drippy nose...

    Anyway, if you have any questions, private message me.

    Hugs to all you gals.

    Mandy

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