Arthritis pain

Last spring I had chemo consisting of 3 FEC and 3 Taxotere.  I have now been prescribed Aromasin.  Before treatment I had mild arthritis in both knees, but could still do most things like go for walks, do shopping etc.  During chemo I became aware of stiffness in my knees which has gradually worsened.  After chemo was finished I could still get about, but over the last few months I have become absolutely crippled with the pain in my knees.  I often waken up unable to turn over in bed and take ages when I do get up putting any weight on my legs to get moving.  I have consulted my G.P. who says it is just degeneration of the joints and he does not think there is any connection with my chemotherapy.  Can anyone suggest anything I can do or take like e.g acupuncture to help as  I am becoming very depressed by the constant pain I am in.


This discussion is related to long term joint pain after chemotherapy.

[SueYoung55]

are you on any tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors?

[pixiecut]

Yes I am on Aromasin otherwise known as examestane now.  I have also completed 5 years on Tamoxifen, and though I suffered many side effects which were just becoming recognised in pre menapausal women, I never had anything like this.

[SueYoung55]

Please talk to your oncologist about this. For some, like me, it took the pain to a whole new level that I just couldn't tolerate. Perhaps there is something they can do for you.

It took several months of being off the medication to start feeling better in my case. But I was one of the ones who got the worst of the side effects for all the drugs including the chemo. Murphy's law :)

Best wishes.

[pixiecut]

Thanks for your interesting reply. I now feel "cheered up", if that is the right term, that I am not the only person having these side effects. Muscle and joint pain is given as a very common side -effect, but I try not to read about the these on the information leaflets enclosed with any medication, unless I start to feel there is definitely something going wrong, otherwise you end up thinking you have every symptom listed!  My G.P. can only have, at best, a very general knowledge about this type of treatment and, as you suggest, my best plan will probably be to ask my Oncologist for advise.  However, can you tell me if you traced the connection between the Arthritis pain and when you started the aromatase inhibitor? I have now been taking Aromasin for about six months since my Chemo finished, and it is only in the last couple of months that the problem has become so severe that I cannot walk properly, and the pain has been waking me up at night. What, if anything, has your doctor suggested to help you, or are you risking a recurrance of the tumour by not taking anything? Sometimed a good Quality of life can be more important than living with intolerable pain.

[bluebutterfly2222]

Hi,

Here is the link to a previous post about dealing with the side effects of AIs. I don't know if it will be of any help to you, but at least it will support the idea that you are not alone:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Breast-Cancer/Reducing-side-effects-of-the-aromatase-inhibitors/show/1447266

Best wishes...

[SueYoung55]

Prior to a car accident in Dec 06 I'd never taken anything other than an aspirin or allergy tablet. Then after cancer in 08 during chemo I took notes and realized that I was actually having an allergic reaction to taxotere. The symptoms didn't just jump up and say... PAY ATTENTION... it's like one thing started and then an hour or so another thing started and so on and so forth until I had difficulty breathing. But it taught me an important lesson.

While on tamoxifen but after 3 months of starting it I started having all kinds of weird things happen and I happened to be journaling on this website all the odd goings on and had an appointment coming up and I printed the journal & took it with me. Needless to say, the doctor took one look at the LIST of oddities and told me that they all had to do with tamoxifen. Go figure. At that point, none were enough to make me walk away from the drug so I kept on taking it and kept up with my list. Eventually, there came a time when I just couldn't ... or didn't want to have to deal with it anymore. I discussed all of this with my oncologist and she gave me a month off... and then talked me into trying aromasin.

When I started on aromasin it didn't take long for my hips and feet and legs and hands to almost render me a pain stricken hurting woman. I didn't even have to move for the pain to move over me in waves.

As before while on tamoxifen, I was tested for RA and osteoporosis and I have neither. And yet I couldn't get up off a couch or chair or the bed. I couldn't use my arms to push with and my hands and feet felt like they'd been run over by a mack truck. For all intents and purposes my 50 something body was behaving like an 80 something body.

I remember looking at my husband in tears and telling him to put me out of my misery. When things get that bad it was time for me to put an end to it. And to be truthful, even my oncologist would tell you that she didn't think my body would tolerate the AI's as it didn't tolerate the chemo well either. The chemo attacked my hands and feet like they'd not seen before. So basically, my extremeties are my weakest link. She told me that because I'd taken the tamoxifen as long as I did that I should have gotten the best of what it offers the body. I hope so.

So, I found the road crossing between "life as it is now" and "quality of life for perhaps a shorter term". I chose for me to live now the best quality of life. I'm enjoying baking and growing a garden and canning and cooking. I feel good for now. I feel happy for now.

God Bless you in your search for what's best for you.