Possible Side effects..?

JoeB · New User Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Posts: 2

Hi there people.. This is my first post.. and I am wondering if any of you can help me. So just a little info about myself first. are you sitting comfortably then i shall begin.

First excuse the spelling mistakes.. i am an engineer not a secretary..

second. I was diagnosed with Hodgkins in september last year. (2005). then i was informed that I would only need one course of chemo treatment. that was completed and a subsiquant scan showed that I had stage 2 and would require further treatment no problem with that, the vampires at the hospital a lovely people and we have a laugh.

after my first dose of chemo. there was a gap of around a month before my second dose. in that time I would suffer from joint pain. nothing to serious just the odd excrutiating pain in the leg, knee, shoulder, hand or any of the body joints. It would last around two days and then move to another joint. I know it sounds strange but my local pharmacy loves me because I buy a lot of pain killers. When I started my second dose of chemo the problem stopped. ?? I mentioned this to several doctors as a possible link, but it was dismissed. after completing my second dose about a month ago.. the joint pains returned, again mentioned to the doctors who know are taking it a little more seriously. unfortunatly it will take a few weeks to get to see another specialist as well we all know how busy they are dont we..

Now the pain is continual, and both my GP and my consultants are supplying pain relief suggestions but neither are suggestinga cause or cure.

So my question to you all is..

Have any of you had simular painfull joints after chemotheropy ? if so did it get worse after the radiotheropy.? do you still suffer from it.? has it been diagnosed yet.?

What I am trying to establish is a possible likn to the problem not to aportion blame or anything like that. but so as to understand the dynamics of the pain so that a reliable pain treatment can be worked out and if it is linked then a possible preventative treatment can be given while undergoing the chemotheropy..

thanks a lot fron listening to my tirade..
good luck to you all..

joe.

Orange Agent · Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:50 am Post subject: Re: Possible Side effects..?

HI joe, and welcome to the Cancer forum.

I won't be much help in that I have NHD Lymphoma (just starting year 4). After my first chemo must of my pain was minor and in my arms, hands, legs and feet. For some reason it seemed worse at night than during the day.

I now have other types of pains due to lymphoma but thus far have been able to control it using Oxycod-APAP and Lorazepam (I know it's for anxiety but it seems to help with pain also *****check with your doctor first*****)

Another part of my pain is because I'm getting old (in my 70's) and can't run quite as fast as I used to.

I realize I haven't provided much help to you but I'm sure someone else will jump in with better info.

BTW, I think you write pretty good for an engineer.
_________________
Burt

JoeB · New User Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Posts: 2

Thanks for the help Burt.. hey not to bad for an engineer I guess..

well nobody runs as fast as we used to but at 48 I should not be walking around like a 95 year old either lol.. ( said with respect to all the elders who's knowlage and wisdom we all aspire too.)

The trouble is.. trying to get the system started.. once the doc's have been informed about something and they say they will look into it.. it takes forever to get a responce. meanwhile the paitiant is having to put up with the symptoms..still by the time it has wandered around several departments.. i'll get an answer.. or maybe its time to camp out on their doorstep untill something is done about it. lol

have a good one and thanks for the info..

joe

Orange Agent · Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 11:24 am Post subject: Re: Possible Side effects..?

Joe, welcome to "The Waiting Game".

For many of us it's the worst part of getting cancer.

Wait for the appointments, wait for the biopsys, wait for the bloodtests, wait for the CAT-scans, wait for the Radiologist readings, wait for your doctors analysis and (maybe) prognisis, wait for the chemo or whatever flavor the throw of the dice destine, wait for the improvement, wait for your checkup, ....... hey, even an engineer must be getting the idea by now.

It reminds me of a cartoon picture I saw once. It was a huge Buzzard sitting on a tree, with the caption "Patience Hell, I'm going out and kill something right now."

Good luck.
_________________
Burt

Eternity · New User Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Posts: 7

HI JOE! Aftet reading your experience, I can share my unusual side effects with you too. I am 25 and diagnosed to have Hodgkin's lymphoma, stage 1A 2 months ago. I am going for my 3rd chemo in a few day's time. I recovered pretty soon after the 1st treatment with mild pain, headache, heavy breathing. I was back to normal after 3-4 days. However, after my 2nd treatment, I had a hard time recovering. I took 10 days to feel well again. I had pain all over my body, esp my arm and stomach, problems sleeping though I was really tired. I was very irritated and couldn't concentrate on doing anything. I was very frustrated and cried when I spoke to the doc. Even as I am typing now, my gastric and bone in my left arm hurts. I am wondering if it will get worse for the subsequent treatments.

Life_101 · Regular Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 20 Location: N.E. Ohio

Hello Eternity,
Welcome to the forum though I'm sorry you have cause to be here. I thought I would try to answer your questions. The posts you responded to are several months old. Your symptoms are typical and probably will get worse. Try to treat each one as well as you can. Ask your doctor for a script for sleeping, ambien works well. Tums/Rolaids for stomach distress, pain killers, etc and whatever it takes. The chemo kills the cancer but it also hurts the good cells. No one knows what causes Hodgkins. Some kind of damage to our DNA? Good luck, you can do this.

suzieque · New User Joined: 29 Dec 2006 Posts: 4 Location: Boston, MA

Hi Joe,
I'm new to the forum but not the cancer. I've been thru all your side effects after chemo (I had 9 rounds).

I also had high dose chem and full body radiation and a stem cell transplant. Full body radiation affects the body more than the radiation targeting a specific area. Which did you have?

Also, I do not believe in waiting on test results, biopsies, doctors "to get back to me" and neither should you. You should call every day for your information (and no, it doesn't take 2 weeks to read a biopsy unless the DNA is being tested). You should also be given any type of pain reliever you need, whether it's morphine, oxycodone, etc.

If these doctors are not treating you as if you were family, I would search for a new team.

Good luck

Boldelly · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 7:47 pm Post subject: Filgastrum

My daughter was put on shots called Filgastrum/neupogen which makes the bone marrow reproduce white cells faster and that makes her bones ache so much. She says that sometimes her toes even hurt when she walks, so she too takes lots of pain medication. Are you on this type of drug?

Hope things get better for you.

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