Could anyone please inform me about the characteristics of bone metastasis pain and sciatica pain?what are the differences?Can the pain caused by bone metastasis be stopped with simple pain killers?Is the pain from bone metastases continuous or it comes and goes?and finally how can someone distinguish this pain from another one?
Nick
The type of pain from bone metastases varies. And so much depends on the location of the mets, and the size of the mets. Some bone mets cause constant pain, and others aren't constant, but are more prevalent with position and stress, such as on the spine.
I have mets to spine, sacrum and left femur. When riding in a vehicle and it hits a large bump or pothole, it's quite painful, but as I also have arthritis of the spine, it's always a guessing game as to which causes what pain. And add to it the pains from side effects of some of the meds, so it's even less clear as to the direct cause of pains.
My doctors put me on palliative care back in August of 2014, which is mainly pain management, so I take extended-release morphine for pain and Dilaudid for breakthrough pain.
Before I was diagnosed, I had sciatica-like pains which went all oftheway down my left leg and into the foot. A burning, searing pain, as if someone was shoving a red hot poker down through the length of my leg. It was a paralyzing pain, and I tried to walk it off when it happened, but to no avail, and finally all I could do was to stand still and wait for it to pass. It was an intermittent pain, striking without warning.
But this sciatica-like pain stopped when I began the hormone treatments, so it must have been related to the prostate cancer, and the bone metastases. As the largest bone metastasis was in the left sacrum, it's more than likely that it was caused by the cancer met affecting the nerves in the sacrum.
I've heard of other prostate cancer cases with this kind of pain.
CERICWIN
Thank you Eric for the answer...so the bottom line is that knoone knows for sure where the pain comes from...ot seems to me though that metastatic pain doesnt stop with a simple pain killer .....it needs more rhan that as in your case morphine....hang on Eric...God bless you
Nick
Nick, I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer with bone mets in 2011. I also have arthritis since I was in high school. My bone mets are in my neck, spine, hips, legs and in some ribs. I am taking oxycontin 80 mg AM and 80 mg PM and norco 10/325 as needed. I have found that CBD 50 mg once in the morning helps control pain all day. The pain is controlled enough that I almost take any norcos. Check out this internet sight ( hemplifetoday.com ). This helps me a lot but I can't be sure it will help you. I have no affiliation with hemp life today other than using their legal hemp products. I started taking CBD because I really don't like taking opiates all day. You can't really tell which is arthritis or bone mets. The only time I can tell is when the ribs with cancer hurts. I don't have arthritis in my ribs. Keep up the fight against cancer it is worth it.
Dennis
Thank you for this post, Dennis. I'm really glad to hear that you're finding CBD provides effective pain relief for bone mets/arthritis. I'm not as far along, but I've been worried because I get constipated from 1 dose of opiates.
Try a simple stool softener for the constipation. I worked in hospice care for 15 years and used this treatment with good results. It doesn't make you go, just makes it easier to go.
Thanks, Shepard. The problem for me is that since my spinal cord compression, I've often needed them anyway, so I'm better off if I can avoid opiates. CBD is an exciting option also because I'd avoid the side effects of opiates. But I appreciate that you provided advice based on your long, admirable service, advice that will help some of the patients & care providers who read your post.
I have syatica I heard of CBD OILS Im so gana try herad they were amazing
Thank you my friend for the valuable information but my fathers situation is different meaning that the amount of pain is not big....he only takes a simple pain killer and the pain stops...thats why i asked how do you distinguish the pain from metastasis and the pain from sciatica....
For me, different mets have different effects. Initially, before diagnosis, I had excruciating sciatica in my right leg, due to the pelvic met antagonising the nerve. My skull met felt like a sore spot ( like after you'd banged your head). Shoulder met was just a dull ache. Rib mets are really sore if I'm sat doing something repetitive, other than that fine. Pelvis met produced just the Sciatica, Femur mets ache, and sometimes 'buzz'. Most symptoms disappeared after my initial medication. The only ones that still annoy me are the rib mets, but I think that's more the effect they have on local muscle.
I take mild painkillers during the day, and oxycodin at night.
Initial PSA was 600, currently less than 0.1 after 4.5 years on Zoladex and Abiraterone.
I think you might need an urgent MRI scan. Bone mets in the spine and pelvic regions can cause pressure on nerves - eg sciatic nerve. I needed radiotherapy to ease the situation
We had an mri scan Bryan and it showed mets in the area...the onc is not sure though that these mets cause the nerve pain....because the pain is not continuous and big.... A simple pain killer makes it go away....its a lot confusing..
Hi Nick,
I can only share my experiences. I had severe pain in my left femur initially. I was 58 at the time and thought I pulled a muscle. So did Docs. Was told to take paracetamol!!! Started to get back pain and mobility got worse. Six months later got a scan on lower back and left femur. Discovered Mets and subsequently had head to toe scans and it was revealed I had widespread Mets all over my skeleton.
Cancer Nurse once shared with me that its important that you have good pain management. So I accepted medication to manage pain. Morphine Sulphate. When pain breaks through I have to take Oramorph. Keep informing Oncologist and Cancer Nurse and they will increase Morphine Sulphate. I am pain free and now have enough experience of my cancer that being pain free helps my quality of life. When I was younger and playing lots of sport I got sciatica and it was very painful. Came and goes. Pain from Mets is there all the time and is Constant. So with being honest with myself I share with Cancer Nurse, Docs how I am doing and I trust them. That came over a period of time. Pain can affect my tolerance, fatigue levels and when pain is managed well I am as good a person as I can be.
Hope that is help to you.
Enjoy your day.
Regards
Dave
I have extensive bone mets I have found the Voltaren XL 100mg works very well on bone pain. This is not a drug for everyone since it is a powerful NSAID and has some cardio and stroke warnings. It keeps me off the heavy opioids stuff most of the time.
Had mets on spine worse in the neck. Had 1 infusion of radium 223. The Dr. Said pain would get worse before it gets better. Now about 2 weeks later I feel good. 5 more treatments to go.
Hi I was diagnosed with Lymph involvement no bone mets. I recently began to feel a pain in my hip/leg and immediately thought, here we go my first bone met, I went for an MRI scan and the results were Siatica. 👍
Great news. Funny never went to the doctor now I always call when I have some type of issue. Periodic scans are always better for me. PSA has not been a reliable diagnostic tool.
Useful information and good reading.
Diagnosed last Nov Gleason 9 and PSA 1386, on Hormone treatment and just about to have second Chemo session next week. The pain has been quite bad, the expected constant ache and sometimes very sharp pains in thighs. I have some concerns of pressure on spine and permanent nerve damage (metastases in legs, hips and spine as well as Lymph nodes)
Hi Zetabow,
I understand the sharp pain in the thigh is due to the tumor pressing the nerve. (Which gives a Sciatica - like pain).
How are you doing now? Is the pain gone? And what do you think helped you?
Best.
I had sciatica in 2006 after rupturing a disc . It put me in a wheelchair . I got an epidural in spine which totally relieved the pain then did rehab to get the disc to move away from the nerve. After a couple months I was good to go.
I’ve also had three bone mets which have never caused pain. But I hit them with SBRT take xgeva and do weight bearing exercise daily.
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