Bone met pain

[gsun]

I have mets to the pelvic area and one near the spine. The big area is my left hip socket area. I had a hip replacement of the right hip a few years ago and need the left one done now.However, with the mets there, it may not be possible. The socket is reamed out to one mm smaller than the artificial socket and then banged in. The bone then grows into the new socket to hold it in. My problem is the bone is osteopenic due to the cancer and may break when the socket is hammered in. I am very reluctant to do it. If it breaks apart, the doc will cut off my hip ball and I will be in a wheel chair or crutches from then on.

My question is - I have a lot of pain in the hip. But it isn't always when I'm moving. I can be lying down and the pain is so bad, I can't get comfortable. The other night it was a couple hours before it settled down. With painkillers, of course. Some nights, there is very little pain. I'm thinking the pain is not necessarily from the hip needing replacement. Could be the cancer causing it. Anybody had a similar problem?

[kaptank]

I have something similar. Pain in right hip, x-ray shows osteo arthritis. Went to hip replacement surgeon. He did a few physical tests, said a hip replacement wouldn't help alleviate the pain in this case because there was something else apart from the hip at play. I have a met at L3 on the spine. and he said these can affect nerves as far down as to the knee. These manifest as pain. I'm on a fairly strong NASAID with minimal effect on the pain. My most recent scan showed a new met in the hipbone and I think that may well be part of it but I think there are multiple causes for pain in this area of the body. There are nerves going everywhere. I haven't come to a conclusion about future treatment. I am on a trial (MAGNITUDE) that I want to extend as much as possible so I'm just going to wait and see what happens.

There are simple things that sometimes help. One is massage of the area. I use a device called Theragun that is less massage and more outright deep pummel. Another is over the counter Voltarin Emulgel rubbed in over the area. This contains a NSAID but because it is skin absorbed it doesn't pass through the liver unlike oral NSAIDs which can damage the liver. I also checked my sacra-iliac (SI). Simplest way to check is tighten a belt around your lower hip as hard as you can. If some of the pain just goes almost immediately that's SI. There are cheap SI belts that I wear for a few hours every 3 or so days.

[gsun in reply to kaptank]

Is the pain an ache (dull or severe) or/and a sharp stabbing pain with no pattern?

[kaptank in reply to gsun]

There is both a constant ache in the hip area plus sharp stabbing pain there and down the leg. I have seen no pattern apart from it getting worse over time. Sometimes crippling, sometimes I can walk with a stick.

[gsun in reply to kaptank]

I have the ache as well even when I’m doing nothing. Then I get a stabbing pain out of nowhere. Sometimes I scare my wife when we are in bed as I jump. Cortisone did nothing. Duralane helped for a few weeks and it’s wearing off rapidly now. Back to the cane.

[EdBar]

I remember when I was first dx it was constant lower back pain that lead me to getting a 3rd biopsy that finally showed PCa. I went on Lupron right away without the benefit of Casodex and I’ll never forget the pain from the flare it caused coming from all the bone Mets. Very intense and relentless until the Lupron finally shut down the production of T.

Ed

[Seasid in reply to EdBar]

Why didn't they prescribe Degarelix?

[gsun in reply to Seasid]

I am taking Gabapentin as well as Diclofenic/Misporostol combo and my stabbing pain has stopped. I don’t need a cane anymore. The aching pain is way better. Almost never take Tramadol any more. Only if I do too much. I’m happy!

Degarelix is an ADT drug. Why would I take that for pain?

[Seasid in reply to gsun]

Thanks, I am happy for you.

[Seasid]

What is your PSA? Which scans did you have?

[gsun]

PSA is .024. I had X-ray and CT. My GP prescribed gabapentin and diclofenac/misoprostol and my pain is under control. The gaba took care of the stabbing nerve pain and the other took care ( mostly) of the constant pain. No cane!