After effects of chemo

[Mitch11]

Hello all, I have not posted for a while. I finished chemo carbo & taxol abt 2 months. I wondered if anyone has experience worsen pain in limbs and joints? I am struggling with what feels like inflammation of the joints esp in my hands in the morning, I can hardly make a fist! Many thanks m

[TrishLey]

Hi there. Yes, I worsened pain/ stiffness after finishing. It does ease over time though x Trish

[mumclark]

Hello, I finished treatment in October 2010 (on watch and wait at the moment) I have to say that it has not been until this year that I can say the pain is more background than there all the time. It does ease gradually but as you are already finding not as quickly as maybe we all would like! Good luck and hope you feel an improvement soon. Cheryl

[babsclunn]

I finished chemo two month ago still on avastin pain in legs horrendous especially at night just keep hoping will gradually ease

[Katmal-UK]

Hi

I had a lot of joint pain and pain from peripheral neuropathy. I was referred to a consultant and it seems the chemo has somehow triggered arthritis. I take daily celebrex and find my joint pain a lot better, its always in the background but nowhere as bad as before. i take a cocodamol ease morning which seems to get me going lol. i hope you improve xx

[Hidden]

5 months since I finished carbotaxol and though the pins and needles are a bit better, I too have worse joint pain, especially thumb, big toe and wrists. I'm wondering about whether arthritis has been triggered. Have been taking honegar (cider vinegar with hot water and honey - and ancient recipe which many swear by) and having acupuncture. Generally improved, except for my left thumb joint.....

Good luck!

[HumbleD]

I experienced similar symptoms at the end of first line chemotherapy after being given Carboplatin. I was tested for intrinsic factor which is needed in the tummy for Vitamin B12 to be absorbed into the bloodstream. That is my hopelessly simplistic explanation but it was found that I did not have intrinsic factor as a result of the chemotherapy and I have three monthly injections of H-Cobalin. My aches and stiffness goes but returns about two weeks before my injection. The test was done through my GP but strangely enough it was picked up by the people who do bloods at the hospital. I also found that a lack of Vitamin B12 resulted in fatigue and poor concentration, symptoms that can easily be attributed to say the side and after effects of chemotherapy.

It might be worth asking to be tested for intrinsic factor.

Love Wendy xx

[angeladale]

Crippled with aches and pains , all old issues , seemingly aggravated by taxol ...coming to the end of 6 months ( reduced dose because of neuropathy ) . Bone pain from chemo is real . The stuff does damage , and there's the irony . Painkillers , vitamin b complex , vit d , omega oils, honeygar , take it all ...but nothing beats sitting in the garden when it's not raining !

Housebound with stiffness for weeks , apart from trips to hospital and osteo , it's all beginning to ease up ...crossed fingers though remain , crossed !

[angeladale]

Re reading post ...sorry if I seemed flippant . Pain from chemo

Is a major issue for many of us . with a range of interventions it can be managed but it is very frightening when it' s happening .

A warm bath is the only thing that gets my joints moving , if I' m honest . And a cup of tea .x

[amaryr]

Hi! I too, like so many of the folk who have replied to your post, am suffering really bad pain in hands, feet (especially the left for some reason!), knees and hips, plus peripheral nueropathy in hands and feet. The worst pain though is in my lower back, enough to bring tears to the eyes, and this is preventing me walking very far unless I top myself up with painkillers. When I do walk it is with difficulty and very slowly. This is following single agent Carboplatin which finished in late March.

It was so bad yesterday I called the NHS 111 number and they advised me to take Ibuprofen, followed in two hours with paracetamol, then two hours later, ibuprofen again etc etc. But not to exceed the daily doseage for each recommended on the packets. I do not, of course, recommend that this might be the correct course of action for anyone else, and I am speaking to my CNS about this next week. Like Mac27 above, I wonder if it's a form of arthritis aggravated by chemo. I can hear and feel a grinding sensation in my back when the pain is at its worst. Shudder!!!

Again, like others have said, I try to stretch and stay as active as possible - sitting down for any length of time makes the pain much worse. Its easiest if I can stay in bed but I'm aware that too much bed rest weakens muscles, so try to be sensible about this. Combined with fatigue it's all a bit much some days! Especially as I had hoped that 'normal' life would resume ASAP following what seems, at the moment, to have been a successful course of chemotherapy.

I send so much sympathy to all of you who are going through this. There seem to be so many side effects which make life less than fun, even though I'm sure we are all grateful for the treatment for our cancers.

With love,

Alex XXXX

PS I am interested in the intrinsic factor mentioned by HumbleD above. Will ask my GP about it I think.

[thesilent1]

Hi, I have pain in my shins, knees and hips since finishing them end of December. At times bad enough to errant poasin relief, however much better than I felt this time last year! Ann

[thesilent1 in reply to thesilent1]

Me again! I really need to wear my glasses when sending from my phone lol. Pain in shins, knees and hips is very real. I finished carbo/taxol in Dec 13. Pain in back also troublesome, especially when walking. Ann