AVASTIN STIFFNESS AND JOINT ISSUES

[tomtaylor15]

hi I am am on my 8th Avistin it was included in my chemotherapy sessions

5 chemotherapy and 3 stand-alone Avastin treatments. I am experiencing extreme stiffness and joint pain from the hips through the legs. into the ankles, I used to be extremely fit 10 session of Yoga a week I now find it difficult even to stretch. Has anybody any ideas on how to combat the stiffness and joint pain I do not want to take steroids. ibuprofen does help but only for a while Massage also helps, but I want to get back to normal living!! without even more drugs

[Katmal-UK]

Hi I trialled Avastin back in 2007/08 and I struggled to find anything that helped to be honest but did find that once I finished taking Avastin I got back to how I was before, the stiffness and joint pain diminished within about 3 months. Others may have found a way to combat the side effects whilst taking Avastin and hopefully will be able to advise. Big Hug. Kathy xx

[LesleyGB]

Hi - Sorry you are having this problem. I have just finished my chemo and Avastin and from Monday will just be on Avastin until around June next year. I also suffered painful joints and muscles but only for a few days and not too badly. The only time it was bad was when my magnesium was low and after a magnesium drip followed by a course of tablets for 5 days it was much better - could this be your problem? I did have a break from Avastin for a 8 weeks when I had my operation but the aches and pains continued with just the chemo. I did find that Anadin Joint and Muscle tablets were good, and keeping moving as much as possible.

Hope it is just temporary and that you get relief.

Lesley

x

[Lyndy]

I have rheumatoid disease... so v familiar with achy joints! I also had Avastin as maintenance after first line. I would suggest asking for a better painkiller... naproxen is similar to brufen but stronger and kinder to your stomach. It is important to move gently but also to rest. When I get a flare I tend to give myself a day in bed.

Best of luck.... but do keep on at them to provide some proper help, you shouldn’t be putting up with pain. xx

[tomtaylor15]

hi thank you so much for the quick reply, will give naproxen a go.

[Tulips66]

Hi I just finished Avastin beginning of Sept & like you I suffered with joint stiffness & my ankles especially were always painful. Other than painkillers I found Nelsons arnica cooling gel rubbed into the joints sometimes helped. My joint stiffness has improved already even though it's only been a few weeks, so feeling better & hopefully you will too when your finished ! All the best 🌸

[27-359]

I found Epsom salts baths relaxed joints and muscles before bed.

Jenny

[mrstadpole]

I experienced stiffness and sciatica just before my final dose of Avastin. It was extremely painful and I found hot baths and microwaved bean bags helped a lot. It eventually went away after about six weeks , a month or so after the final treatment.

[Broader]

I too suffered but it tended to be in my shoulders across my chest and in my neck, nothing much helped, I had to get out of bed and up from sitting slowly Until everything loosened up, I didn’t take any pain relief. I came off it early as it wasn’t maintaining me.

Now on Letrozole After another line of chemo and it’s starting again feels like I’ve slept on the floor very achy and sore.

I think I just have to go with it but I feel old and decrepit, not nice at 62 😏

Crappy insidious disease!!!!

Hope you get some help

Wishing you well

Christine x

[SUE7777]

Hi I'm on Avastin too and suffering from the dreaded stiffness as well as from the hips down in the shoulders too. I to am a Yogi, I do floor exercises every morning, ones to combat the problems plus I have just started doing fairly gentle Yoga. I also go for a walk every day even yin the rain for at least half an hour. All these combinations help me but don't get rid of it completely and I find after I've just had a treatment it gets a bit worse.

Hope this helps Sue xx

[SUE7777]

PS don't take too many Ibuprofen it messes with the CA125 reading, my onc told me not to.

I also find when you rest it gets worse (which you have to) but when you get up after a few minutes it's better.

Sue

[Cardiff05 in reply to SUE7777]

Whereas conversely there's recent evidence suggesting the potential for NSAIDs to act as a preventative for reoccurrence.

[SUE7777 in reply to Cardiff05]

I know I have discussed that and statins with my onc and her reply was if it worked you'd be on it. Don't take any medication or supplements without running it by the onc as it could mess with the outcome. Sue xx

[Cardiff05 in reply to SUE7777]

Absolutely follow advice from your oncologist, however medicine can be very guarded in their response, invariably ( quite rightly) awaiting NICE approval following lengthy trials. This doesn't mean to say alternatives shouldn't be explored

[SUE7777 in reply to Cardiff05]

I know what you mean but you need to understand what your getting into.

[W6W3]

Good morning, I also had this , I managed to walk each day , some days further than others but it did eventually ease . I’ve got my last blast next week, number 18 . Hope yours is easier soon . X

[KimLJ]

Unfortunately I’ve experienced stiffness and pain in my legs from Avastin. I’m 9 months from treatment now and it’s not as bad but it is still there. Painkillers have been my only help and I’m unable to walk far. Like yourself I used to do long walks everyday and I miss that so much.

Hope you improve quicker than me X

[tomtaylor15]

thank you for your quick reply, so sorry you too are experiencing this pain. I teach yoga so I am trying to control with my mind, lots of relaxation, breathing meditation and long walks are wonderful but it is very hard as the stiffness is so debilitating

[FlowerRose]

This won't help you much but omigosh I thought I was going crazy with my hip and foot joint pain and had no idea that Avastin could be the culprit! Been on it since February. Sometimes seriously all you need is to know you're not alone and that yes something IS causing this pain. I had slight arthritis for years and years now (I'm 52) and always was told moving helps, not resting. So I'm walking more and it does indeed loosen up the more active you are even though it hurts at first. But then I went to squat down the other day and my knees said absolutely not, which was new. Since I'm going to be on Avastin at least 2 more years i figured it was a side effect from "getting" to live longer by being on the med.

[Natsmb]

I was on avastin for nearly 2 years. What you're describing is what happened to me. The longer I took the avastin the more intense the stiffness. Hopefully you're just on the avastin for the duration of your chemo treatment or is this a maintenance therapy situation? They gave me Lyrica which did help with some of the stiffness and achiness. My doctor put me on Benadryl and (I think it was) dexamethasone at the beginning of each treatment, to combat some of the side effects. it didn't last but it did help for the first few days. Overall I never really found a successful way of addressing the issue. I do know this- that avoiding foods that were prone to give me inflammation helped the most. For me that was bread, wheat, starches like cornstarch and rice and potatoes etc. Sugar and milk caused the greatest inflammation reactions.

Eventually I took myself off because it was not a sustainable treatment for me and it did help to keep the cancer from progressing as quickly but it didn't stop it all together.

I know that it does not cause this effect in everyone. I definitely had the more severe side effects. My doctor actually did not believe that the side effects I was experiencing were caused by the avastin until well after a year of taking it when several other patients he was giving it to had the same complaints.