Muscular pain and sciatica

[Alentejo]

Hello, I have high grade serous OC 3c and i'm on my second round of chemo. My symptoms started at the beginning of April and was diagnosed with cancer in mid-May. By then I had started to develop muscular pains in my body, which have intensified. The second week after my first chemo I developed sciatica with shooting pains down my left leg. I can barely do yoga nowadays but try to exercise nevertheless. My oncogist says this isn't normal and advised blood tests for a rare condition. I find it hard to believe it isn't somehow associated with the cancer. He says it might disappear with treatment.

I was wondering if any of you has experienced similar pains?

Many thanks,

A

[Skyeplus]

Hi Alentejo, sorry to read that you are experiencing such pain. I experienced neuropathy the first time (6 cycles of chemo in 2021/22)and though my toes were and are still affected, the rest did pass. This time, back on chemo now and after the first one, the pain in my legs was excruciating and I have had sciatic pain. It has gradually passed though I’ve just had my second treatment so we’ll see. I find gentle exercise helps and I do take pain relief and use deep heat and heat pads. I would have the blood test because it’s worth getting checked out. Good luck 🥰

[Bleubleu]

Hi.I was diagnosed with grade 3 serous OC in March 22, had one round of chemo but it wasn't until after I started targeted therapies such as Avastin & Oplarib that I started getting really bad arm/shoulder ache in my right arm- scans have shown it's not arthritis but a side effect from the targeted drugI hope this helps and you get it sorted.

I live with it every day as no pain killers ease the pain & my Oncologist prescribed me liquid morphine to see if that helps but hay just makes me feel like a zombie so I didn't want to take it!!

[organicinna]

Hi Alentegio.Am experience exact this pains you discraibing, but its started after they stoped all treatments for me nearly 2 month ago. Am on palative care and pain is managed by oxycontin tablets and oxynorm lyquid. It doesnt akways helps Am now on 40mg every 12 hr.But like this morning woke up with strong pain shuttinv fawn my right leg.oooh...😊

[Kblaisel]

Depending on the chemo you’re getting, the side effects can be difficult. Taxol caused severe neuropathy and shooting pain in my feet. (I stopped after just one treatment) Neulastin (given to increase my white blood cells) caused bone and nerve pain (alleviated by Claritin) and Avastin caused back pain. When I was on a clinical trial with Niraparib, it caused arthritic-like pain and swelling in my hands. Some other chemotherapy treatments and targeted therapies didn’t cause any pain. Discuss it with your doctor and get relief. He/she may want to consider changing chemo agents.

[Alentejo]

Thank you for your comments ladies, It helpful to hear about the range of pains one might feel. I'm on paclitaxel/carboplatin and my doctor thinks I should carry on despite the sciatica. I'm trying to manage the pain with a hot water bottle and easing the muscular pains with gentle yoga. Let's see what the blood test says before discussing further with the doctor but it is good to know there are alternatives.

I take codeine on the first two days after chemo as experience stabbing pains on my abdomen and pelvis.

Hugs to all!

A

[Goingwiththeflow in reply to Alentejo]

I just wanted to add what I was told when I experienced very intense stabbing pains in my abdomen and pelvis during my first few rounds of chemo. The nurse practitioner said it was most likely pain from the effect of the chemo on the peritoneal nodules, and that it was a very good sign, as it mean that the chemo was killing the cancer cells.

Sometimes pain can be a good sign!

[Alentejo in reply to Goingwiththeflow]

Thanks so much, read the same in a different forum about chemo!🤞

[Pianoplayer731021]

Hi Alentejo, Your pain could be associated with your treatments, however; I had that problem when I had a herniated disc in my lower back. I had back surgery for this when I was 46. Just thought that I would mention this. Here’s hoping that you can get this problem sorted out and feel better. My herniated disc was pressing on a nerve and I had pain in my buttocks. Physical therapy and chiropractic just didn’t solve my problem, so I had the surgery. Sending well wishes, Donna xx P.S. That nerve pain can go down the leg ( sciatica).