Worrsening pain in shoulder/arm...should I worry?

smilonface

Hi everyone.  I just completed chemo almost a month ago. Actually my last one was cancelled due to neuropathy.  I was StageII, Grade 3 Triple Neg, Brca+.  I had a double mastectomy, oopherectomy, partial breast reconstruction, 4 DD A/C chemos and 3 DD Taxols.  The pain and neuropathy has worsened in my right shoulder, arm and hand.  I can't sleep more than couple of hours as it is worse lying down or sleeping.  Why is this getting worse?  I was told that shoulder pain is a sign that the cancer has spread.  The oncologist is sending my to Physical Therapy for a couple of weeks before doing any scans.

1.  Has anyone else had these symptoms worsen after chemo?  What was the cause & resolution?  2.  Does anyone know why it is worse at night when you sleep?  What can you do?

TY for your help!

Worried Michelel

Enjoyful

Hi Michele!

I'm sorry I can't help with your questions, but I can tell you my experiences.  I had a bad shoulder before diagnosis and it got much worse after multiple surgeries (bilateral mastectomies, axial node dissection, reconstruction) and chemo.  Mastectomy/reconstruction and Taxol can cause nerve damage and perhaps that's part of what's happening with your shoulder.

Six years later, I still have the shoulder pain plus some new pains from nerve damage.  Neurontin helped for a while but I couldn't tolerate the side effects.

Did your doctor tell you that shoulder pain was a sign that the cancer has spread? 

LRM216

While it's true our cancer, especially this damn sneaky triple negative (which I am too) can spread and I have heard of cancer spreading to the shoulder area and arm, there are also a hundred other things it could be, and especially since you are just one month out of chemo.  I am continually shocked by some of the comments some doctors say - a blanket statement that pain in your shoulder means your cancer has spread is totally ridiculous and so NOT medically correct, especially before he even does any scans, etc.  And as for hurting more at night - everything seems to hurt more at night, at least I have always found that to be true.  I hope you find resolution to this and that everything is fine and that there is no cancer involved whatsoever.

Wishing you the best,

Linda

GG27

I had terrible pain in both arms after chemo & rads & then developed severe shoulder pain.   When I got the shoulder pain, I finally had to have something done, the Dr put me on anti inflamatories which did nothing for the shoulder, but took away the burning pain in my arms that I had for almost a year.  The shoulder pain which sounds like yours is almost as bad as mine, I was taking oxycodon & still couldn't get any relief, he finally gave me a cortisone shot, which hurt like he!! but took away all the pain.

Good luck, I hope you get some relief soon,

Dee

mikita5

Hi Michele,

I am having pain in arm/shoulder also. It's in the side that had bc.  I think that's what scares me most. If it were in the healthy removed breast, I don't think it would bother me so much.

I hope you get answers soon. Hugs coming your way! 

I

mrsnjband

Hi Michele,

I have arm pain from nerve damage from BMX.  I had shoulder pain develop after radiation burn.  Because of this I ended up with a frozen shoulder, I believe this is quite common after MX.  I had PT and the shoulder got better. 

Now I have LE in the same arm, learned how to do manual lymph drainage. 

Saying this to say there could be more than one reason for the shoulder pain. 

Hoping this helps a little. NJ

cmsutter

Hello,

I have been in severe pain for the past four weeks at a 9 - 9 1/2 on the pain scale, every moment of every day and night.  I just have a question...does breast cancer hurt?  My pain is under my left shoulder blade, radiating into my left breast, and it is going down my arm to my elbow.  Have been to E.R. too many times, Dr;s, Orthopedics, chiropractor, and nothing, I mean nothing is relieving, nor making the pain go away.  My Mother was my age when she past away due to breast cancer that had not been caught and it spread throughout her body.  She told me at one point that she was having pain symptoms similar to what I am describing before she died.  I would like more advice, from other people as to whether their cancer hurt them or not, or what the symptoms were.  I am already a cancer survivor, had it in 1995  in my thyroid, vocal chords, and throat.  My cancer never hurt then, I was just very ill feeling most of the time.  I am 43 years old.

SpunkyGirl

Cmsutter,

There could be several causes of your pain.  Obviously, no one has helped you figure out what's causing it and that's a tragedy.  Do you have a primary care doctor?  I would call them up and demand that they do an xray of that area to see if that comes up with anything, and then an MRI if it doesn't.  Something is causing your pain, and they should be helping you to figure out what it is.  It may not have anything to do with what happened to your mom, and I hope you get some answers.

Hugs

Bobbie

cmsutter

Thank you Bobbie.

shadow2356

cmsutter-

I sent you a private message

changes

cmsutter,

My cancer hurt, which is how I first found it. I was rubbing the area that hurt, and felt a lump. A doctor friend absolutely assured me it could NOT be cancer, since it hurt, but I knew it didn't feel right. I was right and he was wrong (wish it had turned out the other way around).

Karen

Tg5471530

1 yr before my diagnosis I told my GP that I had a lump in my breast.  She asked "does it hurt?"  Me "Um, yes!"  Her "then it cant be cancer because cancer doesn't hurt"  then a yr later I came to her with the same complaint but now a very large lump and a swollen lymph node.  Her "is this the same lump as last year?"  Me "Yes!  And it still hurts"  Her "Well I'm sure its not cancer, but because I do see the swollen node, I guess I will send you for a mammogram to make you feel better"  Me "Thanks?"  6 months after diagnosis and chemo I had to go to her to be medically cleared for my Bilat-mast.  Her "Well lets see, I have gotten many test results and letters but haven't really looked over them yet"   "I guess you were right it was something"  then after reading the part that said I was stage 3 she looked at me with eyes of embarrassment/shame/fear and said  "I thought cancer didn't hurt?"  me- "Well I guess you were wrong".  So yes, get it checked out more because cancer can hurt.

lmc1970

I am very sorry for what happened to you tammyg-I also had a similar experience with being brushed off by a doc and then 7 months later finding out it was cancer. Well nothing I can do about that now but I do tell everyone to get every little lump bump etc checked out. Too many women are told it's nothing and then end up at stage 4-not fair at all!