Creaking Neck

Titan

Hey everyone...I'm concerned about something...I'm a triple negative..almost 2 years out..have been feeling great..but lately when I walk for exercise I feel a clicking in my temple....when I roll my neck from side to side I hear a sound..something like two fingernails clicking against each other..I have an appt. with my onc in January but not sure I should wait that long...I'm freaking!

Has anyone else experience this?

Bren-2007

I'm not triple negative, but I have experienced this.  After numerous x-rays and an MRI, it turns out I have moderate arthritis in my cervical spine.

I think you will be alright until your appt with the oncologist.

Best wishes and let us know how your appt goes.

Bren

Titan

Thanks Bren..for answering so quickly...I just freak out when there is anything different!  I'll take arthritis! 

shiny

Hi Titan,

I am triple negative and have clicking and cracking like sounds in my neck, with some stiffening at times. I had an MRI which showed arthritic and degenerative changes (at c4 c5 c6 I think)  in the spine. I missed my 1st appointment for physio, but that is what was sugested. Hope that helps to relax a wee bit and just enjoy the holidays.

I had FEC-T and the tax seems to have really exacerbated the slight arthrithis.

Even if you went in before, nothing would be likely to be checked out properly until the nex year anyhow, so I hope you are able to say a big fat NO, to the worrying and just enjoy enjoy enjoy!!

It's handy that you are seeing your onc in Jan, so you know you are not being careless by waiting a few weeks to mention it.

take care,

Shiny

Marple

My neck clicks too and has done so for years.  It does sound kind of weird now that I'm concentrating on it. 

cathmg

Hi All,

I currently have  a stiff neck-have had issues for years, but things are worse with a bilat mast. and silicone implants. Sometimes when I 'm running I'll get a horrific crack at the base of my neck, then it feels better. I'm reluctant to go to the dr. for it-just sick of all doctors. Gentle yoga helps. Comforting, I guess, to know others are going through the same thing.

Cat

Titan

Thanks everyone..I feel better now....sorry that you all have creaking necks!..but comforting all the same...

I did Google creaking neck and tick in the temple and alot came up. nothing too scary but none of the people who were posting have BC... I wanted to know if "my own kind" had experienced this.

shiny

I know what you mean. I love Pilates, and will be getting back to that when the kids back in school.

take care Catmg

Shiny

shiny

Glad you are feeling better about it.

I am sure it is just fine to just ask your onc in January.

Have a lovely Christmas Titan..

(sorry I missed your reply just now)

Shiny

fightinhrd123

my neck does the same thing!  I just had my husband feel it the other day!  creeps me out, but he says his does it too, and he hasnt had BC

LRM216

Ditto on the neck thingy here.  I am also on the computer at least 10 hrs. per day, so my neck muscles down the sides of my neck often hurt as well.  Also am still sleeping propped up on two pillows flat on back (which I detest as I was always a stomach sleeper).  My lumpectomy breast (with 22 clips inside it) still hurts if I try to lay on it, so between the neck creaking and the sore muscles (no lumps or bumps) for almost two years, I figure I'd be in pretty bad shape by now if it was you-know-what.  As long as bengay takes the pain right away, I don't worry!

Hope everyone on this thread as a wonderful Christmas and may the New Year be nothing but kind to all of us.

Linda

Titan

Linda...I'm also on the computer..I have a desk job so yeah...on the computer alot..I actually have had the clicking thing and the neck thing b-4 but this time..for some reason it bothered me..maybe because 2 years ago I had a tumor growing inside of me and I didn't know it...last year at this time I had an ache in my left side and I did go to the doctor about that one...He said it was a muscle pull...with the kids home from college and going crazy with Christmas no wonder..

Anyway..you all have a very Merry Christmas....or Hanukah or whatever the Holidays mean to you..it is a special time of the year for all of us.

carcharm

It doesn't matter how old you are I am convinced that chemo and the steroids reak havoc on your bones. I am plagued with almost the same thing. My neck hurts alot where before chemo I never had a problem. My TMJ is also affected. I am currently laid up with a trimalleleor fracture of my ankle that the ortho surgeon said is because of the treatment I had for my breast cancer. My bone density came back normal but it doesn't look at all bones.

hbcheryl

Get it checkout out at your next appointment but I had this earlier in the year and after testing it turned out to be arthritis.  It was like click click and my head felt so heavy I was all the time trying to stretch my neck, it still comes and goes and I just do some stretching. 

Titan

carcharm..my dexa scan came back very good also..I have a little osteopena in my lower back..this was from about 8 years ago and I think was the result of birth control (pills and depoprevara)...my last dexa done a couple of months ago showed no change.My Vit D level is in the lower 60's..I feel my bones are strong now..but I'm totally aware that chemo may have done some damage..I don't want to think that but those drugs are soo very strong..there has to be some side effects..the thing with the tick in my temple and the creaky neck..well I was thinking more of bone mets and/or brain mets...triple negatives mets usually go to the soft tissues like brain, liver, lungs..mets are rarer to the bone but I was still very concerned...I don't usually freak out about things (go with the two week rule)..but the clicking and creakiness was just so very annoying...it seems to be better today...but we didn't walk today.

I want to go to my next appt. and say I'm feeling fine...

So anyway..IF it is arthritis..there is really nothing you can do about it is there? 

carcharm

Titan,

Sounds like djd or arthritis to me. You can take antiarthritics like celebrex and there are several others but they all have side effects. You have to way the benefit vs the the pitfalls of each. My side effects were worse than the benefits so I gave them up.What really did help was physical therapy. It took a few weeks but the pain was gone with exercising. You don't realize - especially if you've had any breast surgery-how the alignment of your body gets knocked off and  how you compensate in your posture which leads to pain. PT will look at all that -offer exercises to increase your range of motion- make you cognizant of the problems with your posture and how to improve them. Best of luck...

Parentof1

  I also am not triple negative.  But just poted something similar.  I am "almost" 53 years old.  My BC was:  ER and PR postive; HER negative, stage 1, Grade 2.  I did the Oncotype DX and do to a low score on this was able to do Femara.

  Femara also has it's side affects-HORRENDOUS hot flashes, it lowers bone density, can cause blood clots, achy bones ect.  I had a total hysterectomy about 8 years before my DX of BC, and never went through hot flashes.  They sent me home with HRT hormone pills and, I filed them in the garbage.  I just didn't need them.  A lot of folks find this strange I never went through hot flashes, back when I had my hysterectomy but, I didn't.  And in hind sight it's a good thing I threw away those HRT hormone pills.  From what I know there has been some studies at Mayo Clinic with these being linked to some types of BC.

   The hot flashes are intense for me.  We live in Minnesota and Winters can be cold here.  I wake up sometimes just wet, hair plastered to my head ect.  So have to change intyo something dry-then I am cold.  So, I go between being a wet noodle, to a frozen quart of ice cream almost...lol!  The achy bones are a new side affect for me since starting Femara about 18 months ago.

   I also had been DX with Osteoporosis stage 3 prior to my BC diagnosis.  So, because Femara weakens bones, I also do a 1x per year Zometa infusion at my Oncologists office to help strenthen my bones.

   However what I wanted to tell you is:  In 1983 I had a car accident.  I broke several vertebraes in my neck, shattered my right femure, cracked my plevis ect.  I had both an anterior and posterior fusion done on my neck.  They took bone from my hip and rib, and fused my neck with these.  I was in the hopsital 3 months between my neck and shattered right femur setting.

   Well for some time now I have had like pops, creaks in my neck that I can hear when I turn my head.  I do believe some of this for me to be both the Osteoporosis, and some arthrirtis setting in big time.  Oh it is fun to age...lol!  And I don't have to be doing one thing for this to happen, that I consider strenuous.  Just doing book work, and I turn my head and pop, creak ect. 

    I also have been battling Sinus crud, as I call it.  I would bend over and my nose would run clear like a faucet...drip, drip, drip.  However usually I get the blow my nose off Sinus crud, and it goes to Bronchitis because it drains into my chest at night.  This didn't happen this time.  (Yes, I have gotten/had chronic Sinus crud for years.)  I think, this run in the family.  My Mom gets these, our 20 year old daughter ect.  I guess, we are just blessed is all...lol!

   Last Sunday had pressure behind both eyes, hurt to open my eyes.  Last Wednesday night, I had a headache/pain behind my right eye.  It hurt so bad, I was just an emotional basket case.  My hubby took me into ER because I started freaking out per say. 

  Sometimes the mind is our worst enemy-  I started thinking things like:  "What if this is a blood clot (A side affect listed for the Femara I take daily); What if this has gone to my brain?!"

   I did need to be seen because the pain was unbelievable.  But they did a CT of the Sinus and said, the right side showed some mucous but was clear.  Put me on Percocet and sent me home. 

  Friday I took a big breath and held it and called my Oncologists office.  I was terrified to even call, if this makes any sense. 

   I spoke to my doctors nurse, who spoke to my doctor after telling her what had been going on.  My doctor said, she highly doubted this to be a brain cancer/mets but would order a CT scan of brain if I would feel better about this. 

   So Friday, I had the brain CT scan with and without contrast.  I have not heard the results yet from my doctor.  I am hoping they call me tomorrow.

  The Radiologist that did my scan Friday said, "The neuro will read thiese films, and if they find anything will call your Oncologist or Oncologist on call since it is a weekend, and they will contact you right away."

   Well I did not hear anything so, in one sense I feel some better but, this was also coming from the Radiologist that did my scan-not any doctor.  So I won't feel 100% until I do hear from them, and if I don't hear something Monday I will be calling them.

   I also request a copy of all labs, x-rays, scans, and procedures done ect at any doctor appointment I go to.  I have my own file, I keep all of these things in because many times I have had to refer back to these.  For instance I had a bone marrow biopsy done last Fall due to a "higher than average" white count,  This turned out fine, but my primary doctor had no idea I had this done or what it said. My last two Dexa scan/bone density scans,  my old primary did not forward to new primary even with asking that all records be transferred over.  So my current primary did not have anything to compare my most recent Dexa scan to.  I did have copies of these at home, so I was able to get these to him so, he had something to compare my bone scan done last week to.

   I also thought at some point this utter fear, would get better.  I was doagnosed 18 months ago, but you know I still get real stressed before each appointment with Oncologist or, when something unusal starts happening with me....such as this latest headache last week, that I was seen at the emergency room for due to the awful pain.

   Now however I do believe even these headaches are a combination of:  Sinus but also, my neck issues-cracking, popping, creaking ect.  I had a headache today-not bad but a headache.  I turned to get a piece of paper, and neck cracked and headache was gone within a half hour. 

   Fear can be so paralyzing...and I am still working on this.  Probably always will be working on this...lol! 

   A few years back, I had awful popping in my neck and painful muscle spams.  I did two things.  One was:  I saw a Chiropractor and also got a massage.  Both helped quite a bit.  However this was before my Osteoporosis DX and BC DX.  Also my old Chiropractor retired.  So now I am leary with having Stage 3 Osteoporosis, my neck issues from 30 years ago about a Chiropractor that would manually adjust me.  Part of this also is, I would want someone reputable and good who knew and worked with medical issues I currently have.

   Chiropractors are not the answer for everyone but, back then for me it helped tremendously.  Also messages are great!  

    Not many medical doctors like:  Primary, Oncologists ect agree with seeing a Chiropractor.  I am not sure why this is.  It seems Chiropractors and medical MDs have always had this issue between them.

   But I have always felt, if the two would come together so much more would and could be accomplished for the sake of the patients. 

  Anyhow I have said enough...I can be long winded at times, sorry!  I am thinking about you.  Let me know what you decide.  Peg-