What is up with my hip?

jennyboog

Here we go again...seems like all I post is "fear" questions.  For about 3 weeks my right hip has been hurting, it comes and goes, I've been sleeping fine.  It can go from sharp pain to a burning sensation, the best way I know to describe it is....it feels like Bengay has been injected into my hip at times.  Seems to be better when I'm walking, Motrin 800 doesn't really touch it....anyone else had or having anything similar?  Sounds like arthritis, huh?

lkc

Hi Jen, Mets pain does not "come and go". also the fact that it improves with exercise. ( that's a good thing) Burning pain is usually associated with " nerve pain" ,perhaps radiating nerve pain from  low back issues?

littletower

Hey Jennifer, my recent CT scan showed arthritis in my hip as well as degenerative disease (Yuch!). And I can tell you, post card it hurts like hell and with yoga stretches improves dramatically. Don't know if that helps. Hope you feel better! Hugs, Adele

jennyboog

Thanks ladies as usual, I kept telling myself it wasn't mets but you know how our mind goes there.  I have had some lower back pain as well that is more prominant on the right side.   I agree, it does hurt like hell....like a 5 to 6 on my pain scale and my 10 was natural childbirth.  It feels better when it's massaged too, on the upper buttocks area  

pupfoster1

Hi there Jen,

It's OK, I am one who is always questioning a new ache or pain.  It's hard to know what is supposed to be "normal" anymore.  Would we have these pains even if we didn't have cancer?  Probably, but it's hard not to be hypersensitive.  I know I am.  I'm still keeping an eye on some back pain I've been having.  And like the other ladies have said (and what I keep telling myself) is that's mets don't go away and get worse over time.  

But you know the rule of thumb, if it's bothering you for a couple weeks and you need peace of mind, call your doc!!!!

Take care hon!

Sharon

DiDel

Jen

I had it but mostly at night so painful sleeping...mine was an arthritis of sorts..old age...hormones in flux from chemo. I had joint pain everywhere but my hips were the worst. I did some acupuncture and it has gone away. If you're super stressed talk to you onc. I hope you find some relief soon.

Diane

MRDRN

Hi there...I am having so much more bone pain this year (1 year post TAH and Bi Mx for BRCA 1) and was told that it was not mets recently....after bone scan , nuclear bone scan, hip xrays' showing osteo, and an MRI in my cervical spine that said "cannot rule out mets"...the pain is so incredible sometimes and I wish I knew more too!  Mine is constant and I sleep terrible, so I started tramodol and naprolean, and recently added savella and wonder if I have fibromyl.....just have more labs and everything is normal so far....it is frustrating.  One thing I will say is that Hopkins has a study for BRCA people looking at the correlation of BRCA and worsening degenerative joint dx and cardiac problems, for example, but is for folks who haven't have a dx of cancer so I did not qualify.  It does not help being BRCA but I am glad they are learning so much about this darn gene.  Bottom line is to exercise as much as we can without overdoing it.  Are you able to work out much? 

DiDel

Oh yes...execise...I did some ballet and yoga..workout videos to help stretch it out.

Beaglesgirl

Jenny, I had my tx today and saw my onco and one of my concerns was hip pain that I've been having. I have felt it since last April, sometimes it wakes me up. After talking about it for a bit I said I know that I had it before I was dx but I have nothing but time to worry.



Doc B is very caring and was delicate as he said the pain in your hip is not related to the issues with the bc... Although you will have to address it at some time with an orth doc... I'm sorry laura but it sounds like a little bit of rust. I laughed and said I love that response! I can deal with that!



Sending healing thoughts and prayers that your pain is only a bit of patina on your young bones as well.



~L

faithfulheart

Hey Jen,

this is so wierd,  way back,  my right hip pain started, just like yours! I let it go for  a while, but then I started freaking out!!!  I asked my onc. for a bone scan,  no cancer,  but he did find arthritis in my knee!  He told me the knee arthritis could actually be causing the hip pain.  No doubt, your joints have just taken a toll from all the meds. I still have the hip pain, esp. in heels, long day on my feet ect...... I think it's normal to have these aches and pains, I know it's hard not to panic, you know me I am the first one to jump into a good ol panic attack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are fine and cancer free!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plus we are all getting old, how great is that!

Luv and hugsssssssssssssssss

Steph

Anonymous

I totally get it jenn.  Been going thru this myself,  Constant pain and limping in my right hip and low back.  Living on Motrin 600.  Asked Onc for Tramadol today, and now he wants to do MORE scans.  Geesh.  I get the fear thing, totally.

Barb

karen1956

Barb....I take 800mg ibuprofen almost every morning along with my saline nose drops and nasacort nasal spray.....my gf asked about my kidneys.....I said whats worse...constant sinus pain or too much ibuprofen...she didn't answer (and gf is an anesthesiologist)...I can't take tramadol, or the narcotics as they make me sick to my stomach, bind me up....so ibuprofen is my pain killer of choice!!!!

Since I stopped the AI's, I've had far less pain, of course except for the headaches....but joints are better...but the neuropathy in my foot has returned...so its back to caspacian (sp) creme....BC...the gift that keeps on giving....Barb...I hope your scans all come back normal

AnacortesGirl

Jennifer -

I didn't list everything in my topic about Aromasin.  The feet, hand and headache are the most constant. 

But I'm also having problems with my knees.  Getting out of a chair can be painful.  Feels like a lack of lubrication.  And some days my left hip hurts.  Almost feels like it's not in the completely in the joint or something.  I just can't help but think that all these things are the AI's building up in our systems.  Or bringing on arthritis.

JacquelineG

I had issues with my right hip for more than a year. Finally brought myself to ask my onc for an MRI, and it was just tendonitis! My boot camp leader gave me some great exercises for my hip and thigh -- my IT band was really tight -- and I have no pain anymore! the other thing that can help with hip pain is yoga, particularly hip opening exercises.Google -- yoga hip openers and you'll get a bunch of good exercises to try.

best of luck and i'm sure it's nothing!

jackie

jennyboog

Thanks everyone, I feel better...I hate that you all are having or had issues too but I'm glad to hear it so I know it could be normal, if that makes sense.  Yesterday morning was bad and got better throughout the day and I helped my DH install a fence.  And today was even better but sitting here now it has a slight twinge.  I think it coming and going & staying the same are all good signs.  I had arthritis in my right knee before BC and chemo aggrevated that so that is very interesting that it can be connected.  This was just a weird pain like I've never had before with the icy/heat sensation and it seemed to get worse after my ooph on the 2nd.  Thanks again for all you wonderful replies and being there. 

MRDRN

Glad you are a bit better Jen.  My bone pain def got worse after my ooph, I wish I didn't need it but with the BRCA gene, it is the standard of care.  I asked three different Doc's about taking estrogen but all said no with the Bc history...and to "Put up with the menopause s/s"   It is tough to feel old

Ihopeg

It seems like every time I have any concerns, I can come on here and see the exact things happen to you girls too. The other day as I was just walking, My hip started hurting. Like a sharp pain, then it goes away. I have had the pain on and off for a few weeks.Told the Radiologist at my checkup and she said if it omes and goes its nothing bad, I hope;;;

faithfulheart

jenny,

when you said your pain got worse after your ooph, it reminded me that so did mine.

The pain was so bad in both hips after ooph, then settled only on right side. That is intresting and very well could be related to all your est. being sucked out over night .Again, our lack of est. does cause alot of aches and pains alone, have you tried advil for a few days. Sometimes it takes a few days to take down the infamation. Also remmember when we are worried about something, we can become obssesed, and our symptoms can seem worse then they are, beacause we dwell on it. Once we find out it's not serious, the pain seems to be much less annoying.

Does that make any scense at all?

I am sure you have some sort of bursitis, arthritis ect...

keep us posted sweeti,

Hugssss

Steph

Karina121293

I am so glad I read this. I had ooph and hyst with my mastectomy in January. Have pain in my back now and then and a little in my hips. It's really annoying, as it comes and goes and can't figure out the cause. But this is what I realized this month. The pain is around the period when I used to have my monthly cycles. Jenny, Steph , have you paid attention to this and what do you think, can it be somehow connected??? And one more question for my knowledge. I read bursitis and arthritis everywhere. So is it related with our condition, lack of estrogen, etc.

Hugs,

Karina 

jennyboog

That is interesting Karina, I hadn't thought of that and will have to see if mine is related.  I agree Steph I think the symptoms do get worse once we get obsessed on something.  I've actually felt good the past few days, I was taking Motrin 800 just once in a while but decided to take it twice a day for a few day and it worked.  I get a twinge every now and then but it seems to be gone.  Thanks for being there girls and understanding.

ICanDoThis

Just poking my head in to say that, I had a pain just like that. Since I'm such a low grade, I went to my orthopedist, rather than onc.

She said with my symptoms - i.e., more than 1 month pain, so bad it woke me up, etc, that she would be willing to order a bone scan, but that it was more likely to be bursitis.

And that the best treatment was ice packs, rest, IcyHot, and gentle water exercise. If it didn't resolve, then she would recommend the test.

It did - I'm fine.

The bursitis, incidentally, had not recurred since I had a total knee replacement. It's amazing how interconnected the hips and knees are, along with the lower back.
I know I should be grateful to be old enough to be in menopause, given the alternatives, but it can be tough sometimes.

Sue

Annie62

Jenny,

It sounds like sciatica to me (nerve pain). I've had that kind of pain in the past and I got some exercises to do from a orthapoedist. They helped a lot. Most of them involve strenghtening your core, and stretching the legs.

 Right now I have knee and foot pain - I need to start wearing my orthotics and sneaks instead of my cute summer sandals. When I do, the pain magically disappears.

Annie

jennyboog

Thanks Sue, I thought of bursitis too, I have it in my right shoulder pre-BC and it's a tough one.  Thanks Annie, I've not thought of my shoes, I've been in flip flops since spring.  I read up on sciatica and from what I read it sounds like a mix of that and a couple other things...if that's possible or makes sense.  Thanks again ladies, keep 'em coming

MRDRN

I found this helpful:  Measuring Bone health:  http://www.breastcancer.org/tips/bone_health/measuring.jsp

My Hip pain is constant and worse now 1 year post total abdominal hysterectomy and bi mx for bc/braca 1

Things that help: exercise, after I get up in the morning, I don't notice it as much moving around. Lidocaine patches, and meds like tramadol prn.  Estrogen depleted quickly sucks via instapause, but is important to not feed my previous er positive breast cancer with replacing it.

Time will tell with serial bone scans how it goes.  I need prayers to deal with this new pain, lack of sleep...but thank God I have been told it is not mets....even though a MRI said that it was a possibility.  

Thanks ladies for sharing your stories as it helps.

Annie62

One thing I forgot to mention - re: my feet which cause pain up my leg - I had (have?) plantar fasciaitis (sp?) I felt 30 years older in the morning until I addressed it. I did end up with orthotics but I also did morning exercises which helped. I would 'do the alphabet' with my feet in bed in the morning. Weird I know. I did the shapes. Then I would stretch my toes back and rub the soles of my feet to stretch the fascia. I also did exercises to strenghten my knee area. Sit on bed. and lift feet to knee height.

These all helped. But for sciatca I saw a chiropractor. In the end the sports med (orthopedist) doc gave me the best treatements for sciatia.

 Good luck!!

Lauriesh

Hi, I just wanted to add that it is always not true that cancer pain is constant. There have been women who have bone mets that have said the pain comes and goes, sometimes months at a time.   If you are having pain that lasts for more than 3 weeks, or keeps coming back, I would insist on a scan.  Having a scan that says it is arthirits or bursitis will give you the peace of mind that it is not cancer.

Laurie

Merilee

The constant fear and persevering on recurrance is PTSD. I have it and at times it is very overwhelming.