Pain in BC-side arm

NancyHB

I'm 9 months PFC and 7 months since my final rads.  My lumpectomy occured in the upper-inner quad of my left breast, but I did have a SNB with 4 large/3 minimal nodes removed.  About 4 months ago I developed really odd pains in my left arm, almost overnight.  One pain is directly in the middle of my lower left arm (on the top side); the next pain is in the middle of my upper left arm (outside), and the third area is the top of my shoulder.  It's like being stabbed - very sharp and sudden.  The pain does not appear to be muscular - I can rub the area and it doesn't make a difference, it almost feels deeper than muscular.  The pain comes and goes...it's always there in a dull way and then suddenly it's like *pow* - someone stabbed me, and the pain will last for anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours.  The whole arm goes weak at these times, too.

I have lost some ROM - my GP initially thought I had frozen shoulder and suggested PT, but I haven't had a chance to fill that Rx yet.  Instead, I've been doing yoga, which is slowly helping the ROM in the left shoulder but isn't alleviating the pain.

I've measured my arm frequently and don't see any increase in size so I'm thinking this isn't LE.  I'm wondering if it's related to radiation and tissue/muscle shrinkage.  I am seeing my RO for my quarterly follow-up in a couple of weeks and I'll discuss it with her then.  Until then, I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced weird, odd, strange pains similar to this? 

Just curious.  It's always something, isn't it?

Carmen1954

Hi NancyHB:

I read your post and associate a lot of the symptoms you are having to what I was diagnosed with recently, which is RIBP (radiation induced brachial plexopathy).  I had been complaining to my MO of severe left shoulder pain which radiates down the arm into the hand and fingers.  As you described, it's a stabbing pain and it also wakes me up at night.  My MO finally sent me for an MRI which confirmed that I have RIBP on the left side due to radiation treatments (29) that damaged the brachial plexus (a couple of bunches of nerves that lead from the neck to the shoulder).  In my case, it seems the damage is irreversible, however, my family doctor has referred me to an internist who might be able to help me with this chronic pain.  My pain started 2 months after had my last radiation treatment.  I also have CIPN (chemo induced peripheral neuropathy) which is a side effect from the TAXOL chemotherapy.  This side effect produces pain, numbness, tingling (like pins and needles feeling) in my hands, fingers, feet and toes.  My MO has prescribed both Lyrica and Gabapentin - neither of which has helped all that much.  He did say that in some patients this condition improves over time.  There are some good medical websites that can provide you with additional information.

You're right - there's always something!  I hope my little bit of information is helpful.

Carmen

MondaysChild

Nancy

I have the exact same pains in the same places, and had them prior to breast cancer.  You may have the same problem as I do which is problems with the discs in my neck, specifically the C5 & C6.  Pressure or irritation on the root nerves there cause pain to be felt in specific areas of the body. In the case of the cervical discs, that is felt in the shoulders and arms. And while you may not have a frozen shoulder, you may have an impinged shoulder. I had that also in 2010 and got to the point I could not easily dress as it became very painfil and my ROM decreased severly. All fixed by PT though.

Use that referral to the physical therapist who can be a big help with all of this. I originally had the problem start in early 2008 and ended up an emergency room and bed-ridden when the discs crushed down own day when I was having my hair washed in a salon. I was having the arm pains leading up to that and had no idea it was related to my neck. I waited too long so ended up having to have injections into the discs which got it off the level 8-9 pain and then the therapy resolved it all. Whenever I feel it rearing its head again, which it has done a couple of times since, I get back into PT for a short period and it is fixed quickly.