Sciatic pain come and go

stephilosphy00

Hi all, I've been taking tamoxifen for one and half months. Two weeks ago, I started having sciatic and lower back pain on cancer side come and go every couple days, the whole spine also feels stiff all the time. I have the pain when I sit and laying down and feel much better when I walk. I had sciatic pain before diagnosis but it didn't come with that aching lower back pain.

It is not only annoying but also make me nervous if there is possibility of mets. Can it just be a SE of tamoxifen?

Thanks!

fredntan

you just had surgery...some chemo before that..your body has been through a lot..If it feels better when moving around, then move around more..maybe a nice massage..

unfortunately every little thing will cause you to go crazy...The only way i found my mets was due to a bad hip..the hip that had the pain..didnt have bone mets...I had some kind of undiagnosed issue with the ball of hip joint not being as round as it should. the stuff that had mets didnt hurt

but give it the 2 week rule. if it continues after 2 weeks make your MO do something

Anonymous

I've had sciatica for years, and it did get worse during treatment. I had a bone scan at the end of treatment that was negative.

My sciatic pain is much less now. The best thing I found is nerve flossing. That and some postural alignment exercises made an incredible difference. I could not sit for very long before, but now I can.

Try the exercise below for about 10 reps twice a day. I can feel a difference if I don't do it at least once a day. It shouldn't increase your pain. If your pain does not go away after 2 weeks, please let your MO know.

stephilosphy00

Thank you so much for the video. I will try the exercise tonight. I am actually pain free again today. 😂

BucsGirl

Hi Steph,

I'm new to this forum. I saw your post about the sciatica pain you were having. I have a similar story except it got worse. The only difference is that my pain didn't come and go. It was constant. It all started in the back of my left thigh and progressively got worse. I thought it was a pulled muscle, and so did the ortho surgeon I was referred to by my MO.  I started going to physical therapy per the recommendation of my primary care doctor. The physical therapist said it was a bulging disc in my lower lumbar region. She prescribed exercises that would relieve the nerve pain. I was feeling better the first week, but then it all went down hill in the second week. I started getting patches of numbness down the back of my left leg. I couldn't sit or stand for even 2 minutes without excruciating pain. I could only lay on the couch with my left leg up. It was terrible.

The therapist told me to go straight to the emergency room or an urgent care facility for a CT Scan. They did a CT Scan in the ER. I came back positive for a herniated L5-S1 disc. They admitted me for pain management since I have cancer. They wanted to get an MRI and that was the only way they could get it. The MRI showed a huge bulging disc that was pinching my sciatic nerve. I was told that the neurosurgeon would review the results and consult with me on my options. There were no options. I had to have a microdiscectomy (a minimally invasive surgery) to remove the bulging disc to free up my pinched sciatic nerve. I had the surgery done at the hospital while I was admitted. It was the best decision ever. I am now pain free, and I no longer need any pain killers. The only issue I have is that I still have patches of numbness down my left leg and foot. He said that would go away in time as the nerve heals. Apparently the nerve takes a lot longer to heal.

Anyway, I started taking Tamoxifen in February. I started getting the sciatic nerve symptoms on May 1st. I also was at the end of radiation therapy. I was attributing it to the way they positioned me on the table. Only because 2 separate therapists asked me about my positioning in radiation therapy. Now, I'm not so sure. I see you didn't have radiation therapy. The only thing I think we have in common is the Tamoxifen (and maybe the Taxol). I don't know. My only other guess would be that I gained about 20 lbs. during treatment. That may have caused my lower back issue. What are your thoughts on this?

Are you still pain free after doing the exercises? If so, then that's awesome!

I'm posting in this thread because I haven't really gotten any responses from anyone else in the forum about this SE. Maybe because I'm a newbie (but I don't feel like one). I've been reading everything on this forum since being diagnosed. I just never posted.

Meow13

I think you should have an MRI to be cautious. I also had done something to my back terrible pain could hardly move. It was bad but it turned out that icing it made all the difference. My mri showed no cancer, it was such a relief. Now I have some occasional stiffness walking helps.

MJS1266

I'm in a similar situation.  I had initially intermittent leg pain radiating up my leg.  I had a regularly scheduled MO appointment after 3 months of letrozole.  I had just done a long drive.  MO was concerned for blood clot had an ultrasound.  There was no blood clot but had a baker's cyst under my knee.  I went to the orthopedic who said that a baker's cyst wouldn't cause that type of pain.  They said I had a pinched nerve and put me on steroids and muscle relaxants.  They worked great while I was on the steroids but now that they are over it is back to where I was.  PT only helps for a limited period. I went back to Drs.  He prescribed Gabapaten and ordered an MRI.  It doesn't bother me when I am sitting but gets bad when I walk.  I am trying to walk in small increments as they do not want me sitting around all day.  The MRI isn't until Tuesday.  I am now torturing myself that it could be bone mets which was my original concern after reading an article by a woman who seemed to have similar symptoms to mine and had bone mets.  The other odd thing is that I have very mild neuropathy in my feet from Taxol which has worsened.  I am going to try the nerve flossing thanks for posting.  Ugh, I worry excessively about any little pain now.  Thanks for listening.

BucsGirl

Hi MJS1266,

I'm hoping they find the cause of the pain in the MRI. Did your therapist check your spine for any bulging discs? They also did an ultrasound on my leg the first time I went to the emergency room. They didn't find any blood clots either (not even a baker's cyst). That's what prompted me to go to the orthopedic surgeon. They all thought it was some kind of a muscle pull. The pain didn't start in my lower back, so they didn't even check the spine. The muscle relaxants and pain meds didn't do a whole lot for me. I took them along with 800 mg of ibuprofen the entire month of May. The symptoms just got worse. The physical therapist discovered the L5-S1 disc issue during her examination of my spine (mid May). 

Please let me know if that nerve flossing works for you. I have a friend with a different type of cancer (later stage) that is going through the same thing. Maybe it will help her relieve some of that pain prior to her surgery. She's having the same surgery I had but they couldn't work her into their schedule for another 2 weeks. She has the same diagnosis as me, but they did see a shadow near the spine that the surgeon is concerned about. They prepared her with the news just in case it turns out to be more than a microdiscectomy.  She has already been treated for bone mets this past year (in another area of her body). I'm hoping it's just a shadow. She's been through so much.

I worried about bone mets too, but my nodes were clear (like yours). I'm listening & sending prayers your way. 

Anonymous

MJS - Are you taking any supplements? For nerve issues, I'm taking vitamin B12 and magnesium. I still do the nerve flossing every day. Along with some postural alignment exercises, my pain is much less, and I'm slowly tapering off Lyrica. Hope your MRI is negative. I felt the same before my bone scan. Good luck!

TampaBay - I have a herniated disc in the same location from years before BC. I've had 2 steroid injections and years of regular PT, but nerve flossing and postural alignment exercises have worked the best. I would not consider surgery at this point. Since nerve flossing is not strenuous and should not be painful, your friend could try it. It should be a slow, gentle motion. A knowledgeable PT would be helpful. I hope her surgeon finds nothing else.

BucsGirl

Thanks Serenity! I'm hoping the surgeon doesn't find anything else either. I'll send her the link. She's in constant pain right now. I feel so bad for her. I hope it helps her.

I wish I had known about this sciatic nerve flossing exercise in the early part of May. It might have helped me.  Also, my PT didn't show me this exercise at the time. I think she was working up to it, but my lower back just got aggravated. It looks like it would have been helpful in repositioning the nerve from that pinched position. I'm glad it's all working for you. It's good to know that there is some kind of exercise that is helpful in preventing surgery.

Anonymous

When my sciatica was at its most painful point, I felt it in my hamstring with shooting pain down to my foot. This position helped to calm the pain. I would stay in it for however long it took for the pain to subside. I don't know if it would help her or even if she can get herself in this position.

pupmom

Anyone experiencing intense leg pain, and who has had chemo or Zometa, should demand a hip x-ray. Three years after my cancer dx, I had an unnecessary spinal fusion at L 4-5, when I actually was suffering from femur necrosis. A hip x-ray is so simple, and inexpensive, to do, but I needlessly endured 2 years of horrible, incapacitating pain, because not one of my 4 regular docs thought to examine my hips. A rheumatologist I was referred to, thinking I might have arthritis, put me on the table and physically examined me. That was all it took. He immediately knew something was horribly wrong, ordered an x-ray, and I was on my way to two hip replacements and a pain free, normal life.

BucsGirl

Serenity - I'll let her know, but I can tell you that I was totally unable to get both my legs in that position pre-surgery.

It really opens up the hip joints. It's an awesome stretch. I used to do that all the time during yoga sessions. That was about 7 years ago. I need to get back to that yoga routine again. It really helped my posture, and gave me strength.

Pupmom - I'm so sorry to hear about the misdiagnosis that led to the spinal fusion. Although, I'm glad they found the root of the problem and that you're pain free now (like me). Having a normal life again after breast cancer treatment is very important. I guess we try to make it as normal as it can be. We never expect to have another major medical issue during or after treatment. Yeah, I wasn't very impressed with the orthopedic surgeon that I was referred to. I feel that he should have checked my spine as well. He just dismissed my nerve pain all together.

Anonymous

TampaBay - I think I did prop up my legs initially. I hope your friend's surgery is successful.

Pupmom - I'm sorry you had to go through unnecessary surgery and that it took so long for your doctors to find the real problem. My MO ordered a bone scan after my treatment ended when I mentioned that my sciatic pain had increased. Avascular necrosis would have been picked up if I had it.

MJS1266

Tampa Bay,

Thanks for the response.  Our pain sounds very similar, MRI tomorrow and I am hoping for the best.  A CT scan I had 3 years ago to check for any other areas of cancer showed that I did have L5-S1 likely degenerative arthritis.  So that is what I am thinking.  This has been going on for about 3 weeks now and I am using a cane to walk short distances starting Sunday.  Everyday it is worse only just starting to feel it in my lower back my lower leg is the worst.  I tried the flossing once but it seemed worse although I think it is just whatever is going on is more and more sensitive, so I am going to try it again once the pain is resolved.  Hope your friend's surgery goes well and only has the spine issue. 

Serenity STAT,

I take B-12, Calcium with D, and glucosamine with chondratin.  I'll have to try Magnesium.  I did have a borderline B-12 deficiency. after I started on B-12 I had an immediate improvement in the neuropathy but it didn't completely go away.  The back Dr. gave me a shot of B-12 just in case but my neuropathy is getting worse so something is going on there as it really should be stable.  I think they would probably even define it as subclinical as I can pass the feather and pricks test.

Pupmom,

Back dr. did do an x-ray that included my hips but he didn't seem to notice anything particular there although I do have mild osteopenia.  Glad you are pain free now, sorry they didn't diagnose you correctly.  It is crazy that we have to go to so many specialists and tried to keep them all straight.  If you have more than one problem it is hard to know where to go.

The thing is.  I am in really good shape as I have been losing weight and doing cardio and strength training for two years following the completion of my treatment.  Two months ago started yoga to improve my flexibility so I feel a little bit betrayed by my body but I can hope my eventual recovery will be easier because of it.  I'll post again once I am told what is all going on.  Of course what role does letrozole play in all of this is also a question, does it make it all worse.  No one will probably admit to that but I guess I'll address that later.  Really, I felt more or less fine for the first 3 months on letrozole after 1.5 years on Tamoxifen just some muscle cramping but nothing serious.  Oh well, I tell myself one day at a time.

Have a good night everyone, thanks for chiming in,

Mary-Jo

Anonymous

Good luck on your MRI. Hope you can get pain free.

BucsGirl

Mary-Jo,

Wishing you lots of luck today. Hope everything went well. I hope you find relief soon.

I passed on the information to my friend. She hasn't started the nerve flossing yet, but that may be because she's also having pain in her arm as well. I don't know. She's very worried. She has a history of cancer popping up in different places. She's getting a nuclear bone scan this week. She needs lots of prayers right now.

MJS1266

tampabaybuccaneer,

My MRI went fine today but no results.  Scheduling at DRs office wanted my to come in Monday due to waiting for the report, I was like no way (of course they had no idea I was a cancer survivor) negotiated Friday.  I then said the meds weren't working.  They took the information and had one of the nurses call me later.  The nurse said come in tomorrow at 9:45 and I told her about needing the report and they wouldn't schedule sooner than Friday.  She apologized that I was told that and said she would call the radiology and put a stat on it.  I was so thrilled that she actually understood my anxiety and was willing to expedite things.  I am feeling pretty good about it now.  I am actually feeling marginally better today.  I didn't have to call anyone to walk my dog, its the small things in life. 

Thinking of your friend, hoping for the best.  The waiting is the worst.  Once you are a cancer survivor you view everything through a different lens.  Most people I know would be panicking over back surgery, me I'm like ok that is better than many alternatives.

Best, Mary-Jo

MJS1266

Thanks for all the support and positive thoughts.  The MRI showed a cyst 8mm x 6mm between vertebrae in the C5-S1.  Apparently, it is not that common and normally doesn't cause pain until it gets too big.  It is caused by deterioration in the facets which I have in mild form.  There is also some muscular atrophy near the spine.  but I work out quite a bit and am in the best shape since I was 25 but I guess that is a hard muscle to get.  So tomorrow, the Dr. will drain the cyst and inject cortisone so that it heals.  I then have to strengthen those muscles.  It could come back but maybe not.  Supposedly, it will give me immediately relief. Now that I no longer have the same anxiety the pain is less pronounced and I could walk further with the cane than in the last few days.  There was no evidence of mets which is the number one good news and my biggest concern.  He could have told me I needed back surgery and I would have still been relieved.  Its all relative.

TampaBayBucsGirl,  I hope your friend has a similar result. 

Best,

Mary-Jo

Anonymous

Great news! I've had 2 of those injections, and they helped. I'm working on postural alignment exercises now. My sciatic pain started when I was really strong, but I guess I missed some muscles.

BucsGirl

That's awesome news! Thank goodness they can drain the cyst and give you a cortisone injection. That's way better than having a microdiscectomy. I'm so glad it was a better result.

I felt the same way. I was in so much pain that I would have done anything to relieve it. My pain started when I was at my weakest (very fatigued from the treatments).

My friend texted me a while ago. She said the scan came back negative for cancer in that arm. She's so happy! Now, she has to get past the surgery on Friday. I'm feeling a little better about this now. Thanks for sending good thoughts her way!

MJS1266

I guess we are all in a Marathon not a sprint.

SerenityStat, yes, the Dr. indicated that it is a hard muscle to isolate and made some recommendations.  He also said that if exercise doesn't help, he can give an injection that helps to strengthen the muscle.  I have to ask tomorrow how we know whether or not exercise has worked on it.  I don't want to have numerous MRI's to check. 

TampaBayBucsGirl,  Happy for your friends news.  We always go to the worse outcome in our minds especially the longer we have to wait for information.

jgio2960

hi ladies, I know this is old but need help dearly. My mom is stage 1b Breast Cancer, oncotype of 11, didnnot need chemo but rads (completed aug30) and letrozole. The past few weeks my mom is complaining of severe back pain first thing in the morning and then fine rest of day except when she sits or stands. Her nurse believes it is sciatica but wants to Be on the Safe side and ordered MRI. We are terrified. My mom had an abdominal and pelvic ct scan with contrast last month all was clear. Her report read :mild osteopenia and minimal changes of spine. No lytic or blastic lesions with no acute compression deformity. Wouldn’t this test have picked up on if were really metastatic. Really need

KBeee

That test likely would have picked it up; they are just being extra cautious. It does sound like sciatica symptoms. Hoping MRI isclear.