Could chemo cause lower back pain and sciatica?

cowgal

I finished chemo (Taxol) 12/30/19. By April 2020, I developed horrible sciatica and lumbar pain. I have seen a spine specialist, taken epidurals, done PT and it was recommended by the PT that I needed to schedule surgery with my spine specialist, which I have not done. My scans do show some osteo arthritis, degenerative issues and a cyst but none of this evidently bothered me until April. I just wondered if anyone else developed back and /or sciatic nerve problems after going through chemo?

Krose53

Ar you on AI's?

cowgal

The first time I had breast cancer was in 2010 and was on tamoxifen followed by AIs. I had to stop AIs because they damaged my knees so bad that both had to be replaced. I have never had back issues before but when I got diagnosed in September 2019 with stage 4, I had to do Taxol that ended December 30, 2019. I am on XGEVA, Ibrance and Faslodex and had to do radiation again in a different area than my first bout with breast cancer. I just wonder if the chemo may have flared up my lumbar back and sciatic nerve as any of the issues in my spine were not bothering me before to the point I was unaware of anything.

Anonymous

I had severe sciatica (L5-S1 disc herniation) before cancer, and it worsened during treatment. Chemo increases inflammation so it's possible it caused yours. I couldn't sit for dinner. Car rides were excruciating. Over the years I went to numerous PTs, had several steroid shots, and taken many meds. I refused to consider surgery. After radiation I did my own rehab. I focused on postural alignment exercises (based on Egoscue method) and nerve gliding. I took enough meds (Lyrica, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxant) so I could do my exercises. It took many months, but it started to work. Eventually I was able to stop all the above meds. Now I have to keep it at bay because I have flares every so often, but nowhere near as bad as before.

Maybe try a different PT. I went to at least 5 different people. Hope you find something that works.

MinusTwo

cowgal - I've posted on the other thread you started about back pain & LE.

It would help if you go to "my profile" and enter your diagnosis & treatment to date. You will have to make it "public" for other BCO members to see it.

cowgal

Thank you Serenity.

MinusTwo - Yes, I need to get the diagnosis and treatments in my profile. The list keeps getting longer.

cowgal

Serenity - I am trying to avoid surgery too. I have tried the nerve gliding and probably need to make an effort to do it again daily. I am not familiar with Egoscue. I will have to look into that. I am not sure if my insurance will allow me to try a different PT or not since I have already tried that but will check into that.

Anonymous

When I started my own rehab at home, I spent ~4 hours a day on postural alignment exercises and nerve flossing. It was after chemo/rads so I was in a lot of pain and weak. The exercises aren't strenuous.

I used exercises from the book Pain Free by Pete Egoscue. There are also YT videos. There are Egoscue therapists, but I was able to manage on my own.

This is the nerve flossing I did. About 10 slow reps multiple times a day. Stop if your pain increases.

I have a thread called Thin Slices of Joy that I started when I decided to do my own rehab. It has more of the things I did. I can't remember it all. An Egoscue therapist would probably work faster, but I don't know if your insurance would cover it.

Let me know if you need more information.

msphil

hello no but i did suffer osteoarthritis still do but not unbearable that God. Everyone has different side effects. msphil idc stage2 0/3 3mo chemo before and after(cytoxin 5fu adriamycin) then got married was planning before diagnosis then 7wks rads and 5yrs on Tamoxifen