Symptoms of bone mets

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CherylinOhio
CherylinOhio Member Posts: 623
edited June 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

I have read some posts by women who had no symptoms of bone mets and their blood work was also fine.  I am concerned about some achiness in my lower back.  It is pretty much constant for the last 8 or 9 days. It feels stiff when I try to stretch out.  I am obviously worried about mets. Just had a 3 month checkup in October and blood work was fine.  I don't see onc until January and hate to call and have to get an xray or do more blood work which may show nothing anyway.  For anyone who has had mets to bone, did you have any pain or discomfort?  I wonder if the achiness is the tamoxifen?  I had a bone scan twice this year last one way in May and was clean but.....

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited November 2012

    Hi Cheryl so sorry you have this concern. The lower back pain can indeed be from the Tamoxifen. Before taking the investigation further could you try some Boswellia Serata and Curcumin both of which are anti inflamatories and if it is just inflamation you should get some relief within a couple of weeks. If you still have the pain after that then a phone call to you onc would be indicated.



    Oh I have bone mets and a l had a great deal of pain prior to dx. Oh, I also take the Boswellia and Curcumin to help with the aches and pains of the mets and arthritis so I know it works very well.

    Good luck!

    Love n hugs. Chrissy.

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  • Lolita
    Lolita Member Posts: 231
    edited November 2012

    When I had these same symptoms, my onc wanted me to go to my primary physician to get it checked out.  My physician determined it was muscular-skeletal (not mets) and I recovered after that.

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  • CherylinOhio
    CherylinOhio Member Posts: 623
    edited November 2012

    I am hoping it is from the tammy! I hate to call my onc because I am already a hypocondriac but if I need him he will see me, I doubt I can get a scan from him though.  This bc stuff really stinks!! Why can't it just be in the breast and then get treated and go away!?  My blood work keeps showing up fine but my onc does not do tumor markers because he says they are not accurate, but I think I may have him do a full blown blood panel in January. How are you? Do you have much pain or limited mobility?  You are 10 years out next december?? Good for you!!!!

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited November 2012

    Dealing with BC can be a full time job if you let it be that way. My doc does do the tumor markers but no matter what status I am they always read the same.....normal. They are notorious for be either right on the mark or totally useless as an indicator and because if this a lot if docs don't use them.

    I do have pain but I control it well so most of the time I do just fine. There are days when it's hard to get out of bed but that happens even when a person is fighting for....lol. My mobility is better now I've had a knee replacement and at the end of this week I'm joining a gym so I can work on my general strength and cardiac fitness. It will take me a little time to get fit but I am determined to do so as it will improve how I live my life.



    I understand your fears but please don't let them take over your life and rob you of the joys that the day can bring. Like I said, try the anti inflamatories first.......I'm sure you will notice a difference.



    Love n hugs. Chrissy

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  • nancyh
    nancyh Member Posts: 2,644
    edited November 2012

    Hi Cheryl,

    I have a little pain from my bone mets that I would describe as a dull ache.  Lots of things can cause lower back pain, so I wouldn't jump to any conclusions.  

    You might want to watch and wait another couple weeks before you call your doctor.  Maybe keep a pain log and record your pain throughout the day so you'll have some data.  There's a rule of thumb around here that any unexplained pain that lasts more than a few weeks should be checked.

    Take care,

    NancyH

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  • CherylinOhio
    CherylinOhio Member Posts: 623
    edited November 2012

    I am hoping this is just some achiness from the tamoxifen. Usually my lower back pain comes and goes and this is a constant, from the time I wake up til I go to bed. It is a dull ache so that scares me. I was just at my oncs office in October for my 3 month and all bloodwork was fine but....  If it does not clear up in the next week or 2 I will have to call the office and see if I can get in. 

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  • Angela-R
    Angela-R Member Posts: 273
    edited November 2012

    Hi Cheryl.

    I can hear the worry in you posts from way over here, but remember it is more likely to be something innocuous. I had an aching lower back last year and thought the worst. I saw my osteopath who gave me a great massage and tracked the pain down to my backside. I had been very tired from chemo, and spent too long in a particular position on the couch. It was muscular contraction, and a bit of massage and stretching did the trick.

    Ultimately, if the worry is getting too much for you, talk to your doctor. You know your body best. I hope you can push through this and enjoy some calm and positive time.

    Cheers,

    Angela

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  • CherylinOhio
    CherylinOhio Member Posts: 623
    edited November 2012

    Hi Angela how are things down under? Ha, love that!!  I have never been over to your area of the world but have seen pics from a friend who went there to vacation and said it was quite lovely.  He showed me pics of very large what appeared to be termite mounds? Yikes.  He took lots of pictures of the signs warning people of the predators all around.  Are you constantly on watch for sharks and snakes and the like?  Hhave you been to the US?  Thanks for the message.  I think I will try to get a massage as we have a wellness center at work and they have a massotherapist.  I am stretching each morning but it is still there and it's a weird pain, like stiff and achy. It almost feels like there is a tag or something rubbing my lower back, kind of a scraping feeling?? IDK hard to describe.

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  • Angela-R
    Angela-R Member Posts: 273
    edited November 2012

    Well Cheryl, by coincidence my 19 year old son is packing at this moment (12.30 at night) to fly to the US tomorrow. Big excitement. A group of mates heading to Austin Texas for the Formula 1 Grand Prix motor race. He is also going to LA, Disneyland, San Francisco then up to Vancouver and a week of skiing at Whistler. Great trip. My husband studied for a month at Harvard. He has also seen a bit of the west coast and I joined him in New York, but I am sorry to say we have not made it further inland.

    Australia is a very varied country too. No termite mounds in my back yard, but I do keep an eye out for red back spiders. Small but deadly. :)

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  • kssunflower
    kssunflower Member Posts: 12
    edited November 2012

    Could you see an orthopedic doctor at a bone and joint clinic and ask for an MRI?

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  • CherylinOhio
    CherylinOhio Member Posts: 623
    edited November 2012

    Hello ladies.  I had a massage yesterday and my back feels better!! Ah the power of a good massotherapist.

    Angela: Sounds like your son has a lot of activities planned!! Hope he has fun. I am on the other side of the country, the cold boring side, in Ohio. I have been to NY but only towards Buffalo, not much of a city girl.  I don't like going downtown akron or cleveland I can only imagine what it must be like in NY. 

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited November 2012

    Cheryl so glad your back is feeling better!!



    Love n hugs. Chrissy

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  • CherylinOhio
    CherylinOhio Member Posts: 623
    edited November 2012

    thanks Chrissy! It does feel much better, I must have been tense.

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  • CherylinOhio
    CherylinOhio Member Posts: 623
    edited December 2012

    Well back to back pain.  So I am thinking about what I have been doing the past several days:  Riding horses (Went from riding western to riding saddle seat on a new horse, lots of up down, up down,) cleaning stalls, staying up late.  This pain is a constant ache in the lower back, no pain if I press on my spine, feels good when I press on the muscle though. Was having neck pain, well it was right below base of my neck but that seems to be gone since I slept good last night.  I swear I feel some twinging near my ribs on left side (right side was bc side).  I just stood up and stretched and poked my ribs, no pain.  I had a bone scan in June or July then an onc appt in October, everything was ok.  How soon would bone mets develop to the point of being felt if they were not showing up on a scan or in my bloodwork?

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  • CherylinOhio
    CherylinOhio Member Posts: 623
    edited December 2012

    Did I read somewhere that a symptom of bone mets is frequent urination? 

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