Pain in the arm cancer side

Flo80
Flo80 Member Posts: 349
edited June 2020 in Pain

Hi friends I had modified radical mastectomy in November and finished radiation in February. I am taking hormonal treatment and herceptin and perjeta. I am having a lot of pain my shoulder and then in the arms and hands. It’s hard to lift my arm as well. I had a clear bone scan in January and this pain makes me scared

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  • Vix1970
    Vix1970 Member Posts: 12
    edited May 2020

    I have a similar issue. Increasing loss of movement and strength in arm, strange sensations, numbness, little finger pulling into palm horrific pain in my upper arm and sling inside of whole arm at times and s constant amount of pain that co-codamil, paracetamol and naproxen do not touch. Pain and tightness across collar bone area and under arm and chest too now

    Was sent for x-rays yesterday they took arm chest and shoulder ones. I'm really worried something nasty going on in there

    I’m nearly 4 years out too thought it would be easier now

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  • Sunshine99
    Sunshine99 Member Posts: 1,680
    edited May 2020

    Vix and Flo, I'm so sorry you're both in pain. It can make you crazy with worry. Flo, have you talked to your MO about the pain? Vix, I'm hoping it is something they can treat, maybe with PT or something to reduce the pain.

    Wishing both a restful weekend and that your pain subsides.

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  • Flo80
    Flo80 Member Posts: 349
    edited May 2020

    Hi Vix I am sorry you are going through this too. I can totally understand and I think you should also ask whether Hormonal treatment can cause this too. Hope it gets better for us. It drives me insane

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  • Flo80
    Flo80 Member Posts: 349
    edited May 2020

    Thank you Sunshine I did and waiting for the nurse go call me back. I see my surgery side swollen and guessing that I have a lymphedema . Have to see a specialist

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  • Flo80
    Flo80 Member Posts: 349
    edited May 2020

    Hi Vix hope it gets better for you soon. I will ask for a scan too

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  • Flo80
    Flo80 Member Posts: 349
    edited May 2020

    Hi Vix did you hear back from the doctor. I still have pain

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  • maryna8
    maryna8 Member Posts: 1,810
    edited May 2020

    hi Flo. I had chemo in 2014, and developed peripheral neuropathy. Also suffered rotator cuff tear during chemo, on cancer side, which I didn't know till 6 months later. I had lots of pain, especially after chemo when I tried to get back to normal. I have since had surgery on shoulder but still have some pain down whole arm when I overexert. And still have neuropathy.

    I looked for answers after chemo, my GP told me it's fairly common to have some pain during and after chemo ends, not for everybody but I definitely did. It is possible there is an injury of some kind underlying your pain, I do hope you can find some way to feel better while you are going thru treatment.

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  • Flo80
    Flo80 Member Posts: 349
    edited May 2020

    Thank you so much for sharing

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  • Ladyofthelake
    Ladyofthelake Member Posts: 45
    edited June 2020

    Hi there. I'm also experiencing some pain in my right humerus area, same side as the cancer. I'm 18 months post a double mastectomy. It started off back in Feb as a vague ache, like I'd been to the gym (I hadn't). I only feel it with certain movements, it's like putting too much stress on the bone kind of feeling. Now during the night when I lay on my side I feel a deep ache in the same spot too. I'm trying not to overthink things, which is really hard! I've already had too many tests this year for other issues and have a colonoscopy coming up next month, so I'm not ready to mention this to my PCP or MO and face more tests yet. So I've decided to try some gentle shoulder and arm exercises to see if that can ease it. It could also be the Tamoxifen I'm taking, as apparently bone pain can be a side effect for that?


    How are you all doing with your pain now?

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  • MBPooch
    MBPooch Member Posts: 229
    edited June 2020

    Ladyofthelake - Same here. Have an appt tomorrow to check on things. Having pain along outside edge of implant that I can feel in my armpit, arm and around the side of my back on the cancer side. Wearing a bra the last 4 days has become impossible and nothing is relieving it. Having only had DCIS I'm hopeful there's an easy explanation but your mind definitely goes to worse case scenario.

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  • 2019whatayear
    2019whatayear Member Posts: 767
    edited June 2020

    @Flo80 have you gotten any relief yet? It sounds to me like your pain could very well be related to just being post radiation and surgery I know I have arm soreness if I don't wear my compression sleeve and tightness on that side if I don't do gentle stretching daily.

    Hope you have some resolution to your pain and worries!

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited June 2020

    Flo - have you been to see a certified, trained Lymphadema PT yet? Sounds like several of your symptoms relate to that. It can be breast & truncal and not just arm. Many docs aren't experts in this. My RO is the one who caught mine when other docs said pooh-pooh. Below is a link to give you more information,

    https://www.stepup-speakout.org/


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  • Flo80
    Flo80 Member Posts: 349
    edited June 2020

    Hi Minus Two I haven’t been able to go to see my MO yet. Because of the covid my last appointment was via a telephone. Another doctor from the oncology team saw me and thought it’s mild swelling. Today hopefully saw my hand is quite swollen. Will call my oncologist tomorrow and seek a therapist in that everything Is opening again. Thank you so much for the link and will go through it. Thank you as always for your help

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  • Flo80
    Flo80 Member Posts: 349
    edited June 2020

    Hi 2019whatyear. Thank you so much. I guess you are right. Got so busy back to work snc did not pay much attention to this. My I do have tightness and swelling in my scancer side. At timed feel like something flowing in my surgery side and pain. My hand is swollen and I need to see a therapist soon

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  • Flo80
    Flo80 Member Posts: 349
    edited June 2020

    Hi Marynay8 I am so sorry you had to go through this. I do have pain from neuropathy and hormonal therapy as well. Now the stiffness and swelling in the cancer side. I need to see a specialist soon. Thank you so much once again

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  • Flo80
    Flo80 Member Posts: 349
    edited June 2020

    Hi MB hope your appointment went well. I have so many issues but I need to see a specialist soon

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  • Flo80
    Flo80 Member Posts: 349
    edited June 2020

    Hi Ladyofthelak hope everything goes well for you. Will have you in my prayers and thoughts. I need to see a therapist soon. I have so many aches and pains that I don’t know what all to mention to my oncologist. Hope we all get back to our normal life soon

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