I keep falling down .....

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CurlyKatFL
CurlyKatFL Member Posts: 68
edited June 2014 in Life After Breast Cancer

So what's up with this? I finished chemo in November 2004 (3 years yayyy) and I was on Tamoxifen for 3 years and now on Femara. I don't know if this has anything to do with this, but since the end of chemo I have fallen for no reason whatsoever 12-15 times, about every 8 weeks. I always fall forward and land on my left knee, which is a mess BTW. Doesn't seem to matter what shoes I am wearing or where I am walking. It has happen inside outside, carpet, tile, concrete. I was never this clumsy before, I was a dancer and a martial artist my balance was great. Hubby is convinced cancer made me a klutz. Has anyone else had issues like this? Is this another chemo brain thing?

Just wondering as I sit here and apply first aid to my hamburger of a left knee.

Kat

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  • snowyday
    snowyday Member Posts: 1,478
    edited December 2007

    I've been a total clutz since chemo especially the last half I was telling my sister I stumble, bump, spill, and burn myself constantly now.  It's scary and when I get behind the wheel I'm ten times more careful and aware now because I'm so nervous that I'll do something stupid. But I sure don't want to stop driving then I'd be really housebound, I couldn't stand that.  Your not the only one I was hoping it would disapear quickly but sounds like it won't.  I just wrote in another post about how Australians do a total body cleanse after chemo and rads and I'm going to look into it. Maybe it will help with this problem.  And get rid of the joint and leg pains, it's worth a shot. Pearl

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  • MtnMama
    MtnMama Member Posts: 133
    edited December 2007

    Hi Kat, have you gotten your eyes checked recently?  I found that chemo affected my vision, and I had to get my glasses prescription changed.  I don't know if that could cause what you are experiencing.

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  • CurlyKatFL
    CurlyKatFL Member Posts: 68
    edited December 2007

    MtnMama

    I have my eyes checked yearly. I got new glasses about 5 months ago. But my prescription had not changed. It did change right after chemo but has been the same for the last 2 years.

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  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited December 2007

    I hate to scare you..but have you told your onc about this? You may need a brain mri to rule out anything serious.

    Just a thought... there is clumsiness (I'm clumsy too since chemo as I've lost a lot of my strength) and there is falling down clumsy which seems to me to be more unusual. I'm no doctor though!

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  • Fireweed
    Fireweed Member Posts: 189
    edited December 2007

    This might not have anything to do with cancer or cancer treatment - but multiple falls are different from being clumsy and should be checked out. Try your primary care provider first, then ask for a referral to a neurologist if nothing shows up. Do this before you get a nasty fracture!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2007

    Getting the brain checked is a good idea, but this could also be a bone/Osteoporosis problem. Start at the head with and MRI and move down to a bone scan and a bone density test.

    Good luck and best wishes!

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  • Member_of_the_Club
    Member_of_the_Club Member Posts: 3,646
    edited December 2007

    I agree with the brain mri but it may also be neuropathy. But also a bone thing makes sense.

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  • mkl48
    mkl48 Member Posts: 350
    edited December 2007

    Did you mean you have had this problem since ending chemo 3 years ago. I f so it would seem more like a neurological issue than brain mets. Beth

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  • LuAnnH
    LuAnnH Member Posts: 8,847
    edited December 2007

    Reading your posts reminded me of myself a few years back.  I don't know what was wrong or why it happened, but I spent about 4 months where I was constantly falling.  Really messed my knee up that summer.  It was about 3 years after chemo was complete.  I never brought mine up to the oncologist, just put it off as me being a klutz.  I would tell the onc to be on the safe side, but there are other reasons for falling.  Inner ear infections, vertigo, eye problems and I sure the list could be longer.  Best to eliminate the worst reason.  Also, since your eyes were recently checked, you might ask them to double check your rx of the glasses.  Humans put the glasses together and can make mistakes.  Someone may have put the wrong strength lense in your glasses and it is throughing you off.

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  • JoanofArdmore
    JoanofArdmore Member Posts: 1,012
    edited December 2007

    Kat, I was on femara for almost 4 years.There is an SE listed on the insert, AND on your bottle of Femara (my pharmacist stuck one on mine).

    Dizziness.

    The femara made me so dizzy that I fell if I changed the position of my head, eyes.

    When it manifested, my onc gave me a drug vacation to make sure it was the femera.

    It was.

    I think if you fell because you got dizzy, you would have said so.But it starts insideously.You might not have noticed.Please check for  the start of dizziness, or positional vertigo(which is what I have).

    I have also fallen (almost) when I go to stand up from sitting and one of my knees "isnt ready yet".I've grabbed the doorjamb each time, so far..

    Being a chemo/AI bc survivor can be risky business!

    Good luck to you!

    Joan

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  • CurlyKatFL
    CurlyKatFL Member Posts: 68
    edited December 2007

     Just for an update. I had a bone scan because of hormone therapy recently (2 months ago)   and that was fine. I have not had any issues with dizziness and I usually fall when I have been walking, walking into the kitchen or walking across the parking lot etc. It is almost as if my left leg just goes away and next thing I know I am on my left knee. I have an appointment with my onc next week. I am having a follow up on some lymphadema issues and He and I are at odds because I am convinced that Zoladex shots are raising my blood pressure and he is convinced it is something else. He made me go through a bunch of blood work (also 2 months ago) from blood sugar, cholesterol, hormone levels, liver function etc which all came back fine. BTW my blood pressure going up is a recent change. I started falling down long before that. Anyway I will mention the falling down to him next week.

    Wow as I re-read this post I realize the wide variety of crap we all have to deal with. Thank you sisters it is comforting to know there are wonderful people out there who understand.

    Kat

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  • saluki
    saluki Member Posts: 2,287
    edited December 2007

    Kat- You mention you had a bone scan because of hormonal issues.

    Was it a bone scan or a Dexa scan?---They are two very different things.

    Chances are since you had what sounds like a complete metabolic panel

    recently, nothing is amiss, but if what you had as a dexa--you may want a bone scan.  Or some ex-rays or CT of the knee---maybe you just have an unstable knee joint?  Could have something to do with the previous injuries even osteo-arthritis can cause instability  ----Many possible reasons.

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