Shoulder Pain while Responding to Chemo

[raneyf]

Hi Everyone,

I have a question about a shoulder pain I'm having. It began 2 months ago and has not gotten any worse. I've had a CT since the pain began - The CT showed my thorax clear except for my primary, which is smaller than when chemo started. I talked to my doctor about it, and we decided to wait and see how it does. I should be having a PET in 4 weeks.

The shoulder that hurts is the same side as my primary. It doesn't hurt at rest, doesn't wake me up from pain, doesn't really feel like my bone mets felt. It hurts to raise my arm, and it hurts to lay on that shoulder initially, then it will feel like it stretches and it's o.k. I don't need painkillers for it. The pain when it does hurt is on the top and front of my shoulder. The only theory I've got other than cancer is that I carry the baby with that arm only, because my port is on the other side. Or maybe Avastin joint pain, that some people report having?

Does anyone else have any ideas?

I appreciate your help,

Raney

[recce101]

Raney, you know it's funny, I've got something very similar. Right upper arm, same side as tumor, chest wall mets, and hydropneumothorax (though port is on the left). It feels like a pulled muscle, and if it weren't for this cancer thing, I'd "know" that's what it was.

I don't think it's bone pain, though I'm not actually sure what bone pain feels like. I guess bone pain is something like I had a day or two after my first couple of Neulasta injections, and this is different, not as deep. It hurts only when I move the arm into certain positions, mainly during exercise routines. I modified my routine to work up to where the pain just starts and then back off. After a few days of that I'm able to move further into the region that was hurting the most, another reason I'm pretty sure it's muscle pain.

I've certainly had my share of pulled muscles and sprains over the years, and it's minor compared with some of those, and it's really odd I'd think it might be something else. But since a diagnosis of late stage lung cancer came as such a shock to many of us (with few if any symptoms), we're understandably attentive to the slightest little thing. A casual observer would undoubtedly label many of us hypochondriacs of the first order!!

Aloha,

Ned

[chloesmom]

I had that very same thing shortly after my diagnosis and surgery. Of course it scared me half out of my wits, but it turned out to be bursitis. I had a bad habit of sleeping on my stomach with that arm stretched out above my head while I was laying on that shoulder (if you can picture that ) and that can cause bursitis.

It cleared up over time and especially when I trained myself not to sleep that way anymore.

For me it was a very painful, stinging feeling, on the top and at the tip of my shoulder.

Cindy

[Welthy]

Okay, this is spooky. Tony has been having the same type of shoulder pain over the last three weeks. Top and front of shoulder with a little running down his arm. Only when he moves a certain way. His is not on the side of his surgery, but he had a lot of cancer in both lungs. When last scanned, his right lung is showing less cancer then his left, but the pain is in his right shoulder.

Ran it past the oncologist on our last visit. He's not worried as the pain comes and goes. Tony did have two bone mets before, so any weird pain that shows up we automatically go into uh-oh cancer mode.

It's really sad how we all have to think now.

Gosh I hate this *(&%$^*())^$ cancer!!!

Welthy

[Heather_T]

It is funny that you posted this. My shoulder blade aches I guess you would say. It is the same area as when I found out I had LC. It does not feel the same as when it was the tumor that I think was sitting on a nerve but almost like a muscle ache. Everything seems to have shrunken up. I have mentioned it to my onc. and he was not sure. I think it might be from the radiation. I don't know. I am glad you asked this question because I have been wanting to. It is probably from the baby. haha

[recce101]

Amazing. It must be that quantum reality thing again -- we're all connected!

Aloha,

Ned

[TracyD]

I'm going to junp in and join this club. For months I've been complaining about a shoulder and side ache which is on my right side, right where the cancer is. I tell people it feels like I've pulled a muscle. When I stretch out on my right side iot is a bit tender until I stretch out, then it's fine.

When my doc asks me to rate any pain I'm having I say zero, because it's not pain. I've told him about this ache but so far there seems to be no explanation as my cancer has shrunk and has been relatively stable now for six months.

What's going on?????

Tracy

[Liz13]

Me too!!! But then, I ache all over now. My hips are bad and both my shoulders. I think it's a combination of a lot of things.

Surgery - Chances are they removed, or moved a rib or two, which would effect both the back and front of chest. Cutting through muscle and nerves can't be good. And then over componsating causes the other side to try to pick up the slack, so to speak.

Radiation - Who knows what that has done to our muscles, nerves, bones, ligamentes, etc. in there.

Less active - I know even though I'm back to work and doing everything I use to, my activeity level has definitely dropped. I can still do, I just don't do as much. I'm sure that's the problem with my hips. I don't walk nearly as much as I use to.

I asked Dr. West about this and he said that bone mets "probably" would be located on a bone as opposed to in a joint. That the pain would be constant and get worst over time. That the pain would not go away with asprin like pain releivers.

I know mine comes and goes. It feels better after rubbing or streching. And I'm getting old.(er)

Hope everyone's muscles are felling better today.

Hugs, Liz

[sharonjo]

This is really weird. I have had pain in the front of my left shoulder. This is also the side my cancer is on. It comes and goes. It occurs not from movement, but when I am sitting or lying still. It is extremely painful when it occurrs, but the pain only lasts for about 30 min. I asked my onc about it, and I had a bone scan that showed some activity in my right shoulder that may or may not be cancer. My right shoulder does not hurt - ever. Still don't know what this is.

Sharon

[Welthy]

I asked Dr. West about this and he said that bone mets "probably" would be located on a bone as opposed to in a joint. That the pain would be constant and get worst over time. That the pain would not go away with asprin like pain releivers.

Good to have that reinforced -- kinda what our onc told us too.

We are now definitely in the "Shoulder Twilight Zone"!

Yesterday Tony woke up with severe pain in his left shoulder this time. One of those "you can't turn your head" pains, running from the side of the neck down along the shoulder blade. This is the side where his cancer is on this time. (The last one did happen to be on the side where he had the scapula met that is supposedly gone.)

Seems better today -- so who the hell knows...

(((Hi Sharonjo!))

Welthy

[myrnalu]

I too have shoulder pain same side as tumor.Really painful at times but comes and goes.Had xrays,Nothing showed up.Dr says bursitis or arthritis.Wonder if cancer causes that too?

[Judy-OK]

I worried and fretted and even had an extra PET scan because of shoulder/axillary pain on the tumor side. I guess my oncologist and I have decided that it must be caused by radiation scarring on the inside because nothing else shows up. We are all related aren't we???

[ursol]

Raney,

I'm glad you asked this question..I was just discussing this with my oncologist today. Before diagnosis for about three months I had this same type of shoulder pain on the same side as my primary tumor (right side). Felt like a muscle and seemed to be worst when I was under alot of stress, so I thought it was stress until I was diagnosed with the cancer. The pain disappeared after treatment but now it is back but on my left shoulder. My scans don't show anything on the left lung so I don't get it. The oncologist did not have a reason for this pain. There is just soo much they still do not know unfortunately.

Lilly

[wendyr]

BUMP:

Hi All: We read with interest all the posts concerning shoulder pain. Maurice also had it & it was progressively getting worse. He has arthritis but because he's on Avastin he cannot take NSAIDS including Celebrex. Anyway last week his range of motion was almost non existent in his left shoulder and greatly reduced in his right shoulder. An arthritis doc did xrays and found severe arthritis in the left and bursitis plus arthritis in the right. Long story short, a shot of cortisone in each shoulder & he is now virtually pain free. I think some chemo's including Avastin can kick up existing arthritis pain and although we always tend to think the worst. Sometimes it's not cancer related and can be successfully treated. Good luck to all.

wendyr

[recce101]

"wendyr" ...I think some chemo's including Avastin can kick up existing arthritis pain...

I was starting to come to a similar conclusion, although I've never read that anywhere. Many people my age (and much younger) have arthritis and bursitis problems, and from their description it sounds much like what I've been experiencing the last 3 or 4 months. I know Avastin greatly retards healing -- you don't have to look further than my arms to see that. I also know that all sorts of other irritations -- inadvertently biting a lip, burning the mouth with hot pizza cheese, etc., etc. -- take a lot longer to resolve. So any type of muscle or joint repair which depends on the formation of new tissue must be affected as well. Since that's how Avastin attacks the cancer, few complaints are coming from this corner, but I will keep the cortisone in mind in case things suddenly get a lot worse!

Aloha,

Ned

[RandyW]

WendyR and I were discussing this Tuesday nite in chat. Seems her hubby had so much painin shoulder he could barely move his arm. SAME SYMPTOMS. Deb used to have the same problem as discussed here.

CORTISONE SHOTS DO HELP!!!

WE know this from experience. Now just trying to figure out how calcium in the bones is involved in Cancer. What is the connection?? We know from this post theat there is a connection because we all have same symptoms and problems.

[Judy-OK]

I had my PET scan a week ago tomorrow and then met with my Oncologist on Monday. Tumor stable. So I quizzed her about pain that has been there for a long time now right where the radiation was done. She asked what I was taking for pain and I told her Oxycodone but not on a regular basis just so I can sleep. She said that she had something better for the type of pain I was having. Then I asked her if the pain in my shoulders was just caused by arthritis and she said that the radiologist had made not of both shoulder in his report. The good new was it was NOT cancer and the bad news was it was also damage caused by residual radiation. She wrote me a prescription for Neurontin which I started Monday evening. She also said it could take six to eight weeks before I noticed the full effect. I hope it does kick the pain and will let others know if it works.

[close to the edge]

i to have had/have the same problem

i to went thru all the worrys that all of you are

after many tests and visits to the ortropedist (SP)

it was

bursitis with frozen shoulder

bursitis causes the pain and the frozen shoulder takes away your range of motion

it can be extreamly painful

especialy if you move a certain way

like lifting your arm straigt out from your side

dont cheat and move the arm forward

or put your arm up the center of your back like you have an itch around your bra strap sorry fellas that s the only way i can describe the area that you all probably cant reach!!!!

my ortho wanted to do surgery

i went to my chiropractor and he also does joint manipulation i think that is what you call it

he hurt me but i regained my range of motion and i never had the surgery

the idea is not to rest the arm and

continue streatching to keep the range of motion

i will need to do the excercises for the rest of my life but it beats surgery

the physical therapist DID NOT HELP ME

even after 3 months with the pt i was still advised to have surgery

there is a device like a sheaperd hook that can do preasure points this feels so good to releave the spastic muscles

alternating heat and cold also help

i know my spelling is bad but i think you get the point

[recce101]

"close to the edge" ...bursitis causes the pain and the frozen shoulder takes away your range of motion...it can be extremely painful especially if you move a certain way like lifting your arm straight out from your side...don't cheat and move the arm forward...or put your arm up the center of your back like you have an itch around your bra strap...

Great description -- that's exactly it!

One thing I've never quite figured out is what muscle or joint pain is trying to tell us. Sometimes it's supposedly a signal to stop doing what you're doing, let it rest and heal, otherwise you'll make it worse. Then other times we're told to just work through it, otherwise it will freeze up and get worse. How do you tell the difference? To me the pain is not the issue, just the concern that I'm causing further damage.

Aloha,

Ned

[twodogs]

I think these pains are very common and may actually predict lung problems. I spent over a year before my diagnosis trying to get pain relief for these complaints. Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, bursitis, arthritis and every other symptom mentioned.

I have noticed and commented several times that these pains may be one of the major clues that we have lung complications but they go undetected. Too many spinal, sports, neurology and other specialists looking for their favorite ailments and not anywhere near the depth needed to find the real causes. One suggested I should undergo neck surgery and another said it was a torn rotator cuff and I needed surgery for that.

When I finally developed SVC I was convinced it was a reaction from the Aleve I'd been taking for my back/neck pain and even convinced one doctor I needed a steroid shot and got it. That was two days before I went into radiation treatment for SCLC which an ER doctor detected when I went in for another pill or injection. Early on during Chemo and radiation I had absolutely terrible bursitis and the shoulder "pointer" pain.

I did notice that later on in my Radiation and Chemo treatment I didn't have near the back/neck pain and I hardly have any nowadays.

Not much of a story here and mixed up at best but I share it with anyone who has been experiencing the same symptoms without getting any relief. Keep looking until you find the answer.