I have had pain in muscles and nerves which persists 6 months after the end of treatment. A scan showed no sign of secondary cancer. I have tried NHS Physio exercises, private osteopath, massage, but the pain and irritation persist. Sitting is painful after about 20 minutes. I can walk ok but not stand still for any length of time without back ache. Has anyone else experienced this - I am very depressed by it all and not sure how to proceed.
Dear ShanLan,
Thank you for getting in touch with us. I’m Alison one of the cancer information nurses who works on the support line here at Macmillan.
It’s great to hear that your recent scans have shown no sign of secondary cancer, although that relief must be overshadowed a little by the pain and discomfort you’re having.
I can see from your profile that you joined the Womb cancer forum, so I’ll assume that this is where your primary cancer is. You’ve not mentioned what treatment you’ve had, though many of the chemotherapy drugs used for womb cancer can cause peripheral neuropathy which your symptoms seem to indicate.
It sounds like you’ve done well trying various methods to manage these symptoms, and I’m sorry to hear that you’re still struggling. Peripheral neuropathy usually gets better once treatment has finished, but it can take a little longer for some people. It might be worth discussing with your GP about nerve-based pain medication like Gabapentin or Pregabalin. This type of medication can make the pain and discomfort more manageable, which in turn, can allow other treatments such as physiotherapy to work better.
It’s important not to struggle on with this. Your specialist team and GP should be able to support you. If something isn’t working or your symptoms are getting worse, don’t be afraid to go back for more help. If you’re feeling low, your GP should help with this as well.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you’d like to talk things through in more detail. You might find the life after cancer forum helpful as seeing others experiences and how they’ve coped can also be an invaluable form of support.
Best wishes
Alison P
Cancer Information Nurse
