- Yy
Hello Kindofblue,
Welcome to the Macmillan Online Community Ask an Expert forum. I’m one of the information nurses here. I’m sorry that it’s taken a while for us to reply to this.
You have mentioned having aching legs at night but didn’t write anything else – we weren’t sure if you sent it by accident before you’d had a chance to write more perhaps?
In the instance of new or worsening symptoms of any kind, we would always advise you to speak to your own doctor as soon as you can to have these assessed properly. There may be many reasons for aching legs at night. Sometimes this is a health issue and sometimes it can be a side effect of certain treatments. It’s important a doctor examines you and talks through your medical history to make the best judgement on what might be causing this for you. Hopefully that could lead to supportive interventions that may make things more comfortable for you.
We’d be glad to have a chat with you here, or on our other platforms – webchat or phone if that’s any easier. Please don’t hesitate to get back in touch. I wish you the best when you see your doctor.
Kind regards,
Kirstine – Macmillan
Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. Ref KDf/ AT
Hi Kindofblue,
Thanks for getting back in touch. My name is Eileen and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.
I’m sorry to hear about the leg pain you’re experiencing. It must be difficult to cope with particularly as the co-codamol you are taking isn’t providing relief.
It’s important to know what the underlying cause of your pain is and the type of pain you are experiencing to best manage it.
When anyone presents with leg pain medical staff need to rule out causes such as deep vein thrombosis. Pain due to this condition would usually be in one limb and commonly in the calf area of the leg. If you are experiencing symptoms that could be due to a blood clot, It is important to tell your doctor or nurse straight away. If you cannot speak to a doctor, call 999 for an ambulance or go to A&E.
Your pain may be due to your anti-cancer drugs or the Filgrastim you’re receiving. We know people having Filgrastim can develop bone pain or muscle aches. There are ways that may help you to cope with pain alongside having adequate analgesia.
If it is the Filgrastim that’s causing your symptoms, try to avoid sitting for long periods as this may make the pain worse. Gentle exercise or taking regular short walks may help. Other techniques which may help include having a soak with bath salts e.g., Radox Muscle Soak which can help relieve the pain. Some people report that heat packs provide some comfort and relief.
As co-codamol is not controlling your pain we would suggest talking to your Clinical Nurse Specialist or Consultant at the hospital about this. They can assess your pain and they may prescribe different analgesia. If your peripheral neuropathy does not improve with the B6 you are taking, please make your treatment team aware.
I do hope this information was helpful but please know that you can always give us a call to talk things through further.
Take care and best wishes,
Eileen, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
Ref:EM/PW
