Aching hips.

Hi  Mecca this is a very common problem post pelvic radiotherapy. After treatment my legs were very stiff, when standing and beginning to walk I would walk very slowly due to the stiffness then after a short time of walking I would loosen up a bit. This has improved but I have noticed that I have stiff legs when getting up in a morning. Also, I have hip pain and sciatica on both sides on/off but a pelvic MRI scan 4 months ago revealed no cause for this and no hairline fractures which can be caused by the radiotherapy. As I was told the treatment would plunge me into menopause,  I’m wondering whether this is the cause of my issues due to lack of estrogen. Friends of mine going through the menopause report stiffness and hip pain. I had a second pelvic MRI scan six months post treatment so if you will be having one then too you can ask your Oncologist if the scan shows up any area of damage to the pelvic bones. Bev x

Thank you for your reply 1 in 1500. It's not nice to know others suffer from the same thing but reassuring that it's quite common. I'll be seeing the surgeon on the 21st of this month so I'll mention it to him. I've just turned 60 and never had any menopause problems until now. I'm having hot flushes and night sweats. I was quite late in starting the menopause 56. I know what you mean about walking, I feel like I'm trudging through treacle Xxx Marie 

Hi Mecca sometimes I feel about 103 years old! Yes that seems quite late to start menopause. I have hot flushes too and a few night sweats, luckily they’re not too bad but I think that’s because a side effect of the antidepressants I’m on helps with hot flushes, I only found out a week ago this was the case. Some of my friends suffer really badly with them.  I’ve been toying with the idea of HRT to see if that helps with the aching which has also spread now to my shoulders but need to do research into HRT to check the benefits/risks. Bev x

I've thought about HRT but my youngest sister who suffers terribly with the menopause was told by her Doctor that she couldn't have HRT because one of my other sisters has had breast cancer! I have a friend who takes St Johns Wort and it's helped her a great deal but I take epilepsy medication and so not allowed to take that. I guess I'll just see how it goes and for now but I'll definitely mention it to the surgeon. I'm sorry that you are suffering so much. Xxx Marie 

Hi Mecca to be honest I’m not doing too badly  at all it sounds worse than it is although I have days where all my joints ache in my body but it’s not all the time. Not had the sciatica for a whole month now, I can swim and  cycle and haven’t ended up with side effects like a friend of mine who had chemo for another type of cancer. She’s ended up with neuropathy in the ends of her fingers and keeps dropping things. Another friend can’t have HRT either as she had breast cancer at 40 & it was hormone driven. I may be wrong but maybe if the breast cancer is not hormone driven, women with a family history of breast cancer can still have it. I’ve also hear some types HRT can cause periods to return and I couldn’t be doing with that!!  Xx

I'm glad it sounds worse than it is and I'm blinking jealous that you're able to cycle.. only joking I'm really happy for you. I was an avid mountain biking lass until my bum invited a friend to stay over! Maybe my sisters Doctor is not fully 'up' on the subject and erring on the side of caution. I know from my sister (survivor) and a close friend who sadly passed away from breast cancer just as I started my treatment how much different the chemotherapy for various cancers effects the body. I was told by a nurse prior to mine that as weird as it sounds it was one of the most easier to cope with and the Radiotherapy was one of the hardest. I'm definitely going to be looking into and asking about these things. Thank you for being so helpful xxx Marie 

Hi Marie (Mecca), 

Unfortunately as Bev has said this is a really common issue following our treatment. Like Bev my oncologist checked my scans for fractures etc., & found nothing of concern just some general wear & tear (hips) which is early stage osteoarthritis that was diagnosed prior to my cancer diagnosis. I’m much better when I’m on the move with my hips but then have to be careful of overdoing things else I pay for it the following day! I’m seated mostly at work & find I have to stand for a couple of minutes before I need to move else I’m hobbling off like a 100 year old! I do wonder how much of this is joint related & how much is muscular, the radiotherapy causes stenosis to our pelvic muscles & I think there’s an essence of this too in my groin/upper thigh muscles, I’m definitely not as flexible as I was but can this also be put down to general ageing?? I’m doing all that I can holistically to support my joints/bones, I’m taking a good quality multivitamin, high grade fish oil, collagen supplement & vitamin D3 with K2. As Bev has already advised I would ask your oncologist/surgeon to check you most recent scans for any damage then at least you can rule out any fractures etc. As for the menopause I’d had symptoms for some years prior to my diagnosis but the radiotherapy put paid to them all & I've had hardly any flushes etc., since!

Nicola 

All of the above me too. I also think possible menopause aches and I’m three months post treatment

• Hi Dougalandpoppy it’s great isn’t it, side effects from the treatment and the menopause too plus not knowing quite what symptoms are caused by both things. I’m reluctant to plunge into HRT without knowing all the risks, there’s so much info to wade through and I need to make an informed decision. Bev 

Oh my goodness, the amount of 'stuff' we have to cope with... I've been trying to do a lot more this week and it's feeling as I would expect in my 80s and not the 80s. My hips and front of the top of my legs are so stiff and painful. Before all this malarkey I was a proper 'bendy Wendy' Haha. Having said that I feel lucky when I think about how how it was and how it is now xxxx Marie