Hi all, I have been living with stage 4 anal cancer, 2 tumours on my liver, nodules in my lungs and now my right shoulder plus variously lymph nodes for 2 years now and have had 2x6 months of chemo, 2 weeks of radiotherapy and have started immunotherapy
I’m now suffering from what my oncologist thinks is liver capsule pain in my left shoulder. I consider myself to me quite tough, but this is total agony. I’ve just started steroids.
Has anyone else suffered please? I’m taking oramorph, paracetamol and ibuprofen but still really struggling
Any ideas please?
Thank you
Hello Oakwood51
I am so sorry to hear this and that the pain relief you have been given isn't helping. I had to look up what your oncologist told you, and this can be caused by the liver stimulating the nerves below the diaphragm leading to referred pain in the shoulder. After stoma surgery I had this pain too, and the surgeon explained that filling me with air to carry out the op also affected the nerves below the diaphragm. The pain was far far worse than any of the other pain I had as a result of the surgery and I was on the same medication mix as you and they had to up the morphine.
I tell you this not to make your post about me but to send you my utmost sympathy having experienced this pain too. In your place I would get in touch with your team and stress to them how bad this is for you; I think they urgently need to review your pain medication to get you to a more comfortable place.
Please let us know how you get on.
Gentle hug
Irene xxx
Thank you Irene. Were you on steroids too? Did the pain go eventually?
Lesley x
Hello Oakwood51
I honestly don't know if steroids were in the cocktail of drugs that I had - maybe not, the surgery was (I am told) straightforward stoma formation. The pain did go eventually when the gas dispersed.
Your situation is somewhat different, please do chase your team.
Irene xx
Ok thank you. I’ll speak with them on Monday
Lesley x
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