Seeking Insights on Symptoms: Could They Be Mets or Not?

 Hi everyone,

 I’m reaching out to see if anyone has experienced similar symptoms that either  were a sign of metastatic disease  or  turned out not to be mets . I’m trying to make sense of some recent developments and would deeply appreciate any insights from those who’ve been in similar situations.

 My Background:

I am now age 62 - Breast cancer diagnosis  3 years ago , ER8/PR6 Her2-negative 4mm tumour with lymph node invasion.

- Treated with  lumpectomies ,  axilla dissection ,  chemotherapy , and  radiation .

- Currently on  Letrozole , and have had three  Zometa infusions  to reduce recurrence risk over the last 18 months

- I have a history of  autoimmune diseases  (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, reactive arthritis) and tend to show  negative markers  for most conditions, except high thyroid antibodies in the past. Possible Mast cell activation syndrome for many years before BC diagnosis.
I have had adverse reactions to several medications including pancreatitis after first chemo tx and grastofil reaction. Then a bad reaction to first tx with paclitaxel.

Lymphedema which developed with Amlodapine which got much better after I stopped that.
History

Recent Symptoms:

Bad reaction to my third zoledronic acid IV 12 weeks ago - dry metallic mouth for three weeks and the onset of the muscles spasms. headaches which I’ve never had before.

Severe back pain and muscle spasm near my T7 about four weeks ago which is now almost resolved.

- New  left-sided severe rib pain six days ago.. now about 50% better - near the area of prior axilla surgery and lumpectomies. It feels like inflammation in the rib lining (possibly costochondritis?) and worsens with arm movement.

-  Acute roaming myalgias  (muscle pains) that come and go.

- Persistent  stiff neck  and  headaches , now less acute but still present.

-  Back pain  (spine, T7 area which showed a possible worsening compression fracture but no bone mets seen at the time) that has significantly improved recently.

 Up until recently - my bloodwork has been quite normal for me.

Recent Abnormal Bloodwork:

- Elevated  calcium (2.62)  with normal thyroid labs.

- Elevated  hemoglobin ,  hematocrit , and  neutrophils .

-  WBC near the upper limit  (9).

- History of a small  incidental adrenal tumor found with CT scan at time of BC dx that wasn’t secreting hormones at the time.

  Questions for the Community:

- Have you experienced symptoms like these (rib pain, transient myalgias, elevated calcium, etc.)?

- Did they turn out to be related to  mets ,  autoimmune flares , or something else entirely?

- What steps did you take for diagnosis or management that you found helpful?

I’m awaiting further imaging (a contrast CT scan) and a biopsy for a  1 cm breast mass  recently found on mammogram. Recent DEXA scan of bone density was normal. I’m feeling hopeful as some symptoms have improved, but I’d love to hear others’ experiences navigating similar uncertainties. If I just had the 1 cm mass I would feel better as the last one I had like that two years ago was negative for cancer.. This breast has a great deal of scar tissue and cysts from infections from the lumpectomies. 

Thank you so much in advance for sharing your stories or suggestions. Wishing everyone here strength and good health! Torlia.