Re: Lupron and severe joint pain
From: drjsc (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu Aug 30 06:04:27 2007
I'm trying to find out how many people there are out there who are
having slow and insidious medical problems attributable to nothing more
than an inflamed or perforated appendix. From what I've read here, many
of your members are having some of the same slowly progressing insidious
problems that I had, which in my case, were dismissed as common or
normal due to aging, weight gain, et cetera.
The following chronology is of unknown duration; but extends back at
least 10 years!
>From whenever the beginning was:
high blood pressure
high heart rate
weight gain
diarrhea
unable to kneel
back pain
hip pain
shoulder pain
all major joints pain
can't lay on one side very long
can't get out of bed normally
now I'm on 4 different types of medication.....
and finally:
ate a big salad
major abdominal cramping for 36 hours
just stayed in bed to wait for it to pass through the bowels
finally knew I was in trouble and took a naproxen... so I could move!
pain immediately localized to the area of the appendix
uh-oh!
went to ER
CT scan consistent with ruptured appendix
had emergency laporotomy on "really bad perforated appendix"
6 days in hospital
Damn my luck!
However, within one week out of the hospital, I was astonished to notice
that my mobility had drastically improved and my joints did not ache as
much as they had ....for several years!
It has been 3 months now since the surgery.
My blood pressure and heart rate are almost down to normal. My weight
is down from 185 to 157, or normal for my 5'7" and the range of motion
and the degree of limberness I have in my body makes me feel like I'm
about 15 instead of 64!
It is a simple thing to palpitate the lower right abdomen for areas of
tenderness or pain - yet no doctor had never done that to me, including
myself. I suspect that if I had done that, I would have felt pain and
realized that something was wrong in there. I had no apparent symptoms
or any pain that would cause one to think that there was an abdominal
problem.
[The appendix can also, infrequently, be located on your left side.]
The kind of simple problem that I had apparently completely whacks out
your body chemistry and causes the immune system to do some strange
things to the more innocent parts of your body.
Test yourself for this, or have someone else do it!
drjsc@myway.com
At Wed, 19 May 2004, Karen wrote:
>
>Sayea, I'm so sorry to hear that you are feeling so badly. I totally
>understand. Did you have any of these symptoms before the Lupron? I ask
>because I have many of the same symptons and I have not been on Lupron.
>My PCP suggested that I may have fibormyalgia, has this been discussed
>with you? There is also a blood test (RA factor) that can determine if
>you have Rhematoid Arthritis. I just had it done, I don't ahve the
>results yet and I have been referred to a Rheumatologist. I hope this
>helps, if only to know that you are not alone!
>
>--
>Karen
>
>t Wed, 19 May 2004, Sayea wrote:
>>
>>Hi there,
>>
>>I have just completed a 3 month course of Lupron therapy for
>>endometriosis and fibroids. I opted to quit taking Lupron because of
>>some rather distessing joint pain that began about a month into my
>>injections and continues to this day. I have generalized pain in most
>>all of my joints, but especially in my fingers, wrists, knees, and hips.
>>I'm 33 and I feel like a very old woman. My hips hurt every time I get
>>up, and I can't make a closed fist anymore. Basically, all my joints
>>hurt. I can see from previous postings that others have had this
>>problem. Is there anyone whose had this problem and overcome it? Please
>>write if you have any suggestions or help to offer. Thanks, Sayea
>>
>>At Thu, 24 Jul 2003, Melissa wrote:
>>>
>>>Shellea,
>>>
>>>Thank you so much for responding. If it's okay, can I ask you a couple
>>>questions? With the joint pain, did it start all at once or slowly (like
>>>over the period of a couple weeks)? What joints did it affect? Could you
>>>move them or were they stiff? Were you on addback during the Lupron
>>>stint? I've been on estrodial 1mg, now upped to 2mgs. Did your joints
>>>pop and crack a lot? Did it ever hurt directly behind your shoulder
>>>blades, similar to someone encasing them in ice?
>>>
>>>I'd really appreciate any further help you can give. I'm like
>>>information starved here. I search the web but that's not the same as a
>>>real person's experiences. I'm probably only experiencing side effects
>>>(I hope!) but there is the chance I have osteoarthritis or something.
>>>
>>>Regarding the hysterectomy, if you have that much pain I would suggest
>>>considering it. I never thought I'd think something like that, but my
>>>time in pain has changed me. Before the lupron, I too was in pain about
>>>3 weeks out of the month. It had gotten onto my bladder but no one
>>>would go in to take it out so lupron was my only choice. Now I can
>>>actually drive in a car and drink as much water as I want, but I realize
>>>that will probably go away sometime after my hormones come back. I plan
>>>(or planned who knows now) on starting a family ASAP, then when the
>>>bladder stuff comes back opting for a hyst. It is inhumane to live in
>>>pain that much of the time. Remember that.
>>>
>>>Thank you again! Melissa
>>>At Wed, 23 Jul 2003, Shellea wrote:
>>>>
>>>>I had Lupron in 1999 and I still have all the joint pain that I had
>>>>then, all the Doctors I have told just shake their head when I tell them
>>>>that like they really dont believe me and keep writing their notes in my
>>>>chart. I had test and they came back that I have degenerative
>>>>artheritis. My Doctor did then say it COULD have been from the Lupron.
>>>>I still have endo and just went to the emergency room Sunday night and
>>>>then the Doctor yesterday. I refuse Lupron and now I have done
>>>>everything possible to stop the pain except hysterectomy and I am in
>>>>terrible pain at least 3 weeks out of the month. I'm at the end of my
>>>>rope and dont have anywhere to go except hysterectomy and dont want to
>>>>go there except what is a person to do next when your all out of
>>>>options? I hope your different from me and I wish all the best of luck!
>>>>
>>>>At Wed, 23 Jul 2003, Melissa wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>Something has gone so wrong after I had my third shot of Lupron (I’ve
>>>>>been on addback therapy so “we” decided to take it for 9 months instead
>>>>>of 6) on June 14. The typical buttcheek pain moved down into my knees
>>>>>within a day or so. Only minor, I ignored it and kept up with my daily
>>>>>life. Then my knees went out. 3 days after that, on the 4th of July, I
>>>>>ended up in the ER with aching hands, feet, shoulders, hips, and jaw.
>>>>>And I thought it was bad then. A week and one doctor and one
>>>>>rheumatologist later, it was just getting worse, was now even in the top
>>>>>of my neck. Stabbing pains in my joints with mild redness and swelling
>>>>>in my fingers, inability to move properly, muscle aches in my upper arms
>>>>>and legs (it actually hurt to have a blood pressure band squeeze my
>>>>>arm!) and I was kinda light headed, having to take a lot of breaths just
>>>>>to speak. I ended going into another doctor because mine was gone, and
>>>>>my blood pressure was double what it usually is (190 over 60-something
>>>>>compared to 100/60). I asked for and was put on steroids, which I’m
>>>>>still on 20mgs a day until I can get back into the rheumatologist in a
>>>>>week. My joints still hurt, though not nearly as bad. Everything else
>>>>>has gone away for the time being.
>>>>>
>>>>>My OB/GYN, who ordered the shots, says she doesn’t think this can be
>>>>>from the Lupron because it wasn’t instantaneous (but it was in my knees)
>>>>>and it doesn’t sound like a Lupron joint ache. All the tests are coming
>>>>>up normal (or low normal, if you ask me. My white blood cells are at
>>>>>the very low end of normal) EXCEPT an Anti-nuclear antibody test. So
>>>>>I’m thinking that it’s some autoimmune reaction, maybe even drug-induced
>>>>>Lupus. I've got a long time to wait (7 weeks at least) to find that one
>>>>>out.
>>>>>
>>>>>SO why am I writing this? Cuzz I really have no clue what is going on
>>>>>and this is scary! Has anyone had a similar reaction? Does it go away?
>>>>>
>>>>>--
>>>>>Melissa
>>>>>----------------
>>>>>Peace, Love, and Compassion
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>>>Melissa
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>>>Peace, Love, and Compassion
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>--
>>>----------------
>Karen
>>>----------------
>>>----------------
>
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