sternum pain??

[stikker]

Anyone have this? Is this a side effect of the many meds. Dr not concerned. Should I be??

[Sangye]

Can you describe it a bit? Is the pain under the sternum or on top of it? Does it feel deep or just under the bone? Do you feel it at rest or just when you rub the sternum? Achy, sharp, etc...? Any other symptoms with it-- nausea, sweating, short of breath, jaw pain, neck pain, dizziness, anything?

[Lightwarrior]

Have you had a recent ECG? Echocardiogram? If you experience any of the symptoms that Sangye lists please seek immediate help.

[elephant]

Stikker, I have this on and off. I did have a EKG and echocardiogram to check the heart. I am on Nexium and now the doctors think it is related to my Gallbladder. So it can mean many things. Sangye and LIghtwarrior are asking the right questions so we can figure this out for you. Keep us posted.

[stikker]

I never introduced myself. I was diagnosed the beginning of February and I 'm on 60 mg prednisone and 200 mg cytoxan. I have kidney and possible lung involvement. I was doing OK now that I controlled the nausea. Then leg cramps and this sternum pain started.
The pain feels like it is in the bone. Doesn't hurt all the time. Doesn't hurt when I breath. It hurts when I move my shoulders(ribs maybe?) No other symptoms. Short of breathe but I always am. No recent testing done other than lung CT. Seeing specialist next week.
Thanks for the replies. I have been lurking for a bit. Should have jimped in sooner.
Stikker

[elephant]

Stikker, you may need your potassium checked, prednisone can lower the potassium and cause leg cramps. Sangye mentioned before that a blood clot can cause leg cramps too. When I had a blood clot in my calf, it was swollen and hurt to walk on. Are you on nexium or medicine to help with stomach ulcers?

[Sangye]

Stikker-- glad you came out of lurking mode!

The most likely culprits are :
1) Heart issue-- Wegs or non-Wegs related; Weggies should have regular echocardiograms to check the heart. Wegs involvement is uncommon but does silent damage. A number of heart conditions could cause substernal pain. Some would have been ruled out with your chest CT.

2) GERD/Acid Reflux-- pain from the esophagus is often felt behind the sternum. Some people have a burning sensation, but some only have aching. If you rub your sternum (don't use a lot of pressure) and it's painful, that's an indication of stomach irritation. (An MD will look at you like you're nuts if you say that. It's one of many neurolymphatic reflexes on the body. Comes from osteopathy and is used in some chiropractic techniques) The fact that you're on ctx and have had problems with nausea tells me your stomach is probably not happy.

3) Gallbladder-- biliary colic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biliary_colic) (ie pain from an unhappy gallbladder).

4) Musculoskeletal-- a chiropractor is the best one to assess and treat this

[JanW]

Stikker -- glad you came out of lurkdom. Welcome!

[Lightwarrior]

Stikker,
I agree with all Sangye just posted. I had two weeks of stomach pain when I started Cytoxan until I started 40 mg a day of Protonix, not a day of pain of GERD/Acid refulx since. :-) Are you taking Calcium with Vitamin D? Side effects of the meds you mentioned include bone loss, you should probably be on Fossomax also. Nice to meet you, welcome to the group, I'm still a baby in this whole process, I was just diagnosed in December of 2009. This group is the place to learn.

[Sangye]

Lightwarrior, pred doesn't cause bone loss that rapidly to warrant starting on Fosamax right away. Unless someone begins Wegs treatment with advanced bone loss, it's best not to use such drugs. They're quite dangerous, not well-proven and are known to cause complications like jaw necrosis at an alarming rate.

Most Weggies will be down to low doses of pred rather quickly and bone loss will not be an issue. I know many docs routinely put patients on these drugs when they begin therapy, but not all do. My JH docs don't and my Mayo docs didn't, either. Of course if/when a Weggie has been on pred very long-term it may become necessary to use the drugs even with the known risks. I did a post on this topic called Thoughts on Bisphosphonates awhile back.

[Lightwarrior]

Thanks for the correction, I did already have bone loss and you are right bisphosphonates are harsh.

[JanW]

I remember reading in regards to this class of drugs as well that their makers are going to great lengths to get as many people as possible diagnosed with the percursor to osteoperosis, but the reality is that taking these drugs in hopes of not developing osteoperosis hasn't been proven effective (definitely should be taken if you have that clinical diagnosis though). I have bone loss from previous steroid exposure, but my rheumo isn't putting me on these -- yet, anyway.

[stikker]

I only gave the short list of meds. I am and omeprazole for acid, and fosamax, and Ca with D and a ton of other things. I didn't think it was acid but it does hurt when I run the sternum.
I don't have a gallbladder.
The heart one scares me. My father died at 50 of a heart attack and I had my 50th 4 days berfore diagnosis. Lovely.
I work in a Lab and have a little bit of medical background. Sometimes thats worse. I also think breast cancer often spreads to the sternum.
I think I'll bury my head in the sand until I see the specialist. It's the end of the week. I'll live.
Thanks everyone for your input. I feel like I have my very own specialists.
stikker

[Terri]

Thanks everyone for your input. I feel like I have my very own specialists.
stikker[/QUOTE]

Yes Stikker, that's what I like about this place. Many caring souls and informative people. I luv em!
My question today... Nose bleeds were mentioned. I have been having minor nose bleeds usually in the morning when I clear my nose and it is when maybe I blow too hard and only lasts 30 sec. or so. The right side more often then the left side. The bleeding has been more frequent since I've started to take a 81mg aspirin daily. I quess I have two questions. Should I be concerned and do others take the regime of a daily aspirin?

[Sangye]

Stikker-- I'm sorry to hear about your dad dying so young. I understand the anxiety that can produce. I'm glad you're seeing a doc this week. You know the drill-- if anything changes/worsens, get to a doctor faster. I don't recall breast cancer spreading to the sternum as it does to the spine and ribs. I could be wrong on that.

Terri-- why are you taking aspirin? I don't know how daily aspirin works with vasculitis. It "thins" the blood (ie, makes it harder to clot) which may not be a good thing when the blood vessels are inflamed. Does you doc know you're taking it? It could be that you broke some capillaries and the aspirin is making it easier to bleed.

[Terri]

Sangye, I wasn't sure about aspirin. I've always heard an aspirin a day supposed to help prevent heart attacks. I was trying to avoid another unwanted problems and my doc didn't tell me to take it. I just thought I should.? I have appt. in April, I will quit taking aspirin until I see him.
Today was a beautiful day in Pa. Finally I was able to absorb some Vitamin D. It's been awhile since I've seen that big shiny ball in the sky. What about you Sangye? Still have snow? We're down to about 4 feet.

[elephant]

Terri, my primary wanted me on aspirin, but I won't take it. I have enough meds and sides effects and on top of that I am getting my gallbladder out soon. I have a slightly swollen arm and left lower calf ( I recently had ultrasound done on the calf) so the primary doctor wanted me on aspirin for that.
I have osteopenia from the prednisone, the doctors want me back on boniva. I have not started it yet, I was on it for 7 months but then stopped.
Hope I am making good decisions...

[Sangye]

It's hard to know what to do with aspirin. Weggies are 23% more likely to get blood clots and aspirin does help prevent that. But there are downsides to taking it daily, too. I haven't heard Wegs specialists specifically recommending it, but I'd definitely ask your doc.

Beautiful here today, too. I spent the day either at my computer or in bed, so I didn't enjoy it. Yup, still a lot of snow on the ground. Really shows how much we had in those 2 blizzards!

[elephant]

Sangye glad you spent the day inside and just relaxing. Is today better?

[Sangye]

I'm still really shaky and retaining a ton of fluid. If I had tried to do anything it would have been like yesterday. I've had to take 20mg lasix each day since the infusion which is odd. I normally take 2-3 lasix a week to keep fluid from building up. I'm getting potassium (lasix dumps it) but just feeling totally wiped out. Hoping tomorrow is better-- I gotta function!

[elephant]

Sangye is the fluid build up from the iv prednisone with the infusion? Hoping your better by tomorrow too. What does your gut tell you?

[Sangye]

I thought it was from the IV pred, but now I'm not sure. If it's still going on by Monday I'll email my doc. My next infusion is Tuesday. I'm also keeping an eye on my weight each day to see if it's rising.

[Terri]

I wasn't sure about aspirin. I thought everyone took it according to the commercial on tv that it could save your life.:confused: (so says the American Heart Association)
Sangye, I'm sorry to hear you are still not feeling well. My thoughts and prayers go out to you.
Hope you soon start feeling better.
We need you here for our questions that need answers too.:)
By the way, has anyone heard from Doug?
I miss not seeing him on here.
That must be one heck of a party they are having.

[Sangye]

Doug's doing okay. He's got another visitor this month and will try to catch up when he can.

I'm still in really awful shape and don't know why. Extremely weak. My next infusion is only Tuesday. I'm going to email my doc tomorrow and let him know what's going on. I'd like them to do my blood work before the IV.

[JanW]

I hope you get some answers soon, Sangye. Please know that I am thinking of you daily.

[JudyJ]

Sangye
Hope you feel better soon. My prayers are with you
Judy

[elephant]

Sangye so glad you are going to check lab work before infusion. Wish you would feel better. Praying and thinking about you. Sleep good tonight.

[Sangye]

Thanks you guys. They don't wait for the lab work to come back before the infusion, I just want to see if anything shows up. I'm gonna try to see my chiropractor tomorrow. It feels like every muscle in my body is turned off--literally. That can happen with a big spinal misalignment. It'd be great if that's all it is.

[jola57]

Sangye, my wish for you is that the second infussion works wonders and you will finaly start to get back to feeling better.

[Jack]

I wasn't sure about aspirin. I thought everyone took it according to the commercial on tv that it could save your life.:confused: (so says the American Heart Association)
In the UK the advice is not to take Asprin on a regular basis. Unless you are having a problem, its side effects outweigh the benefits - it attacks the stomach lining.

[renidrag]

My doctor told me not to take aspirin, although I did eventually join the coumaden generation.
Dale

[Sangye]

Holistic docs shudder when we hear people routinely take aspirin. A non-Weggie can keep the blood at a healthy coagulation level with common foods (and supplements if necessary). Garlic is well-proven. Weggies should avoid taking garlic supplements on a regular basis, as it can be immune-boosting.

[jola57]

Newer studies are disproving the benefits of aspirin and actualy show deafness in males who take it every day. I am a total disbeliever in taking any pills, even supplements. Eating good and wholesome food not the precessed c*#p full of salt. Medical doctors should work closely with natural docs in providing necessary diets to their patients thus eliminating unnecessary pill popping.

[Sangye]

I didn't know about the deafness link. How awful.

I can't agree about "no supplements" but I do agree that diet must be addressed first. The supplements most people take without a holistic physician advising them are useless and most often people wrongfully think "more is better."

[elephant]

I took apirin about 8-10 pills a day because back then the doctors thought I had RA and suggested I take aspirin for the pain. When I started nursing school that is when I learned that aspirin can cause ringing in the ears and deafness, amonst other things...