TN after Chemotherapy/Radiotherapy

Comment

Comment by Jackie on April 21, 2012 at 6:32am

At present Jennifer we can only speculate. I do feel that with me there was a connection. I had many neurological problems start just after. Of course it could be coincidental, but my gut says not!

Comment by Jennifer on April 21, 2012 at 3:21am

Hi! I am sorry to hear you have been on chemo as well.  I started to get the symptoms of ATN and GN when I started getting symptoms from Wegener's Granulomatosis. I started taking cyclophosphamide in April '08 and then switched to Methotrexate in Nov '08 which I am still taking with prednisone. So I wonder if the Chemo is making it worse. My Geniculate Neuralgia is getting worse and lasting longer and longer with less breaks in between. I always have a constant ache and burning pain but it intensifies and I get electric shock type pains and stabbing sharp pains that come and go. My ATN is a bit better with Lyrica and acupuncture.

Comment by Jackie on March 8, 2012 at 4:21pm

Tracy, of course you can stay in the group! No chance you can leave now! You are stuck with us! When we have been subjected to these treatments I think we feel the connection. I remembered your starting symptoms were prior to treatment but note you saw an escalation and increase in other new ones. At first it was my hands and feet that were badly affected, then progressed to my tn nerve and then the carpal! Where will it stop?

Comment by Tracy C from BC on March 8, 2012 at 3:38pm

Gee, thanks for the big welcome :). Jacky my proton therapy (easiest radiation to receive at high level requirements) was after the pain started ... The pain was also pre major head surgery however the high dose radiation did escalate the symptoms and added new ones. Can I still stay in the group? Promise I won't make you change the name lol.
Glad to see you started another wonderful group.
Take care,
Tracy

Comment by Jackie on March 8, 2012 at 3:26pm

Will, I have never seen much connecting the two. I saw an article in October connected to Breast Cancer treatment and possible nerve damage later in life. I did not copy it and can no longer find it. Previous to chemo I never suffered a single nerve related pain. Now I have several, they all started within 6 months of chemo, I just cannot believe it coincidental.

Comment by Will Newton on March 8, 2012 at 8:23am

Yes, welcome Tracy!

Thanks, Jackie. Has it been something that's been researched at all? I never see it as one of the causes on any sights with information about TN...

Comment by Jackie on March 8, 2012 at 6:33am

Tracy, darling!!Welcome!!

Comment by Jackie on March 7, 2012 at 9:25am

Will, welcome to the group! As you may notice I have changed the name of the group in honour of you joining. So far it would seem that there are only two of us, but every group has to start somewhere. Both of us feel there is some connection with TN and our chemotherapy. 

Comment by Will Newton on March 7, 2012 at 4:32am

As I'd already mentioned to Jackie, I myself was very healthy until I got Type 2A Hodgkin's lymphoma. After my 1st cyle of Chemotherapy (I had 4), I noticed the burning pain that I now associate with my "neuralgia" (I'm using inverted commas due to the fact that I haven't officially been diagnosed with anything. As of my last appointment my neurologist and I agreed that there is no point giving it a name right now, but simply testing out some meds). Further to that, as I went through Chemo, and as I got older (I was 17 when that happened and now am 21), the burning got worse, more consistent and was joined by a sharper shock-like or stabbing pain.

I very much think that the "neuralgia" was directly caused by the Chemotherapy as I was incredibly healthy before the Cancer and the first time I noticed the cancer was in the afternoon after having taken the Chemotherapy.

It seems to me quite a simple thing to assume and I know that, after having had the brain scans, I do not have any obvious nerve damage or disruption, as do many other people living with TN.

Comment by Richard A. "Red" Lawhern on October 13, 2011 at 1:33pm

I'll join you as I can in the discussion, Jackie.  A little busy right now, but I understand your interest and concern in the subject.  I look forward to learning more from others who believe there may be a connection.

Regards, Red