Cancer treatment symptoms and conditions

My mother was prescribed this horrible drug for prevention purposes about a year ago. She has experienced severe hair loss, unexplained cough and sore throat pain, flu-like symptoms with fever, severe headaches. Doctors prescribed sinus medication and hydrocortisone shots in the scalp for hair loss and occasional shoulder pain that was explained by her doctors to be arthritis (at times severe). She was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and treated with temodar and radiation for brain cancer. Before fosomax, she was a very healthy 63 year woman with no health issues whatsoever. She went for annual physical and was prescribed this medication. In the last few months, her doctors increased dose of Caltrate-D from 600mg a day to 2400mg/day because of cancer treatment. Immediately, she began to experience severe neck and shoulder pain on the left side. In a few weeks, it has spread to both shoulders and upper arms. She is unable to wash lower back, raise arms to comb hair, lift herself up from sitting position, brush her teeth. A few weeks ago, she experienced the sensation of an abscessed tooth. A dentist told her several teeth would need a root canal. She has pain in upper arms that feel like burning fire. She is getting weaker in the arms. Pain is spreading to the hips. I pray this doesn't go any further and will reverse after we stop this dangerous drug. Has anyone shown signs of improvement after stopping this drug? How long did it take to see improvement? What if anything can you do for the pain and sore muscles and joints?

I had my left lung fill with fluid and collapse after radiation treatment for Breast Cancer. The lung was drained with Thorocentesis and I was hospitalized for a week and put on prednisone - 40 mg reduced to zero in 1 week. I experienced symptoms of heart attack as reaction to reduction from prednisone. When it was determined by enzyme testing in hospital that heart not damaged I was sent home with prescription of prednisone starting at 60 -10 days, to 40- 5 days, to 30 - 10 days, to 20-10 days. The cumulative effect of these doses was all the side effects mentioned by others, loss of emotional and physical balance, stability, swelling, moon face, insomnia, depression, crying, stomach pain, constipation, etc. I dropped myself to 20mg for 9 days but on the 8th day had recurrence of lung pain and feared possible fluid build up through tissues damage/leak caused by radiation - they are calling it pleurisy or pleural effusion. (It was also determined that I must be on constant oxygen and sleep on oxygen as my breathing capacity is below 88 off of oxygen.) Dr. found not enough fluid to drain without risk to damaging my diaphragm so upped the prednisone again to 30 for 14 days. Using pain and shortness of breath as a measure of lung condition I must not dampen pain now but suffer it to monitor my lung so as to avoid trips for constant X-rays. I continue to suffer from prednisone and it has disabled me so that my normal life cannot be resumed in any way. I want to get off of it, but after reading these reports, I am very worried - supposedly the steroid is allowing my radiated lung to heal, but if that is not happening I think the steroids are possibly more life threatening than the lung - in any case, what life? What other choices do I have to survive the damage done to me by radiation?

My husband and I found out he had Meatastic prostate cancer 13 months ago..We went to the doctor because his lymph glands were hudge.. He has been on the Lupron injections ever since.. He had really bad hot flashes for the 1st few months but that has past, but now he is very moody and angry for no reason.. He yells and gets angry over the littlest things i think he is going crazy and he is driving me nuts, he has no desire for me and is rude and acts like he don't even like me sometimes.. it is torture to me..He has depression he doesn't enjoy anything like he use to.. whenever we go try to have fun he gets all stressed and makes the fun turn into miserable..He acts as if he has no problems..He has some big rashes on his legs and crack and I am pretty sure it is from the Lupron shot also.. he has a little aches and pains. Very tired all the time..just about a week ago we found out the Lupron shot is not working very well anymore, his psa level went up to a 15..I am thankful for the shot because i know it has saved him some time to be here.. I love him so much, but the way he is now has caused me to feel like he is a grouchy roommate on his period 24/7.. There is other things like casodex to take but i heard it does not work as well as the Lupron..Hopefully one of these days they can find something that works even better then Lupron without the side affects..The lupron Shot has helped many people live longer, but what about the quality of life he is miserable but I am sure he rather be alive and miserable.. Good luck to everyone with the Lupron shot, it is a trying time when they or you go through these changes and do not understand why you feel negative and unhappy..

175 mcg Synthroid, post Total Thyroidectomy due to bilateral papillary thyroid cancer. Increased appetite and increased bowel activity have been noted as well as a weight gain....even though my level of medication would normally be categorized as hyperthyroid(low TSH is indicated for post cancer treatment) recent tests have indicated elevated blood sugar as well("pre diabetes") some times I wonder if I shouldn't have just risked the cancer.....

My Dad is receiving Kenalog -10 injections into his mouth to help him with the effects of oral cancer treatment, he had SCC2 in the right side of his cheek, the IMRT radiation therapy, plus boost treatments, and brachy therapy did an effective job of treating the cancer, but he had problems eating, problems with saliva, etc.., the injections have been a miracle cure for him, he can now eat and drink without pain, but immediately I noticed his skin was dimply and caved in, I had no idea what medication they were injecting until today, and now I know that I was correct in my observation. He will continue to receive the injections every 6 weeks. I don't have the heart to tell him that the dimpling and caving in of his skin is from the medicine that is making it possible for him to enjoy eating and drinking again. But I sure am glad to have my suspicions confirmed. Thank you for this web site.