#55279 08-02-2004 06:59 PM | Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | OP  Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 | Hi folks, this time I have the question. I know we have talked in the past about various headaches and pains after treatments. I would like to hear about other complaints along those lines. I have been having rather severe headaches off and on for several months now. My ENT is not concerned that it is cancer related so is it radiation related? I hardly ever had headaches before treatments. I do know that stress really bothers my neck and will cause muscle stiffness with pain. I have been pushing the outer limits of stress lately. I am wondering what some of you have noticed.
I would also be interested in anyone that is taking synthroid and if there is a relationship.
Thanks
Mark, 21 Year survivor, SCC right tonsil, 3 nodes positive, one with extra-capsular spread. I never asked what stage (would have scared me anyway) Right side tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection right side, maximum radiation to both sides, no chemo, no PEG, age 40 when diagnosed.
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#55280 08-02-2004 07:45 PM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Mark,
I rarely had headaches before my treatment and about 6-7 months post treatment the headaches started. I have pain in the top right of my head mostly and even touching the hair is really painful. It seems to subside with Vioxx. It also seems worse when I am dehydrated.
I haven't taken sythroid so I can't offer any info on that.
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
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#55281 08-02-2004 11:27 PM | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 30 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | | Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 30 | Mark,
I have been taking sythroid since Dec. and haven't had any problems. I get a lot of headaches too. Mine are from tension and I have allergy's which causes most of them. Hope this helps.
Mary Lee | | |
#55282 08-03-2004 10:35 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 156 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 156 | Ohmygodyoupeopleareangels. I'm so sick of all these weird things and wondering if I'm normal.
I JUST saw the doctor today because of the pain in my neck/shoulders/head. The worst is in the back where the skin dips in at the head/neck connection. It radiates over my skull to my forehead and down my neck and shoulders. My husband makes fun of me b/c he claims my hair's dead so it can't hurt - but the folicles still do!!! My hands have even started shaking. Add that with my frog voice in the AM, and you'd think I was 90 years old!
At any rate - I noticed IB Proffin (600-800mg) was helping. The doc gave me Naproxen (500 mg) taken twice a day, which is an anti-inflamitory like IB Proffin. At night he gave my Flexeril (10 mg) which is a muscle relaxer. He says I explained tension headaches to a T. We're trying this route for a week to ten days, then we're trying something that sounds like Ana-trampoline. If we do that, I'll let you know what it really is and why it's supposed to help. he said it's better for long-term use if this becomes chronic.
Thank HEAVEN I have you people.
Sabrina | | |
#55283 08-03-2004 11:39 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Sabrina,
I remember early in the days of wooing my wife, I used to send her emails with Japanese and she would respond with some Russian. Just to throw a loop I once sent an email that started eieio. She pondered that for a while and when I told here there was no Japanese and what it really meant, she busted a gut. Your starting of your email reminded me of that. Thanks for the smile!
I can not take any of the cox type inhibitors for very long because I sometimes start getting sores in my mouth and they progress down my throat. I found out I was one of the lucky 1 in 100,000 with THAT problem. I went with the Naproxen and Flexeril route, the Ibuprofin route, neurontin...what else? I just hope your husband is not making fun of my dead hair! I haven't cut it the past year since it started filling in and getting curly and it looks quite alive!
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
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#55284 08-03-2004 04:44 PM | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 22 Member | | Member
Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 22 | Sabrina,
I think the name your looking for is Amitriptyline which is an anti-depressant with a relaxing quality to it that would definately help with tension headaches and may have less side effects than the Naproxen which can be quite hard on your stomach. Hope this helps.
Karen | | |
#55285 08-04-2004 09:35 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 156 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 156 | THAT'S THE WORD!! Amitriptyline - Anatrampoline. Same thing, right!?  | | |
#55286 08-04-2004 10:14 AM | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 | Sabrina
WHATS IN A WORD? just get sorted girl, tension headaches are the pits, may be worth some lessons in relaxation, NO Ed I will not suggest the red wine, too many pills, not the way to go. I get panic attacks not as bad as headaches they don't last so long, but I feel an idiot in the ED dept, breathing into a paper bag, no heart attack.. just me being my normal silly self... so along with everything we have to contend with physically we turn our mental health upside down as well..
no wonder we all meet here!!!!LOL!!!!
Sunshine... love and hugs
Helen..(not to be taken to seriously)
SCC Base of tongue, (TISN0M0) laser surgery, 10/01 and 05/03 no clear margins. Radial free flap graft to tonsil pillar, partial glossectomy, left neck dissection 08/04
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#55287 08-05-2004 07:58 AM | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 162 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 162 | Fortunately, I don't suffer from too many head-aches, but I will add what I found out about fibrosis of the muscles for those of us in the "nuked club." The muscles in my neck often become quite sore and stiff, which sometimes contributes to my headaches. I knew this to be an after-affect of the radiation, but I asked my doc about it anyway. What he told me was the irradiated muscles will always be trying to fiber up....for the rest of my life. Stretching is the only way to mitigate this. So keep stretching those irradiated muscles.
-Brett
Base of Tongue SCC. Stage IV, T1N2bM0. Diagnosed 25 July 2003.
Treated with 6 weeks induction chemo -- Taxol & Carboplatin once a week followed with 30 fractions IMRT, 10 fields per fraction over 6 more weeks. Recurrence October 2005.
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#55288 08-06-2004 05:49 AM | Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 382 Likes: 3 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 382 Likes: 3 | Mark- I've been taking synthroid for a year and haven't had problems with headaches. I do relate to the sensitivity on the scalp and have a hard time going in for haircuts. When they wash my hair and do their massage thing I grit my teeth. This is 2 years past treatment and it hasn't gotten better. Neck muscles still tighten up and every 6 months I head back to PT for deep tissue massage (which I call my tune up!) helps with mobility. Yep, probably should keep up with the stretching excerses too! Doing those right now at the computer - Kris
SCC Stage IV left tonsil neck disection 3/02 radiation finished 6/02 chemo finished 9/02
Stage 2A left breast cancer 3/09, chemo and radiation, finished treatment 2/7/10 -Stage 2 right beast cancer 10/14 chemo and radiation
Every day is still a gift :-)
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