What should you know about pain management for breast cancer?
What should you know about pain management for breast cancer?
It is important that you always tell your doctor or other healthcare provider if you are having pain. Do not wait for them to ask you about pain.
Managing pain from breast cancer surgery
Breast cancer treatment often includes surgical procedures such as lumpectomy, breast removal, or breast reconstruction. Your doctor may remove one or more lymph nodes from your axillary area, which tends to be painful. The cuts from surgery may cause pain in the skin, breast nerves, or muscle. Degrees of pain or discomfort after surgery is to be expected. During surgery, the surgeon may inject a pain medicine into your surgical area to help decrease the amount of post-operative pain you experience.
Your doctor may also give you a prescription for opioid pain relievers to take for severe pain. He or she will suggest over-the-counter pain medicines such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen to take as a first measure. They will also discuss applying ice to the surgical area for comfort. Make sure that you check with your healthcare provider before taking any kind of medicine, even non-prescription items.
Post-operatively, wearing a soft bra that fastens in the front is comforting. After lymph node surgery, keeping the arm elevated on a pillow when sitting and placing a small lap pillow between your upper arm and lateral chest wall will help with arm pain and healing.
Activity after surgery, such as walking and starting slowly the arm range of motion exercises, once cleared by your surgeon, helps to improve healing and pain. The limitations on activity and exercise will be discussed with you by your surgical team. Pain that is new or worsening in the days after surgery should be brought to the surgeon’s attention to make sure there is no infection or problem with the surgical area.
Managing pain from radiation therapy for breast cancer
If you have radiation therapy, it is likely to affect your skin. The results are similar to a sunburn in some cases, where skin gets red, tender, blisters and then peels, like a bad sunburn. Your doctor will recommend a topical cream or lotion to rub on the skin area daily. A few recommendations can include eucerin cream, aquaphore, and aloe vera. The lotions make the skin feel better. You may also take an over-the-counter pain aid as needed. You may experience some pain inside your breast while you are having radiation or even up to the year after radiation as the tissues heal. The recommendation for best results is to continue to rub the lotion onto your skin, even after treatment is complete, to keep the skin soft as radiation will dry it out. Also you should continue range of motion exercises of your arm and shoulder area to prevent scar tissue from forming.
Managing pain from chemotherapy for breast cancer
Some drugs that treat breast cancer can also cause nerve damage in the hands and feet in certain people. This type of pain, called neuropathy, is usually a shooting or burning pain. It can also cause numbness. It usually affects fingers and toes. Your doctor might suggest that you take a mild pain reliever. Other options for nerve and muscle pain include medications normally used for other conditions, including antidepressants, anticonvulsants, anti-anxiety drugs, and steroids. Some women have had success with acupuncture. Most of this pain improves after completion of chemotherapy, with time, but some numbness unfortunately can be chronic.