Joint pain as side effect to immunotherapy
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Joint pain as side effect to immunotherapy

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Joint pain as side effect to immunotherapy

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      • March 1, 2018 at 5:54 am
      Bubbles
      Participant

      To finish….

      Here is a recent post from my blog, with links addressing how to manage immune related side effects generally, how to manage patients with pre-existing autoimmune disease (since that's what returning to immunotherapy after the development of immune related side effects is like!!!), as well as a study where a rheumatic drug combined with a MEK inhibitor may be a treatment for melanoma –

      http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2018/02/for-jubesand-rest-of-us-anti-rheumatic.html

      Unfortunately, just because you have melanoma and are on immunotherapy, there's no rule that says you can't have other other reasons for joint pain!  (That sucks, right???)  So, please speak with your doctor if you are experiencing joint pain or any other possible side effects to immunotherapy.  The sooner they are addressed the better.  The bottom line is that arthralgias are a very common side effect to melanoma treatment.  Most can be managed with NSAID's and other drugs.  For more severe cases, drugs like prednisone and even infliximab, along with a break from therapy are needed. However, we now know that even if drugs like prednisone are required, they do NOT diminish your chance of response to your therapy! Once side effects are controlled, with careful management, most folks can return to anti-PD-1. 

      Hope this offers some help.  Hang in there.  I wish you all my best.  Celeste

      • March 1, 2018 at 11:30 pm
      Julie in SoCal
      Participant

      Thanks for putting this all in one place C!  This (and your blog, love it by the way!!) is very, very helpful. Because, yes joint pain while on immunotherapy is a thing!  A big fat painful thing!!!

      But I digress.  It's taken a whole lot of steroids, NSAIDs, and PT and some heavy hitting drugs to get me up and moving again.  Now I'm on my way to a total right knee replacement on March 20th.  If all goes well, lefty in July. I just can't wait to be even half as active as I was.  Ahh but I'm digressing again, because even through this I'm still NED with both melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer.  Take that cancer!  We're putting Julie back together now!

      Just chiming in here to agree with Bubbles and to give a quick update.

      Blessings,

      Julie

        • March 2, 2018 at 12:54 am
        Bubbles
        Participant

        Oh, Julie!!!  I am so glad to hear that you are NED from BOTH your tormentors!!!!  Man, talk about unfair!!!!  Sorry about your need for upcoming surgeries…but I will keep all fingers and toes crossed until I hear that they got you where you needed to go!  Hang in there.  Much love, and….

        Shalom, c

        • March 2, 2018 at 3:06 am
        Casitas1
        Participant

        Hey Julie, Great to hear NED! I'm pretty much right behind you in line for new knees. Pretty much failed 3 rounds rounds of PT but got an A for effort. Been rubbing Magnesium lotion on joints and it seems to help with sleep as well. Still achy over a year after pd-1. Maybe see you sometime down at JWCI.

        Best, Paul

        And Thank's Celeste!

        • March 2, 2018 at 6:28 pm
        DZnDef
        Participant

        Yay!  Julie!  So glad you're doing well (apart from the knee thing, of course).  I know two people that have had total knee replacements and both swear they would do it again in a heartbeat.  It is a tough recovery, but evidently, improvement is noticed daily which is always heartening.  That's only what I've been told by my two friends.  I have no first-hand experience.

        Cheers!

        Maggie

      • March 2, 2018 at 6:34 pm
      DZnDef
      Participant

      Thanks so much for posting such great information, as usual, Celeste.

      Cheers!

      Maggie

      • March 4, 2018 at 7:40 am
      Sharon93065
      Participant

      Thank you Celeste, i had not heard of magnesium cream before.  I will buy some.  I do use aspercream.  Dr said ok, not enough aspirin to affect me.  Appreciate all your help and knowledge.  Learned a new word. 

      arthralgias Ha!  Sharon, Simi Valley

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