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back pain

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › back pain

  • Post
    • March 2, 2018 at 4:25 pm
    Nicklindner
    Participant

      Good Morning,

      Has anyone experienced incessant back pain as a side effect of Opdivo?  I had back pain prior to my diagnosis but after undergoging Opdivio for over a year now it has greatly increased.  It is difficult to know how much of this is attributed to the drugs vs just normal wear and tear.  I am under 40 and before this have never dealt with back issues.  I have had the joint pain in my knees, wrists and feet but they all ebb and flow.

      There has never been any sign of disease in my back so they have ruled out the Melanoma causing any issues.  It has gotten to the point where pain pills barely take the edge off of the pain and I am searching for any answers or understanding of what is happening.  Anyone have similar stories/experiences – if so what did you do to manage it?

      Thank you!

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    • Replies
        • March 2, 2018 at 5:52 pm
        Jimchief
        Participant

          Very coincidental that I saw this today as the first message. I'm getting Opdivo adjuvant treatment #4 of 26 today, and I was telling my oncologist that Treatment #3 gave me pretty severe back pain that lasted a week. I am wondering if it's a coincidence, as I had some off/on back situations (the classic "threw my back out" but always in response to bad behavior on my part like lifting too much or improperly without warming up, etc.), but this last treatment caused my back to slowly "seize up" in the hours after the treatment and it stayed with me for about 6 days. I'll check on responses to this post and let you know if Treatment #4 causes the same problems as Treatment #3 for me. (No back pain after treatments #1 and #2.)

           

            • March 3, 2018 at 7:04 pm
            brianm
            Participant

              I have backpain and am getting opdivo also.  My back pain is internal and almost like kidney problems but on both sides in the lower back.  Morphine seems to help some, but not all of the way.  

              I am not thinking I've been sitting on my butt and my muscles are so weak that it gets that way.  It seems to come on at night after I've been laying down for a while.  But the last two nights it has been absent.  (Since I've started doing simple exercises with arms and going up and down stairs a few times.).  I don't know if this will solve the problem though…

            • March 4, 2018 at 2:00 am
            Ridingaroundwith27Jennifers
            Participant

              I am also on Opdivo and have back pain but mine is most certainly from my not exercising and my stomach and back muscles weakening.  I'm slowly getting back into exercising and have had an improvement although  it isn't completely resolved.  

              Good wishes to you.

              Jennifer

              • March 4, 2018 at 7:31 am
              Sharon93065
              Participant

                I

                I also have these symptoms, and like all of you think some of this is due to the fatigue so I've layed around and not exercised.  So i make myself walk further in parking lots etc.  Can't wait until we can turn our solar on in the pool to do water aerobics.  Ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, lower back pain.  I am 71 and older than most of you and do have arthritis, but did not have it this bad.  Taking glucosamine chondroitin, it takes awhile to get into your system.  I took it for year and it helped.  I quit last year when i started the combo treatments and should not have.  Cannot take Tylenol – liver!  Motrin – kidneys.  My meloxicam prescription.  Dr said i could take 1 – 2 pills a day but only for 2 weeks but it can affect my kidneys so i save it for a bad flareup.  Scroll down and you will see others having the same side effects with Opdivo.  It even hurts to sit now so i carry a cushion to some places LOL!  God Bless us all, Sharon

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