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Pain after lobectomy (lung cancer) surgery: When will it go away?

Posted by allstaff @allstaff, Feb 21 8:00am

Two months out from lower left lobectomy and just started to feel better when pain started again all around the incision area and upper part of back and spine area. Almost like a stinging sensation. I have read this could happen. Has anyone experienced this?

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denisek1971 | @denisek1971 | Apr 20 3:23pm
In reply to @tashaharley "I'm so grateful to see this discussion and know I'm not alone. I've had two surgeries..." + (show)
@tashaharley

I'm so grateful to see this discussion and know I'm not alone. I've had two surgeries (robotic) to remove the upper right lobe and the middle lobe (NSCLC, stage 2). After the second surgery I had the pain I was familiar with--the feeling of burning, tightness, numbness, etc. but it did go away after a few weeks. Then, about four months post-surgery, it came back worse. This time it was stabbing pain. I had an X-ray to rule out a rib fracture and I've had my 6-month surveillance scans and the doctors don't see anything wrong. I tried lidocaine patches, Voltaren, gabapentin, etc. but they didn't help much. The pain went away entirely after a couple of months. Then it came back. It again went away after a few weeks but now it's back again. The one thing that has helped me, though it sounds silly, is to wear my bathing suit or a camisole that is "shapewear", ie., it compresses the area. That is the only thing that leaves me pain-free. Given the circumstances, it seems to me that when I lift heavyish things, it comes back and when I just walk and do my PT exercises for balance, etc.. the pain eventually goes away (until the next bout of clearing out the garage, etc.). I can't get much information from the docs and I'm frustrated that I can't figure this out. Sorry for the long post. My main concern is should I just avoid lifting things for a long time until it heals completely? Will it ever heal completely? Thx for listening.

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I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear that I’m not the only one using compression to reduce the pain after surgery! I did the same thing and told the doctors how it helped and they just looked at me like whatever. I feel like once the surgery was done, they just didn’t care about the long term consequences and individual experiences. I still have pain and this feeling of fullness and discomfort nearly 10 months later, but it especially worse when I’m ill or have been sitting too long.

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1 reply
babs1956 | @babs1956 | Apr 20 7:01pm
In reply to @babs1956 "Seven years ago I had my upper left lung removed. I’m still having pain. Will this..." + (show)
@babs1956

Seven years ago I had my upper left lung removed. I’m still having pain. Will this pain ever go away thank you.

Jump to this post

I hope we get better real soon. Just to be pain free would be great. We have to hang in.

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tashaharley | @tashaharley | Apr 21 6:44am
In reply to @aprilradek "Hi, I think the shapewear takes the weight off the nerves. I notice that when I..." + (show)
@aprilradek

Hi,

I think the shapewear takes the weight off the nerves. I notice that when I lift my left breast (I had a lower left lobectomy Sept 2023) my pain is relieved. My pain recently retreated a bit. But a bra makes it worse, I think the band pressure on my ribs makes it worse. I wear a tight tank top under my shirt.

My pain comes back when I do heavy lifting or do too much gardening etc. Any type of abdominal workout aggravates the area as well.
I just checked in with my surgeon & he recommends I see a pain specialist. I am so done with doctors that I may wait a few months and then see one. I am on gabapentin which does keep the pain to a minimum, I went from 3 times a day to 2 times a day. Are you taking any never pain relief? What does your surgeon or oncologist recommend?

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I tried gabapentin but it didn't reduce the pain--just made me not care, which could have been a solution but it made me stupid and out of it so I couldn't work. The oncologist recommended lidocaine patches and arnica cream, also seeing a pain specialist and considering nerve ablation. I'm trying to work my way through the simpler alternatives first. Honestly, the shapewear is the only thing that really works so far.

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1 reply
tashaharley | @tashaharley | Apr 21 6:46am
In reply to @denisek1971 "I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear that I’m not the only one..." + (show)
@denisek1971

I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear that I’m not the only one using compression to reduce the pain after surgery! I did the same thing and told the doctors how it helped and they just looked at me like whatever. I feel like once the surgery was done, they just didn’t care about the long term consequences and individual experiences. I still have pain and this feeling of fullness and discomfort nearly 10 months later, but it especially worse when I’m ill or have been sitting too long.

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I know, right? The doctors gave me the same look. I sit in front of a computer all day at work so you've given me motivation to get up and move around periodically. Thanks!

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sjohnson60 | @sjohnson60 | Apr 21 7:28am
In reply to @babs1956 "Seven years ago I had my upper left lung removed. I’m still having pain. Will this..." + (show)
@babs1956

Seven years ago I had my upper left lung removed. I’m still having pain. Will this pain ever go away thank you.

Jump to this post

I had open bilobectomy in 2020 still have tenderness/numbness. I work out and wear sports bra, doing abs tend to affect it more, the 12 inch scar is tender and I have burning sensation inside chest that webs out to arms it's very unpleasant feeling. My oncologist said it is the nerves healing theybheal at a slow pace so if we can have pain until we die the answer is yes, my thoracic surgeon also told me this. I just work through it. It's part of my life now and greatful I am a alive.

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jannam | @jannam | Apr 21 10:12am
In reply to @aprilradek "Hi, I think the shapewear takes the weight off the nerves. I notice that when I..." + (show)
@aprilradek

Hi,

I think the shapewear takes the weight off the nerves. I notice that when I lift my left breast (I had a lower left lobectomy Sept 2023) my pain is relieved. My pain recently retreated a bit. But a bra makes it worse, I think the band pressure on my ribs makes it worse. I wear a tight tank top under my shirt.

My pain comes back when I do heavy lifting or do too much gardening etc. Any type of abdominal workout aggravates the area as well.
I just checked in with my surgeon & he recommends I see a pain specialist. I am so done with doctors that I may wait a few months and then see one. I am on gabapentin which does keep the pain to a minimum, I went from 3 times a day to 2 times a day. Are you taking any never pain relief? What does your surgeon or oncologist recommend?

Jump to this post

I had the same pain for 1 year until I combined Gabapentin 200mg. 3 x’s a day with Cymbalta 40mg. ! The combination of the 2 prescriptions works great!!

REPLY
aprilradek | @aprilradek | Apr 21 1:20pm
In reply to @tashaharley "I tried gabapentin but it didn't reduce the pain--just made me not care, which could have..." + (show)
@tashaharley

I tried gabapentin but it didn't reduce the pain--just made me not care, which could have been a solution but it made me stupid and out of it so I couldn't work. The oncologist recommended lidocaine patches and arnica cream, also seeing a pain specialist and considering nerve ablation. I'm trying to work my way through the simpler alternatives first. Honestly, the shapewear is the only thing that really works so far.

Jump to this post

My husband bought me some tight tank tops at Costco- I am returning to work part-time next month and have to do something about my breasts, I am not small.
The tank tops are pretty good so far not too tight. If I have anything too tight under my left breast it isn't good.
I might try a pain specialist in June. I dislike going to the doctor so often. My surgeon said there is an alternative to gabapentin, I forget what he called it.
But like you said try all the things with less impact on our bodies first. I use arnica. I have a little stick of it. I also found some lidocaine patches with arnica.
If shapewear is helping, stick to the shapewear- or is the shapewear just alleviating some pain and not all of it?

REPLY
babs1956 | @babs1956 | Apr 21 2:22pm
In reply to @babs1956 "Seven years ago I had my upper left lung removed. I’m still having pain. Will this..." + (show)
@babs1956

Seven years ago I had my upper left lung removed. I’m still having pain. Will this pain ever go away thank you.

Jump to this post

Hello, I saw a pain management doctor last week. He wants to give me a Cortizone shot on my side. He said it will help a lot. He couldn’t do it that day that I saw him because the next day I was scheduled for a pet scan I see him and I hope this works, I’m not taking gabapentin or any other painkiller. I’m using the lidocaine patches they seem to help a little bit. I wear them at night when I’m sleeping. I wish you lots of good luck when you go back to work. I hope this pain goes away for us. It’s really shame we have to go through this. God bless you

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minnie528 | @minnie528 | Apr 22 1:38pm
In reply to @babs1956 "Seven years ago I had my upper left lung removed. I’m still having pain. Will this..." + (show)
@babs1956

Seven years ago I had my upper left lung removed. I’m still having pain. Will this pain ever go away thank you.

Jump to this post

I finally went to my surgeon to have my bulge looked at. I told him I can only cough real softly, blow my nose carefully, carry light bags etc because any kind of straining, it feels like something's moved or tugs (by my rib under right breast), then it gets real sore & most times it radiates around to mid back. Feeling it, he mentioned a possible hernia & it will be looked at more closely when I have my first 3 month CT scan on May 2. As far as it being a hernia, it's possible he'd have to do surgery again if it gets much worse. Is anyone familiar with a post surgery hernia? I had my right lower lobe removed in January.

REPLY
babs1956 | @babs1956 | Apr 22 1:59pm
In reply to @babs1956 "Seven years ago I had my upper left lung removed. I’m still having pain. Will this..." + (show)
@babs1956

Seven years ago I had my upper left lung removed. I’m still having pain. Will this pain ever go away thank you.

Jump to this post

I also have a bulge but it’s a muscle. I had my upper left lobe removed. I’m also in pain but I’m going to see a pain management doctor on May 2.

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