Radiation causing lung damage

Posted by zeerj @zeerj, Sep 22, 2023

I was treated for her2+ breast cancer. Started May 2022: Chemo, surgery, radiation, kadcyla. After round 8 of kadcyla, started having issues with my lungs. Radiation pneumonitis March of 23, the 2 rounds of kadcyla, then organizing pneumonia in July. Was put on prednisone both times, Sept Covid positive which peas to pneumonia on the same side of radiation. Plan is to put me on prednisone for longer period. By now I’m exhausted. I’m supposed to have my reconstructive surgery 10/10 for implants and fat grafting. I’m debating whether I should delay it now even though pulmonologist said I should be ok.
I’m worried about my lungs and if this is going to be a cycle for me now. Anyone been thru something similar?

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I say hold off on reconstruction at this time. Operations are very hard on the body and reconstruction is just one more operation. I don’t know where you live, but if I were you, I would make an appointment with a holistic chiropractor immediately. I was on Metrazol for five years. I knew it could cause osteoporosis. What I did not know was that Lyrica and the statins I was on could also cause osteoporosis. So now I have osteoporosis and I refuse to take Prolia. I went to see a holistic chiropractor and told him I wanted to get off Lyrica immediately, even though in the past, it made my peripheral neuropathy symptoms come back within five days. he put me on a big vitamin complex and a liquid glutathione. I haven’t had symptoms for seven months and I’m feeling great. He is addressing my osteoporosis by natural means, and I am hoping they too will work. Remember, your body will tell you when somethings wrong, and if somethings working . Listen to your body and read everything you can on your issues. Don’t let doctors make all your decisions for you. You must be an equal

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@joyceelaine

I say hold off on reconstruction at this time. Operations are very hard on the body and reconstruction is just one more operation. I don’t know where you live, but if I were you, I would make an appointment with a holistic chiropractor immediately. I was on Metrazol for five years. I knew it could cause osteoporosis. What I did not know was that Lyrica and the statins I was on could also cause osteoporosis. So now I have osteoporosis and I refuse to take Prolia. I went to see a holistic chiropractor and told him I wanted to get off Lyrica immediately, even though in the past, it made my peripheral neuropathy symptoms come back within five days. he put me on a big vitamin complex and a liquid glutathione. I haven’t had symptoms for seven months and I’m feeling great. He is addressing my osteoporosis by natural means, and I am hoping they too will work. Remember, your body will tell you when somethings wrong, and if somethings working . Listen to your body and read everything you can on your issues. Don’t let doctors make all your decisions for you. You must be an equal

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Sorry, Siri has her limitations. It was a letrozole. I was on for breast cancer. And my doctor prescribed a B vitamin complex.

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I’ve had ILC in 2017 treated with lumpectomy did not get clear margins so another go at the lumpectomy all clear followed by 32 radiation treatments. Everything was good for just over 5 years. I kept all my appointments did all my mammograms and out of the blue the ILC is back in the same breast just the other side. I never really got a choice I had bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction I could have gone flat. I’m a month out and my breast look awful I’m told it maybe another year with no nipples. No one ever explained what radiation does to the breast or even if the cancer came back what that would mean. I’m left with huge scar’s across my chest and different sized breast. I feel butchered.

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@zeerj, here's some information about radiation pneumonitis https://cancer.ca/en/treatments/side-effects/radiation-pneumonitis

How are you doing? Is treatment with prednisone helping? Will you go ahead with surgery next week?

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@colleenyoung

@zeerj, here's some information about radiation pneumonitis https://cancer.ca/en/treatments/side-effects/radiation-pneumonitis

How are you doing? Is treatment with prednisone helping? Will you go ahead with surgery next week?

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Thank you for the information. Prednisone definitely helps. This is the third time they put me on it. I’m concerned this will be a cycle for me. I decided to push surgery till December. Plastic surgeon wanted me weaned off medication. Pulmonologist and oncologists were with proceeding with it next week. I decided to let my lung heal and didn’t want to stop medication early. I’m so looking forward to put this behind me.

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@joyceelaine

I say hold off on reconstruction at this time. Operations are very hard on the body and reconstruction is just one more operation. I don’t know where you live, but if I were you, I would make an appointment with a holistic chiropractor immediately. I was on Metrazol for five years. I knew it could cause osteoporosis. What I did not know was that Lyrica and the statins I was on could also cause osteoporosis. So now I have osteoporosis and I refuse to take Prolia. I went to see a holistic chiropractor and told him I wanted to get off Lyrica immediately, even though in the past, it made my peripheral neuropathy symptoms come back within five days. he put me on a big vitamin complex and a liquid glutathione. I haven’t had symptoms for seven months and I’m feeling great. He is addressing my osteoporosis by natural means, and I am hoping they too will work. Remember, your body will tell you when somethings wrong, and if somethings working . Listen to your body and read everything you can on your issues. Don’t let doctors make all your decisions for you. You must be an equal

Jump to this post

When I want to know something, I seek out an expert - one with serious credentials including research capability. I would be wary of marketing aspects of "holistic chiropractor".
Regarding Prolia, I have been on it for 7 years - advised by an Endocrinologist at the time since I was reluctant.
The institution that did my recent bone density test suggested I consider (after due clinical correlation) changing to Fosamax to lock in results. I asked my Primary Care Physician what he thought, and he replied that he did not have the expert knowledge to advise me and said I should see an Endocrinologist. I had a consult with a Mayo Endocrinologist, and he recommended I continue on Prolia for another 5 years (Mayo has women on Prolia for 12 years, they see a lot of women with breast cancer and Prolia seems to have an anti-bone tumor property). I have lung cancer, so that was really a good piece of information for me. I am grateful to my primary care doctor to send me where I would get the greatest expertise.

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