Muscle Pain and Estrogen Blockers
Question: I am a polio survivor. I have recently been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Four years ago, I tried all the estrogen blockers and found I could take none of them because of muscle pain. Now that the cancer is back I started taking Ibrance and Letrozol. Today I woke up with severe muscle pain in my arms and legs. Does pain mean my polio muscles will get weaker? I do not want to make my weak legs to get worse.
Dr. Bruno’s Response: There is no evidence that estrogen blockers cause muscle pain by affecting motor neurons. So don’t worry about a “polio effect.” Estrogen blockers may cause pain by increasing sensitivity to pain or may cause inflammation.
Ask your oncologist about prescribing duloxetine and slowly increasing the initial dose of the medications, and possibly taking ibuprofen, adding vitamin D. Perhaps putting heat or ice, whichever helps, on the muscle and doing general, gentle stretching may be of help.