I have leg pan but only in my lower legs and feet and mine is caused by the chemotherapy I'm on and it has caused peripheryl neuropathy, which is damage to the nerves. I had heard of Lyrica, a prescription drug, through this site and have tried it but I have found it makes me feel really sedated plus it increases my diarrhea, however it does ease the pain. There is also a cream called Zostrix HP available through pharmacists that helps with nerve related pain. I will point out though that this is a capsacain based cream and yes it will burn especially if you don't wash your hands properly and rub your face later. I use a latex glove to apply mine then dispose of the glove. I really would suggest you tell your Dr exactly how bad the pain is as surely they can prescribe something to help you. I have given up on Lyrica and have gone back to either oxynorm once a day or my morphine if I really need it that bad. I am on both of those medications for pancreatic cancer. The one thing I have found is that the more I use my legs the worse the pain gets so I try and relax them as much as possible plus I see an acupuncturist weekly. I also found that rubbing deep heat into my legs really helped to alleviate the pain a bit. I really hope some of this has helped you in some way. ... View more

So far three days on Lyrica at 25mg dosage and have already noticed the difference as in the pain is greatly reduced but I am still seeing my acupuncturist who is now concentrating on my toes as that is where the main problem currently is,still really bad pins and needles and a burning sensation, I still have some aches in calves & mainly right leg to and including the knee. My oncoligst has told me that it may take up to 12mnths for it to go away and then again it may never stop. Right now I'm happy so far and I'm off to a Country Music Festival on the weekend so really need my legs and feet operating as I'm going to be on them a lot and wearing low heeled boots in comparison to living either barefeet or just wearing thongs. ... View more

I am not a complaining person in general. but the one thing I do love about the American site is that I can just say what I am about to say. My sister in law died from a heart attack in 1994 her husband & my brother had a heart attack the following year & is still alive due to the little sort of pacemaker he has inside him, my sister in law to be died in 1995 just before my wedding due to lung cancer ( non smoker & non drinker) My younger brother had a minor stroke in 2000. My mum died from pancreatic cancer in 2002 my dad died after a complete laryngectomy due to throat cancer in 2002 from a heart attack, I lost a very good and close male friend to asbestos cancer in 2005. I was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer which is inherited from my mum in June 2011, my brother who has the mini pace maker was then going through radiation for throat cancer which is all cleared but he can never have radiation again. My sisters husband has been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, they also have a 20yr old son who is autistic and also has a very rare brain disease so he may never reach 21, my sister has also just been told that her diabetes two may be going to diabetes 1. Hell I don't complain and why the hell should I. There are a lot of people worse off than me. I fight for my life and I fight for everyone else's life. That's just the way I am. I will help and give advice to anyone on this sight if I am able to do so. I will fight for all of us in one way or the other. I hate CANCER and I will fight it no matter what. Even if it just means some of us talking about it or saying what we really want to say without someone trying to stop us. We all need to just let it go at one stage or the other. and that should be one of the main reasons for this site. Cancer puts us all under different stress, emotions, pressure plus the side effects of what ever treatment we are all on and we all need to be able to release it and the only other people that will really understand what we are about are other people with cancer. Every now and then I really need to let my emotions loose, so I sit outside and cry by myself. All I really need to do is put it into words and send it off into cyberspace. Then you can all read it and maybe let yourself loose your emotions the same way and we can all start talking. May god bless you all and may you remain healthy for as long as you are able to, may you all keep fighting it until the end finally comes, for those that have the end close to them, you are loved by so many people. Every person that has cancer is close to you and every one of those people feel for you and love you. ... View more

Hi Silly, Thanks for all the info on Lyrica & Endep. I know what you mean about the American chemo/cancer treatment and yes their health system is totally lacking in comparison to ours, we are very lucky in so many ways. I am on Fulfirinox & it actually originated in USA & it is the only chemo treatment that is extending my life as far as possible. I have inoperable therefore terminal pancreatic cancer. My comments bout this site were mainly stemmed from the easy use of the site itself in comparison to our own Ozzie site. I guess our site is more private but at times we really dont want that privacy. A lot of the time we just want to be able to talk there & then but to get the messages back takes ages.I actually received an email message a few days ago from Cancer Connections website advising me of a new message which I received from one of my friends prior to xmas. That is the sort of thing I am talking about with our site. Plus the one thing I have found with the USA site is I have received a lot more useful information re vitamins & herbs that are useful & helpful to me in coping with the cancer & fighting it and treating the side effects of the chemo. I am not knocking anything we have in Australia apart from the fact that our advertising/funding only covers the main/most common cancers as in breast cancer, prostrate cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, leukemia. All of these cancers can be cured with lung cancer being the most iffy. I don't know what cancer you have. I do know there is no cure for pancreatic cancer no matter what we do or how early we find it. Pancreatic cancer is a death sentence. Does this site have a way of us being able to communicate like this with an answer coming back from someone straight away. No it doesn't. For each message you have sent me I have duplicates of the exact message in my personal email box all from this site. In fact one of the messages you sent me went to Admin & I received an email from them letting me know it went there. It's a good site just not user friendly. PS I can feel the Lyrica working already & I'm only on 25mg. So thanks to you I have gained something from this site. ... View more

I want to make you my friend Irene but from the blogs site I can't find anyway of requesting you to be my friend. I am really still finding my way around this site as it is not user friendly. ... View more

I really do not know what to say to you Irene. I along with my daughter have cared for both my parents at the same time,my mum with pancreatic cancer & my dad just having a full laryngectomy. It certainly wasn't easy for us but then I was an adult & so was my daughter albeit a very young one. I don't know what state you live in but all states have caring facilities with people that come out to help. I know in WA it is called Silver Chain & in Qld it is Blue Care, maybe getting onto the help site in your state will help ease the burden. Centrelink may be able to help you but we all know how useful centrelink is. Are you able to see a Dr & discuss it all. There is help out there we just have to find it for you. Just keep talking to all of us here and I'm sure that soon we will somehow work out the best way to help you. Stay in tough Irene & it may be hard but stay tough girl. ... View more

I started off suffering with edema in my feet and ankles waking me now its just the neuropathy and it mainly keeps me awake but I started on a low dose of lyrica today so hopefully soon it will start to ease off and my sleeping patterns will get back to normal ... View more

I replied to you before that I had read about lyrica and opted out of trying it. I saw my oncologist yesterday and started on a low dose lyrica today. It is available only by script and is not on the PBS list. I am on 25mg twice per day and it cost me $41 for a months supply. Apparently it is the only thing that works but the higher the dose you go the more it costs and the more side effects you have. Talk to your GP it may be the only other movement left for you to try but I know my oncologist is very positive about it. Mazsa ... View more

Jane, it is going to be so hard for you to cope with let alone your mother. I too 10yrs ago helped, cared for and watched my mother slowly and painfully give into the cancer. You somehow will find the strength in you to not let it show how it is affecting you as this is what your mother needs right now. She knows her time is nearly up and all decisions are now hers. Just be there with her and for her and let your love for her show. Having cancer myself and knowing it is terminal you do come to a stage where you are so sick and tired of fighting it. I am still fighting but I know that soon the time will come and I will say no more. This is your mothers choice and rightfully her decision to make. Try and make her as relaxed as possible and fill her life with love but talk to her and understand her. She is scared also.Talking about the ending may just help all of you in coping with it. My thoughts are with you. ... View more

Hi David, I haven't tried lyrica but what I have read about it and the side effects I don't want to try it. I use L-Glutamine, Methyl B and Alpha Lipoic Acid to help ease my peripheral neuropathy & it is working slowly but surely and all are available from a health food shop. I also have acupuncture from a qualified acupuncturist who specializes in nerve control and was trained in China again this is also slowly helping to ease the pain and heal my nerves. Hope this is of some help or use to you ... View more