Liver met symptoms?

Those who have had mets to the liver, can you tell me if the pain in the right side was contant or did it come and go?

I don't remember specifically, but I do remember the pain under my right shoulder blade, a definite liver mets pain. I just thought it was muscular, but discovered after the fact on WEB M.D. that this is a common spot for liver tumor pain.

Good luck,

Love and light.

Lisa

Depending on the amount of tumor you have in your liver and their locations, the pain can be either constant or intermittent. Some patients report having "twinges" underneath their right rib cage.

Take care,
Bill, husband to Sandy
dx 11/03 IBC with mets to liver
er-, pr- her2+
completed carboplatin, taxol, herceptin 9/04
NED! continuing weekly herceptin

Just to clarify I am not Bill's wife. I know there is two of us that is why I changed to Sandy H. I also have IBC but no organ or bone involvement only skin mets. Dx. in 03/01. Blessings, Sandy H.

Angela,

I have mets to both lungs and liver (dx Jan of 04) I started having pain, twinges under my ribcage area...they would come and go. They did a chest x-ray and said I had pneumonia. I would request a CT. Best of luck to you and do keep us posted

Warmly,

judiek

Sand H.

Thanks for the name clarification.
Your pic looks great! Hope all is well ; and the IBC info has helped . Maybe if you have some good news relating to IBC, you may want to share some valuable contacts with other IBC women on our site with a new post.
T

For those who had twinges on the base of the right rib, was your rib sore? could you clarify the "twinge" feeling?

[StephN]

Writing as one who experienced major liver mets throughout that organ, I will describe the different symptoms.
First, there was a slightly bloated feeling around my front waist and just above. As it was during the holidays I thought maybe I was gaining more than the usual 3-4 pounds. I cut down on the extra calories right away (was already eating much less sweets as had changed my diet in this regard).
Then a few days after New Years the twinges on my right side started in earnest. I already had my 3-month checks lined up for the following week. Before the constant aching began I had my routine chest x-ray and bloodwork prior to the med onc visit 3 days later. In that 3 days time, I had a pretty sore side and was also a bit feverish.
Upon tapping my sore area my med onc immediately sent out his assistent to order an immediate CT of chest/abdoman.
The particular pain I had under my lower right rib cage area and extending partway around my back was caused by stretching of the liver capsule to accommodate swelling within my liver. I have a small rib cage anyway so not much room for other than my normal organs.

MAIN THING HERE is that my lab work was ALL NORMAL for liver functions with ONE excpetion. This was deemed the GOOD news! That my liver was functioning perfectly well in spite of the serious mets.
GET A SCAN.

Guess we are finding out the same thing with my brain now!

Sandy does your IBC stand for inflammatory or invasive BC.
Love & Hugs Lyn

Angela, here's another perspective on liver mets. When my liver mets were diagnosed in feb 04, my entire liver was covered in tumors, and all of my liver enzymes were off the charts, at lest 10 times the normal range. My liver was already going into liver failure status.

The only symptoms i had were a loss of appetite, pain in my LEFT side (still don't know why it was in the left instead of right) and just an overall feeling of not being well, feeling a bit sick.

When I went into treatment, I was deemed as having 2 months to live if the chemo did not work. It's now a year later, and I am almost to the point where my liver is free of tumors, and I am hoping for NED within the next few months.

If you are unsure about whether you have liver mets, you should get it checked out ASAP by your onc. Liver mets is treatable, and the sooner you start treatment, the better your chances of reaching NED.

Hi Esther,
What chemo regime are you on?
Thanks,
Al

Al, I have been on Navelbine, Xeloda and Herceptin for a year now. It has been a tough regimen at times, and I am getting weary of treatment, but I have had excellent results with this combination.

I took a break from the Xeloda for a bit earlier this year, and the response was not as great with just the Navelbine/herceptin combination as it was for all three simultaneously.

Thanks, Esther!
Al