NOW the JOINT PAIN has appeared….

Hi Nancy,

My son is on Zelboraf – or should I say he was on Zelboraf? He just went in for a third consultation with another oncologist (in case he has progression on this medication) and the doctor  took one look at his swollen joints and pulled him off the medication.  He is now on a low dose of steroids!   He could hardly walk, had a fever, his joints were swollen and very tender to the touch.  His right ankle was so swollen they had to x-ray it to see if it was broken.  He was in terrible pain and ibuprofen wasn't helping.  They want to "tamp" down his autoimmune response to the medication with the steroids and then reintroduce the Zelboraf later next week.  I wish his immune response would attack the melanoma and not his joints 🙁 

I think Zelboraf is a miracle drug and I sure hope your husband doesn't have these severe side effects.  Jeff was using icy hot and ibuprofen when things were more manageable.  Also, it seemed like the pain would move from one spot to another and was worse after a very active day running around with his kids.  So, tell your husband to take it easy and take 3-4 ibuprofen when in pain.  Have him elevate his feet and try the icy hot to see if it helps.  Good luck and keep us updated on his progress.

Take care,

Bridgette (Jeff's Mom)

Hi Nancy,

My son is on Zelboraf – or should I say he was on Zelboraf? He just went in for a third consultation with another oncologist (in case he has progression on this medication) and the doctor  took one look at his swollen joints and pulled him off the medication.  He is now on a low dose of steroids!   He could hardly walk, had a fever, his joints were swollen and very tender to the touch.  His right ankle was so swollen they had to x-ray it to see if it was broken.  He was in terrible pain and ibuprofen wasn't helping.  They want to "tamp" down his autoimmune response to the medication with the steroids and then reintroduce the Zelboraf later next week.  I wish his immune response would attack the melanoma and not his joints 🙁 

I think Zelboraf is a miracle drug and I sure hope your husband doesn't have these severe side effects.  Jeff was using icy hot and ibuprofen when things were more manageable.  Also, it seemed like the pain would move from one spot to another and was worse after a very active day running around with his kids.  So, tell your husband to take it easy and take 3-4 ibuprofen when in pain.  Have him elevate his feet and try the icy hot to see if it helps.  Good luck and keep us updated on his progress.

Take care,

Bridgette (Jeff's Mom)

Hi Nancy,

My son is on Zelboraf – or should I say he was on Zelboraf? He just went in for a third consultation with another oncologist (in case he has progression on this medication) and the doctor  took one look at his swollen joints and pulled him off the medication.  He is now on a low dose of steroids!   He could hardly walk, had a fever, his joints were swollen and very tender to the touch.  His right ankle was so swollen they had to x-ray it to see if it was broken.  He was in terrible pain and ibuprofen wasn't helping.  They want to "tamp" down his autoimmune response to the medication with the steroids and then reintroduce the Zelboraf later next week.  I wish his immune response would attack the melanoma and not his joints 🙁 

I think Zelboraf is a miracle drug and I sure hope your husband doesn't have these severe side effects.  Jeff was using icy hot and ibuprofen when things were more manageable.  Also, it seemed like the pain would move from one spot to another and was worse after a very active day running around with his kids.  So, tell your husband to take it easy and take 3-4 ibuprofen when in pain.  Have him elevate his feet and try the icy hot to see if it helps.  Good luck and keep us updated on his progress.

Take care,

Bridgette (Jeff's Mom)

I'm also taking Zelboraf.  I've been on (and off) of it for 2 months now.  It was right after the one week mark (4 pills twice a day) when I started getting the severe joint pain and muscle aches. I also got a severe rash.  I tried to tough it out for a couple days and took some pain pills and slathered on the hydrocortisone creme.  Finally, it was too much and I went in.  My oncologist took me off Zelboraf for about a week and I took a steroid.  Everything got better and we decided to lower the dosage (lowered to 3 pills twice a day) that I was on.    Again, after about a week I became absolutely miserable and this time my oncologist took me off for only a couple days and lowered my dosage again.  Now I am on 2 pills twice a day and I am doing substantially better.  I still have the joint pain but ibuprofen helps and oddly enough I swear by a vet liniment that's used on horses and smells like icy-hot but is much more effective.  I believe its called Absorbine Veterinarian Liniment and I tell you what, this stuff is amazing!!! My family used it all through our athletic years in high school for anything from a sore muscle to a jammed finger and I use it now and it instantly helps with the joint pain.  Be prepared to smell like the strongest icy-hot ever (I actually like to apply it after I get home from work so I'm not bothering too many people with that strong of a smell all day).  I'm hoping that lowering my dosage won't affect the effectiveness of Zelboraf and my oncologist assures me that he doesn't believe it will be a problem but I know that I would not be able to leave my bed if I was on the original dosage.  And if my scans at the end of the month show that it is working, my oncologist has said that we might try to go back to the higher dosage to really kick this thing in the butt.  My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your husband and I hope you find what works for him. 

I'm also taking Zelboraf.  I've been on (and off) of it for 2 months now.  It was right after the one week mark (4 pills twice a day) when I started getting the severe joint pain and muscle aches. I also got a severe rash.  I tried to tough it out for a couple days and took some pain pills and slathered on the hydrocortisone creme.  Finally, it was too much and I went in.  My oncologist took me off Zelboraf for about a week and I took a steroid.  Everything got better and we decided to lower the dosage (lowered to 3 pills twice a day) that I was on.    Again, after about a week I became absolutely miserable and this time my oncologist took me off for only a couple days and lowered my dosage again.  Now I am on 2 pills twice a day and I am doing substantially better.  I still have the joint pain but ibuprofen helps and oddly enough I swear by a vet liniment that's used on horses and smells like icy-hot but is much more effective.  I believe its called Absorbine Veterinarian Liniment and I tell you what, this stuff is amazing!!! My family used it all through our athletic years in high school for anything from a sore muscle to a jammed finger and I use it now and it instantly helps with the joint pain.  Be prepared to smell like the strongest icy-hot ever (I actually like to apply it after I get home from work so I'm not bothering too many people with that strong of a smell all day).  I'm hoping that lowering my dosage won't affect the effectiveness of Zelboraf and my oncologist assures me that he doesn't believe it will be a problem but I know that I would not be able to leave my bed if I was on the original dosage.  And if my scans at the end of the month show that it is working, my oncologist has said that we might try to go back to the higher dosage to really kick this thing in the butt.  My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your husband and I hope you find what works for him. 

I'm also taking Zelboraf.  I've been on (and off) of it for 2 months now.  It was right after the one week mark (4 pills twice a day) when I started getting the severe joint pain and muscle aches. I also got a severe rash.  I tried to tough it out for a couple days and took some pain pills and slathered on the hydrocortisone creme.  Finally, it was too much and I went in.  My oncologist took me off Zelboraf for about a week and I took a steroid.  Everything got better and we decided to lower the dosage (lowered to 3 pills twice a day) that I was on.    Again, after about a week I became absolutely miserable and this time my oncologist took me off for only a couple days and lowered my dosage again.  Now I am on 2 pills twice a day and I am doing substantially better.  I still have the joint pain but ibuprofen helps and oddly enough I swear by a vet liniment that's used on horses and smells like icy-hot but is much more effective.  I believe its called Absorbine Veterinarian Liniment and I tell you what, this stuff is amazing!!! My family used it all through our athletic years in high school for anything from a sore muscle to a jammed finger and I use it now and it instantly helps with the joint pain.  Be prepared to smell like the strongest icy-hot ever (I actually like to apply it after I get home from work so I'm not bothering too many people with that strong of a smell all day).  I'm hoping that lowering my dosage won't affect the effectiveness of Zelboraf and my oncologist assures me that he doesn't believe it will be a problem but I know that I would not be able to leave my bed if I was on the original dosage.  And if my scans at the end of the month show that it is working, my oncologist has said that we might try to go back to the higher dosage to really kick this thing in the butt.  My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your husband and I hope you find what works for him. 

Sweet Nancy,

Don't worry about crying to me, I sooo know how you feel. Though the reports for my hubby came back with no node envolvement, I had many of the same feelings you  are experiencing. I cudn't imagine life without my hubby Lambert. Ah yes, cried so often. We went from his open heart surgery, quite unexpected, to gout in his elbow, hand and foot to melanoma, in the space of 2 months. We are going to the derm Wed. There are 3 more spots i want checked out. Such a feeling of frusration and helplessness. As we often say, the golden years are such fun.

I remain here an reading the posts, have learned a lot, and don't feel we can consider he is totally  cancer free, it's looking over our shoulder. This site is wonderful, much like a Webmd breast cancer site I was a part of when my daughter had breast cancer at  27, passed away at 33. I still am in contact with some of the women I met and shared that journey with,   10 years later!

Anyway, if you need to cry, scream share, don't hesitate. Hugs, Jean

Sweet Nancy,

Don't worry about crying to me, I sooo know how you feel. Though the reports for my hubby came back with no node envolvement, I had many of the same feelings you  are experiencing. I cudn't imagine life without my hubby Lambert. Ah yes, cried so often. We went from his open heart surgery, quite unexpected, to gout in his elbow, hand and foot to melanoma, in the space of 2 months. We are going to the derm Wed. There are 3 more spots i want checked out. Such a feeling of frusration and helplessness. As we often say, the golden years are such fun.

I remain here an reading the posts, have learned a lot, and don't feel we can consider he is totally  cancer free, it's looking over our shoulder. This site is wonderful, much like a Webmd breast cancer site I was a part of when my daughter had breast cancer at  27, passed away at 33. I still am in contact with some of the women I met and shared that journey with,   10 years later!

Anyway, if you need to cry, scream share, don't hesitate. Hugs, Jean

Sweet Nancy,

Don't worry about crying to me, I sooo know how you feel. Though the reports for my hubby came back with no node envolvement, I had many of the same feelings you  are experiencing. I cudn't imagine life without my hubby Lambert. Ah yes, cried so often. We went from his open heart surgery, quite unexpected, to gout in his elbow, hand and foot to melanoma, in the space of 2 months. We are going to the derm Wed. There are 3 more spots i want checked out. Such a feeling of frusration and helplessness. As we often say, the golden years are such fun.

I remain here an reading the posts, have learned a lot, and don't feel we can consider he is totally  cancer free, it's looking over our shoulder. This site is wonderful, much like a Webmd breast cancer site I was a part of when my daughter had breast cancer at  27, passed away at 33. I still am in contact with some of the women I met and shared that journey with,   10 years later!

Anyway, if you need to cry, scream share, don't hesitate. Hugs, Jean