Am 56 yo. Diagnosed June 26 w/NSCLC in left upper lobe. Told will need lobectomy. In mean time through stress test was discovered to have LAD. Had stent put in. Put on Plavix. Take for month come in be off for a week, then surgery can proceed. Went in and was told to stay on another month thus delaying the lobectomy again. For quite a while have had very intense hot flashed accompanied by feelings of pins and needles in upper body including head and ears. Happens daily and 2-3x a day. Could this be in any way connected to the LC. I know at my age hot flashes are expected but the frequency and the other feelings don't seem to fit. Also having problems with balance when walking.
By the way have not started any treatment for the cancer yet.
Thank you.
A Life 2bbcontinued.
Reply # - September 1, 2012, 04:38 PM
Reply To: Loss of balance and hot flashes with pins and needles
Just to help out here, I did the search... LAD stands for left anterior descending artery. The Plavix is to prevent clots, presumably from the stent, but they would discontinue prior to surgery for the lung cancer.
Hi 2bbcontinued. I'm wondering what other meds you're on that could be contributing to your symptoms, and if you have anything going on in your spine (arthritis, degenerative changes) that could be causing the tingling. It sounds like a nerve problem to me (but I'm no doctor). It might help to keep a journal of your symptoms to show to your doctor the next time you visit.
I'm sorry you're having to delay surgery. I know from experience that the delay can make the anxiety worse, but hang in there. Your doctors are doing their due diligence to make sure you're as healthy as possible before putting you through the lobectomy. Our doctors have to juggle a lot of information and determine which situation needs to be addressed first when we have multiple problems, and I would think that going in to a major procedure with a heart problem would put you at increased risk for complications.
Are you having a thoracotomy or VATS?
There are lots of people here to provide you with support and great doctors who can give you a great education as you proceed. You've found a very good website here. Good luck and keep us posted.
Debra
Reply # - September 1, 2012, 08:06 PM
Reply To: Loss of balance and hot flashes with pins and needles
Your symptoms are pretty non-specific, but if you haven't had brain imaging, I think that would be very helpful to rule out that the balance issues and other neurologic symptoms aren't related to metastases to the brain and/or the meninges lining the brain. Hot flashes could just be related to menopausal changes (if you're a woman), but cancer itself can cause fevers and sweats, so that's possible. I'm not sure what to make of the pins and needles sensation but, as I said above, I think head imaging would be valuable to confirm that the cancer hasn't spread to the brain as an explanation for some or all of your unexplained symptoms. Even if it's negative (no metastases), the scan would provide valuable reassurance. It is often included in a pretty routine pre-operative workup for lung cancer, at least for the cancers that appear anything more than quite early stage, but it would definitely be appropriate in light of your symptoms.
Good luck.
-Dr. West