What are the causes of lymphoma pain?
Patient: I used to be a heroin addict. I was prescribed suboxone for 2 or 3 months by an excellent psychiatrist. I am now clean and have been for almost a year. The porblem is that I have been diagnosed with lymphoma. The pain is pretty intense, and I have 3 lymph nodes suspected to be cancerous, all are very painful. 2 separate growths have not been fully evaluated, and are not painful. The prescription monitoring program shows my doctors that I have been prescribed suboxone in the passed, and Ive already told my doctors about my passed addiction anyway. Now because of the suboxone, I cannot recieve pain medications. If I can, the doctors I have been to do not feel comfortable giving it to me. My problem is that the pain is so intense that I need a pain medication to be able to live day to day. I cant do normal things such as walk my dog, go any places that require long periods of walking... etc. Its also worth noting that I have chosen not to recieve chemo, or radiation therapy. I cant afford it, plus I dont want to live the last year or so of my life too nauseous to be happy in the case that chemo does not work. Doctors do not want to do surgery, they say the risk of the cancer spreading is to great being that I am not receiving treatment. My question to you: What do I do? Tramadol is all my doctor is willing to prescribe and that does absolutely nothing for me. Ive been on a full range of NSAIDs in every safe dosage and I have had no relief. Am I going to have to suffer until I die? Or should I find a new doctor? Doctor: Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.First, the lymphoma needs to be diagnosed and treated. A biopsy is going to be involved. Most lymphomas are not painful.The lymphomas can invade other organs, and that is painful, but it is also treatable. A lot of things can look like lymphoma. However, it is not fatal and entirely treatable.The most common in this context is an immune reaction to hepatitis that causes localized collections of immune cells that cause painful localized inflammation around blood vessels (vasculitis). Treat the virus, treat the inflammation. HIV associated lymphomas need special treatment.Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.