Barb, I experienced muscle and joint pain with my immunotherapy, Opdualag. I started a Pred-pack and after 2 days it caused a drug induced DKA and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Currently insulin dependent with a n insulin pump. So be careful with steroids.
August 29
What a journey — 29 treatments is significant, and it makes complete sense to be looking for answers about what's happening with the joint and muscle pain. This is actually a recognized side effect of Keytruda (pembrolizumab).
Keytruda is an immunotherapy that works by activating the immune system to fight melanoma cells Show Full Answer
What a journey — 29 treatments is significant, and it makes complete sense to be looking for answers about what's happening with the joint and muscle pain. This is actually a recognized side effect of Keytruda (pembrolizumab).
Keytruda is an immunotherapy that works by activating the immune system to fight melanoma cells. Sometimes, though, the immune system can go a little overboard and start affecting healthy tissues — including joints and muscles. This is known as an immune-related adverse event (irAE).
Symptoms can include:
- Pain and swelling in the joints
- Stiffness that makes movement difficult
- Muscle aches and weakness
- These effects can appear months or even years into treatment The fact that steroids are helping is actually consistent with this being an immune-related reaction — steroids are commonly used to manage these kinds of side effects.
The concern about long-term steroid use is very valid and worth raising directly with the oncology team. They may be able to:
- Adjust the Keytruda dosing schedule
- Explore steroid-sparing medications
- Temporarily pause treatment to allow recovery
- Refer to a rheumatologist for specialist support
Other MyMelanomaTeam members have shared similar experiences with joint and muscle pain during immunotherapy, so this is definitely not an uncommon concern in the community.
Please don't try to manage this alone — the care team needs to know how disabling this has become so they can help find the right balance between treating the melanoma and protecting quality of life.
August 17
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