radiation tiredness

hi there.  I don't know the scientific reason it does that, but I can help you, perhaps...

I needed alot more protein during it.  And you need to eat small snacks, frequently.  Preferably healthy ones.  Tons of water is great, but it does definitely tired you out, and yeah, it is cumulative, unfortunately.

This gets better afterwards.  Sneak naps whenever, wherever you can...think of it as when you were pregnant, if you have been.  you are just a different animal and you have to respect your body.  Now is not the time to exercise heavily, just be moderate.  I slept 10+ hours a night and afterwards, it took perhaps 3 months or so until my energy came back.

Some women do fine, some adjust,some do not.  I didn't but I just kept on putting one foot in front of another and we do get thru it.

Good luck to you and PM me if I can help you further.

I agree with irish47: the radiation damages and kills cells, and your body has to work hard to repair/replace them.

I was hungry during rads, but I don't know if it had a physical cause, or I just wanted "comfort food." At any rate, eating well is a good idea, as is drinking lots of water.

I had very little fatigue during or after rads: I walked 6 miles or cycled 10 miles every day. My rad onc said that her patients who exercised had very little fatigue. I did have a small amount, mostly in the evenings: one minute I'd be sitting in my recliner watching one of my favorite TV shows, and the next thing I knew, I'd be waking up  

I would have sworn that I didn't have any decrease in energy during rads, but 2 weeks after I finished, I did notice a slight increase in energy. This tells me that I must have had a decrease that was so slow that I didn't notice it. 

I think that people who have had chemo before rads might be more likely to have fatigue, but I'm not sure about that.

Good luck,

adrienne 

Yes, I've been told we do get radiation sickness.  Some of the effects depend on what is getting irradiated.  If it's the left side it can be due to rads hitting the stomach. 

My rad doc said I shouldn't be getting nauseated after only half the treatments when I complained - unless the stomach was in the field.  On looking at the pictures, sure enough, there was the fundus of the stomach, getting the full 65 grays!  He gave me Zofran.

Another thing that happens is that often when the ribs, and maybe the stomach, are getting hit, we gel low blood counts - red and white.  We can take iron for the red, but there's nothing for the white.  In some cases, like mine, the low white count is permanent.

I was told that it was because of the damage to the red blood cells which carry the oxygen to your organs.  That is why they do blood tests every week while doing tx.

Hi everyone, 

 I too was surprised at how tired I would feel all of a sudden. I have small children, and just couldn't play like I always do with them. The fatigue hit me like a ton of bricks sometimes. I have three more treatments left, and my rad onc told me that the real fatigue comes at the end, even after you have finished treatment. I'll let you know!! 

Can anyone tell me if they have experienced that in addtion to being fatigued that they feel unbalanced and dizzy? I have repeatedly explained this to my doctor and he had no explanation. It is awful and i feel like no one understands what I am going through

I am exhausted, absolutely flattened.  I am ok for a few hours after I get up and it's downhill after that. I have had 19 zaps so far and haven't had any blood tests done either but going to ask about having one done Monday.

I think I have 10 treatments left... I've started to feel fatigued.  I sleep about 9 hrs a night, which is normal for me in the winter, but usually I sleep less once the weather warms up... but my body is still in "winter mode"! 

I'm not sure if this is my imagination, coincidence, etc., but I feel like my cold tolerance has decreased since starting radiation.  That is, even more than usual, I can't STAND being cold - I wear socks all the time, and drive with the windows up after the car has been baking in the sun because I like the warmth, and I can't bring myself to take cooler-than-usual showers because I need it hot, and if it's even the slightest bit chilly or windy out I get grumpy and instead of simply putting on more layers before going for my daily walk, don't want to walk at ALL.  I'm not sure if all of this is due to the fact that I've spent the month living in my parents dark, drafty, old farmhouse, or if it's actually related to radiation somehow.

From my experience with 6 1/2 weeks of Rad treatments in which I completed 6 weeks ago --

I developed a dry cough about 2 weeks into treatment because of getting radiation to the mediastinal lymph node area.  By the end of 6 1/2 weeks, I was feeling very tired BUT not as tired as when I went thru Chemo.  

The Rad Oncologist told me that Radiation is accumulative and that the peak is usually 2 weeks after treatment ends and then I should start going up hill from there.  She was right-- as far as my skin burning was concerned.  The fatigue was still there after 2 weeks post Rads and at that time I had been placed on Prednisone (steroid) for the cough I had and also placed on Vit. D3 50,000 units per week due to the 25 level I showed on my blood screen.

3 weeks post radiation -- I all of a sudden woke up one day and felt almost like my self before all of my cancer treatments!!  I'm not sure if it was from taking Prednisone or Vit. D3 or just my body starting it's healing process.  My prayer throughout all of my treatments was that God would protect my body and every healthy cell from every poison and radiation treatment given and that in the end-- I would be healthier than I have ever been in my life.  I am definitely more wiser and appreciative of Life now!

Loretta

I have 3 weeks of rads left anf I hope fatigue doesn't get me. I have a daughter graduating from high school and we are having her graduation party memorial weekend at our house and the next day oldest daughter's baby shower. I hope I will be one of those that don't get fatigued. Cleaning my house in itself is going to take a month....

MariannaHB- 13 mile bike ride,and housework, wish I had half of your motivation.