extreme fatigue/weakness

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ts542001
ts542001 Member Posts: 56
edited July 2019 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

first i feel i must acknowledge all you wonderful women out there, just "being" there and helping me (and the rest of us) just be being supportive, answering questions and acknowledging us!!!! thanks.

i havejust finished 5 RT treatments i guess around 8 days ago or so. i guess the doctors dont really want to "scare" us. but initially i was told that there is a small area with lots of cancer in the vertebrae that would give me significant pain relief if they radiate. needed to have that done. i was in so much pain. no where did it ever occurr to me that my back pain was cancer and not spinal stenosis that i've had for years...anyway that "small" area turned out to be from L4-S3, which to me seems like a lot of area to radiate. with lots of potential side effects, now that its more behind me, i actually am starting to feel the tininest bit better, and that is such a good feeling, light at the end of the tunnel....

but now, they decided they are going to radiate an area a bit above the initial areal, again i was told it's not big, turns out not big is T9-L2 (or 3). the actual "real" radiation is starting tomorrow, 5 more treatments. mostly for pain relief. dont know if they could have done all the radiation at the same time, or would that hve been too much for my body???? who knows, but truthfully i am feeling hopeful now that the treatment is at least 1/2 way done, so moving on....

and NOW i am truly looking forward to starting "real" hormone treatment. at least i will feel like i am taking some anti estrogen treament and that the cancer cells being "fed" estrogen and growing will at least slow it's growth and hopefully i can get a handle on stablizing the tumors. started letrazole, got zometa and will start ibrance a week after the radiation is done.

so after my quick summary above, i am really tired, fatigued and just plain weak. i am actually having a lot of difficulty walking up stairs to my bedroom, has anyone here had physical therapy to start them back up on strenghtening muscles. i keep thinking that would be a way to go? my MO doesnt want me starting PT right now, she wants some more healing of the cancer in the bones, i do get that, but i really feel so debilitated at times that i would like help as quickly as i can get it....i also feel that just being able to walk around the supermarket, even if its "just" to get some bread and and protein sources for sandwiches by myself, will make me feel so much more independent...

i am going to wait another week or so and get a script for the PT.

again thanks for just being there and listening....

ts542001

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  • JFL
    JFL Member Posts: 1,947
    edited July 2019

    Sounds rough. The only radiation I have had is Y90 liver radioembolization. I had a lot of fatigue after one side of my liver was done but not the other. It just took some time. Up to a month in my case. The interventional radiologist who performs the procedure prescribes a week of prednisone after the surgery. I was so amped up it was scary - too much energy from the prednisone - but it did make the first week much easier to handle. The fatigue didn't set in until the prednisone course was over. I doubt prednisone is indicated for spinal rads though. Unfortunately, it is probably time that will improve your circumstances. Your MO is right about healing your bones, at least to some extent. However, in the mean time, you could try to do some walking (even if it is only across the room or around the house periodically if that is all you can handle), very gentle stretching of leg muscles and other important or tight muscle groups and try to remain as active as possible. I was in very bad shape with bone mets when I was diagnosed and could barely walk 4.5 years ago. My bones were swiss cheese throughout my body. However, keeping as active as I could under the circumstances (which was not very active in the beginning but did slowly but surely increase over time), definitely helped. Some light exercise, only up to what you can tolerate, may help. Baby steps and take one day at a time. I have lost and regained muscle throughout this journey and increasing routine, daily activity does a lot for increasing muscle mass. Once normal activity levels are regained, then you may want to get into more specific exercise or physical therapy. However, if you are not up for all of your normal activities right now, physical therapy may not be the most useful at this point.

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  • Traii
    Traii Member Posts: 1,138
    edited July 2019

    I had radiation to hip, back and chest at the same time.

    I felt worse from that than I did with my sciatica pain that I lived with for 1 year before this diagnosis and actually felt worse after radiation! I have a high pain tolerance but this pain made me walk like a penguin in agony 😏 I felt sore all over, constantly battling fatigue!

    I'm happy to say about a month out I felt normal again, walking and shopping !!

    The only pain I do get now is from the bone injection and Letrozole which is much variable but it's there! Stiff joints especially in morning.

    It does get better & your independence is just around the corner. Best of luck 🙂

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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited July 2019

    i have been on several dif chemos since getting my stage 4 diagnosis, reocurred after about 8 years. Fatigue is a constant, i go to bed about 8 and not counting nitetime trips to bathroom, i generarlly get up around 8. Should be enough sleep but wow, it is not like i do lots during the day......

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  • JFL
    JFL Member Posts: 1,947
    edited July 2019

    There are also medications that are prescribed by MOs off-label for treatment-induced fatigue - wellbutrin, provigil/nuvigil and addrall/ritalin. I have had good results from both wellbutrin and provigil/nuvigil in the past. Wellbutrin started working the first afternoon I took it. I recall provigil kicking in pretty quickly as well. I started to notice a difference in my fatigue/sleepiness/energy levels immediately. If this is impacting your quality of life on an ongoing basis, I would suggest talking to your MO or better yet, the palliative care doctor at your cancer center (if your center has one). I take wellbutrin for chemo-induced fatigue now. I am not sure if I would be able to work full time and run after my 4 year old without it.

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