Is this why I feel more tired than I used to?

Options
Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited October 2019 in Just Diagnosed
Is this why I feel more tired than I used to?
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Dixie02
    Dixie02 Member Posts: 85
    edited October 2019

    Hey, all. I was told on Friday that I have breast cancer. I have an MRI on the 22nd., and I meet with my doctor on the 25th to discuss treatment. My mind is racing. I'm hoping some of you can answer some questions. Would breast cancer be the cause of me being more tired than usual? I've always been an energetic person, but I've been feeling much more lazy than ever before. A couple of months this year I've wondered if I was borderline anemic. Could depleted energy be the effect of cancer? Or am I just getting old? :)

    Also, would breast cancer have an effect on my menstrual cycle? My cycle has always been regular until this year. I did have my first period at a younger age than others, so perhaps that's just an age thing as well.

    How does breast cancer make you feel? Or does it generally have no effect?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • TB90
    TB90 Member Posts: 992
    edited October 2019

    Dixie02: We should start a thread on the symptoms we had as soon as being diagnosed with cancer. Every ache, pain, headache and other symptom is suddenly enhanced and an indicator of advanced disease. I had horrible headaches and remember being prepped for my mastectomy and wishing that all I had to deal with was breast cancer. I was convinced I had brain cancer too. We all have these stories and experiences. Wish I could convince you and bring you relief now. But it is a process we all have to go through.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MichelleW
    MichelleW Member Posts: 10
    edited October 2019

    Dixie02 - I remember being very tired before being diagnosed, but I generally have low energy level. Stress is a very strong energy zapper. I think I knew subconsciously even before having the abnormal mammo and US that something was wrong. The diagnosis and waiting for biopsy results, etc completely drained me. So your low energy could be due to worry. I also had pains in my breast, kind of sharp and even under my arm. Try to get extra sleep if you can...I know everyone says it but exercise really does help, especially being outdoors. I remember feeling better after going for a walk, a quick bike ride, etc.

    TB90 - do you remember when the headaches went away? were they due to stress?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited October 2019

    I felt great last year, better than I'd felt in years. I had lost quite a bit of weight, and assumed that's why I felt good. Then the breast cancer was found, and right before surgery, another type of cancer (which partially accounted for the weight loss). Even with a lumpectomy, re-excision, and a nephrectomy in a three-month span, I felt mostly really good once I was past the initial surgical recovery. This year, I'm technically healthy but I feel like crap. I think it's the Tamoxifen.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DATNY
    DATNY Member Posts: 358
    edited October 2019

    Yes, fatigue is the most common symptom of cancer.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dixie02
    Dixie02 Member Posts: 85
    edited October 2019

    Oh, I didn't explain myself well enough. I was feeling tired before the diagnosis. So much so that I thought my iron levels were low, or my age was finally catching up with me. I suppose I was wondering if I would feel more like my old self once I beat this, or if breast cancer has no effect on me in that capacity.


    MichelleW, I too feel pain where my lump is located. I stopped googling my symptoms because I'm still in the beginning phase of not knowing everything yet.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • TB90
    TB90 Member Posts: 992
    edited October 2019

    Michelle: The headaches went away when I stopped worrying about them. Might have been weeks later though. When I get a symptom that I worry about, the symptom intensifies until I stop worrying about it. It starts off being physiological and then becomes psychological. This has happened since BC. How many of us feel better instantly after getting a clear scan or whatever. This is torturous for those of us who are anxious. I have fought this my entire adult life. Different from hypochondria as I am easily reassured by specialists. I overcame this until BC reminded me of my vulnerability. Hugs to all of us.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rrshannon
    rrshannon Member Posts: 117
    edited October 2019

    Both times I was diagnosed I had more energy than other tomes in my life. In fact right before I was diagnosed this last time i was feeling the best I had in 3 years of dealing with back issues.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2019

    Looking back to last fall I was starting to feel very tired and worn down, and depression was creeping up. I thought it was due to not recovering from work stress/not having a vacation for some time/living in a stressful city. But I was fine when we did go on vacation a few months later. Then back to a really stressful six months at work and then exhaustion over the summer. Thought I was just getting older and needed a new job but hey, guess it was cancer. Makes a lot more sense now.

    Im just coming to the end of the diagnosis whirlwind and through the breakdown crying jags, getting to appointments, and stress of the unknown I've been dead tired. But I realized that and cut myself some slack, noted the time periods when I was most vulnerable to being upset (and planned for distraction or a short pity party), and learned how to measure out my energy levels to get through it.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Rah2464
    Rah2464 Member Posts: 1,647
    edited October 2019

    Unusual fatigue is one of the symptoms that pushed me to get diagnosed. My fatigue is different now but I believe primarily due to the Tamoxifen I take. I definitely have bursts of energy that come through. As another poster said exercise does help mitigate some of the medication and treatment side effects. Your body is working very hard to defend itself, makes sense that some of that fatigue is related to that energy process. Sorry you are having to join us - take one appointment at a time, one step at a time. Rest when you need to. Hugs

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MountainMia
    MountainMia Member Posts: 1,307
    edited October 2019

    Dixie, I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Yes, it's pretty mind-blowing, so be gentle on yourself as you're going through these first weeks of diagnosis and getting a treatment plan.

    Yes, I was extra tired prior to my diagnosis. I had a minor illness in 2014 that was a few months to resolve, and remember how tired I was. Early this year prior to my diagnosis I mentioned to my husband more than once that I wondered if something was wrong with me, it reminded me of 2014.

    While I believe my tiredness was related to the cancer, I also know there's no way to tell for sure.

    Good luck. We are here to support you.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Ingerp
    Ingerp Member Posts: 2,624
    edited October 2019

    I gotta say I had zero symptoms with BC--no pain, no fatigue, . . . . It seems like hormonal changes might be a more likely reason for what you're experiencing. I don't know how old you are, but perimenopause can go on for 10 years, and getting older comes with a host of not-great physical changes.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories