fatigue is kicking my butt

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JoanDavies
JoanDavies Member Posts: 160
edited July 2020 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

So far I’ve done four rounds to taxotere, herceptin, and perjeta. i am dealing with most of the side effects fine, but the fatigue is decimating. I’ve always been type A go-go-go and now it’s as if i'm walking underwater and every step makes me breathe heavy. Isthis normal? I do have an echo next week to make sure my heart is handling this. Ironically, other than the cancer I’m so freaking healthy it’s not funny. I have two more texotere treatments, then just herceptin and perjeta for a while. Tell me it gets better...

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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited May 2020

    Joan- I don't have the same treatment as you but I'm wondering if you've had recent full blood work? When I started feeling that poorly it was my hemoglobin crashing due to the liver mets. I've had several packed red blood cell transfusions and they made things a lot better. Before that I was out of breath walking down the hall to the bathroom.

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  • Elderberry
    Elderberry Member Posts: 993
    edited May 2020

    Joan - I did 6 of Taxol, H&P. I was always the Ever Ready Bunny and dragging my ass around was no fun. Loved ones all said I was still going at Warp Speed -- yeah, maybe --- but it was Warp Two, not Warp Nine . My blood work ways always okay as were my Echos. Both still are. I am now doing just H&P and it does get better....for me at least. I sometimes feel a bit bagged after infusion but no more than perhaps a day. Even that isn't bad fatigue. I can function. I hope you will do well off Taxotere. Having chemo brain fog go away and getting my hair back did much for my emotional head space. Now with "Stay At Home" I have to speed around inside the house. Too bad I cannot seem to convert that energy to major house-keeping.

    Keep us posted on your echo.


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  • nopink2019
    nopink2019 Member Posts: 329
    edited July 2020

    I too have major fatigue, peaking toward the end of my 21 days on Kisqali (ribociclib). MO prescribed ritalin 5mg (1 morning, 1 afternoon). She said several of her patients take it 2 weeks, then off 2 weeks. Seems to help, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to space out thyroid meds w/Kisqali, lexapro, ritalin, blood pressure med. Anyone figured out best time of day for Kisqali? How does your time of day help you with side effects?
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  • Spookiesmom
    Spookiesmom Member Posts: 9,568
    edited July 2020

    I’m on ibrance, and my get up and go, got up and left. Was never the Energizer Bunny, this was ridiculous. Mentioned to MO, next lab showed B12 deficiencies. Daily pill has helped immensely.

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  • Chico
    Chico Member Posts: 196
    edited July 2020

    I am over 3.5 years on I/L plus Xgeva. My WBC & RBC are always very low but not low enough to need an extra week off. I don’t have the energy I used to have but then again I am still very active and living a decent although “new” normal life. However just recently I have felt more washed out and like spookiesmom have found my B12 at the low end of normal. I am a vegetarian so I have requested a b12 supplement from the doctor and will start that on Monday. As this should boost my RBC I don’t know why I and indeed my Onc didn’t think to sugges it sooner. I shall report back if it makes a difference.

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  • JoanDavies
    JoanDavies Member Posts: 160
    edited July 2020

    Thank you for sharing your experiences. It seems a lot of the fatigue is caused by the Taxotere. Now I’m just on herceptin and perjeta, so it’s not quite so bad, but I will still get just worn out for no reason. It seems to be a side effect of most of our treatment plans, as well as the cancer itself. All of my counts are good and I don’t seem to be low or deficient on any vitamins. So I’m learning to slow down, even though that’s not what I had in mind at this point in life! We have to just keep pushing through, right

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  • Anotherone
    Anotherone Member Posts: 633
    edited July 2020

    Joan, when have you finished taxotere ? Must have been very recent.


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  • JoanDavies
    JoanDavies Member Posts: 160
    edited July 2020

    Anotherone, about 6 weeks ago. I did 6 rounds, which I’m guessing takes a while to clear out of the system. My nails are still messed up. Good news is my scans were clear, so the chemo did what it was supposed to! :

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  • Anotherone
    Anotherone Member Posts: 633
    edited July 2020

    I must say I was disappointed in still having fatigue , breathlessness, vaginal dryness , what looks like weight loss (definitely not gain), what feels like unstable heartbeat, ulcers and crusts in my nose and muscle crumps after finishing chemo in February. (H&P only now as well)

    Partial ( or may be almost full) explanation of my issues may be a sudden forced menopause from chemo.😕

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