Re; still stay tired is that normal

hounddog

hello I went through Chemo treatments April - June of 2003 and Find out that I still stay tired . Is that normal . I take walks but it seems like I do not have any energy what so ever. Does any one have these problems at all.
marilyn

lmk59

Have you had your hemogloban/iron levels tested? Mine had dropped really low when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and then during chemo they went lower. I was really tired all the time. My oncologist had me take iron pills and if that didn't work to raise my levels I was going to have to have IV iron. I'm not quite up to the normal range but am getting there just taking the pills. 2 1/2 months out of chemo.

KathiM

I think it's time to take a serious look at what you are eating. I had to change my diet big time with my colon cancer, to fresh fruits/vegies, low fat, limited beef. And WATER! Also, I am taking a daily vitamin. Nothing special, just a one-a-day for women formula. Makes me feel better. Also, I sleep when I'm tired in the evening, even if it is 7pm.

Hugs, Kathi

KathiM

KathiM said:

I think it's time to take a serious look at what you are eating. I had to change my diet big time with my colon cancer, to fresh fruits/vegies, low fat, limited beef. And WATER! Also, I am taking a daily vitamin. Nothing special, just a one-a-day for women formula. Makes me feel better. Also, I sleep when I'm tired in the evening, even if it is 7pm.

Hugs, Kathi

Hehehehehe....noting the posting time, this was OBVIOUSLY NOT one of those nights....

Hugs, Kathi

kathydaly

Hi Marilyn, I wasn't told that anything was low or high, and I really do eat healthy, I even stopped drinking 2 yrs after Dx('91)but I can tell you I was still badly tired /exhausted at this point that you're at. I hesitate saying this, but, I really didn't feel back to "normal" until I hit my 5 yr mark. I did of course talk to my oncologist about it but.......iron pills and calcium and vitamin pills for women....were the same suggestions I got, they just didn't do the trick for me, I only wish they had.

This is just what happened to be true for me.
A couple of my family members may tell you I am still not normal, hehe!

My baby was in nursery school "93 and "94(born in '90) from 9-2, I would do like 1 or 2 errands after dropping him off, come home right away and fall sound asleep on the family room couch. I would then have to drag myself up off it to pick him up by 2. This was not every day, but a lot of them. It was awful, mucho guilt for not really being there for him and mucho guilt over what was wrong with me. It just took me a long time to come back.

I still don't know why, but it just did.

I am so sorry you seem to be going through something similiar, but I believe it will pass for you, as it did from me. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and if you can't, go to bed! Do what your body is telling you to do, if at all possible. I came to think of sleeping as healing time.

I could only do 1 thing on the weekends, I learnt and stopped schdeduling 2 things for me.

I will be praying for you as I do for all of us. Just try and give yourself permission to rest and sleep, A nice big (((((Hug))))) for you from me, Kathy

Susan956

After getting your blood tested, ask your Onc if it could be caused by a low heart ejection ratio. A lot of us lost some heart function temporarily due to the chemo. Mine went close to being as low as when they diagnois people with Congestive Heart Failure. I finally had to stop taking Herceptin.

But the deal is if you have a low heart ejection ratio it takes a long time for it to return to normal. Mine took almost 1 year. This may not be an issue for you... but it is an easy check to do (An echocardiagram) if the Onc thinks this could be an issue. They have drugs that can help if this is part of the problem.

((((( Hugs))))))

Susan

Future

Are you on tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. Fatigue can be side effect of both, I know I've discussed the issue with my oncologist and she says for some folks it just doesn't seem to resolve until you complete the meds. I do the multivits, exercise, try to eat healthy but still have some days where I could fall asleep at my desk.

cabbott

I hate to be the one to mention that depression can also cause fatigue and is VERY common with all cancer survivors, but I don't see it in your other messages. Looking back on my last few years with cancer, I can see that that were times I could have been considered clinically depressed had I been screened. I fought even being screened since that seemed like another thing going wrong in my life and I had had enough of being sick just with the cancer treatment. Of course, if the treatment is affecting brain chemistry and a pill for depression corrects the brain chemistry, I could have prevented a lot of problems by asking for help. Eventually exercise and time did the trick for me, but if that isn't working you might consider talking to the oncologist about screening you for depression as well as the other problems folks mentioned. Best of luck! I'll be praying for you.
Carol