Doxil Fatigue?? Anyone have it? How did you deal with it?

Lisa13Q

Hello everyone.

Mom and I going in for her 2nd infusion of Doxil tomorrow am. She has great counts and no foot/hand syndrome but she is experiencing extreme fatigue.... She says her head is fuzzy and she just doesn't have any get up at all.. She is not depressed or even disheartened, just wanting to have more oooph..has anyone had this issue? Any tips or pointers?

BonnieR

no fatigue
Hi Lisa, I am glad to read your mom's counts are staying good and no hand foot syndrome. I did not have fatigue when on doxil, in fact that is one of the things I liked about it. A few questions, is she staying hydrated .. this can cause all the affects you have mentioned if not and may need extra fluids, or for me it is that my blood pressure is staying way too low and again extra fluids do help this. have you talked to her medical team about it yet? She may need to see her regular to help her figure it out.

Hugs ♥ Prayers Bonnie

clamryn

Some Fatigue
Hi Lisa,
I am 62 years old and I am currently on Doxil. I have had 7 infusions. During this time I have had some fatigue but not extreme. Before that I was on Taxol. When I was on the Taxol, the fatigued definitely was more extreme. As far as dealing with the fatigue, I would just rest for about 2 days and then I would be back to my old self. The Doxil defintely is much better for me. Not many side effects. I have had the hand/foot syndrome but I can deal with that. I would ask her doctor.

Hugs to you and your mom.
Linda

LPack

doxil
Lisa,

I still feel good being on Doxil. My 2nd infusion is Monday, but my clinical nurse called yesterday and already I have low white count, so one shot of Neupagen yesterday, one today and blood work tomorrow. Can you believe it? One infusion into the trial - guess 3 months off did not help my bone marrow too much!☺

I have been able to do most what I want to do with the first infusion. Actually the shot yesterday gave me more symptoms than doxil did!!

No hand/foot for me either. I would tell the medical team just how extremely fatigued she is.

Keep me updated!!

Love,
Libby

Lisa13Q

LPack said:

doxil
Lisa,

I still feel good being on Doxil. My 2nd infusion is Monday, but my clinical nurse called yesterday and already I have low white count, so one shot of Neupagen yesterday, one today and blood work tomorrow. Can you believe it? One infusion into the trial - guess 3 months off did not help my bone marrow too much!☺

I have been able to do most what I want to do with the first infusion. Actually the shot yesterday gave me more symptoms than doxil did!!

No hand/foot for me either. I would tell the medical team just how extremely fatigued she is.

Keep me updated!!

Love,
Libby

Thanks Bonnie, Linda and Libby
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, Bonnie, you are correct, Mom is a bit dehydrated and low in sodium, so she is taking her horsepills everyday even though she hates them. I cut them up for her today and put them in a pill scheduler thing so she can't cheat either. Her red counts are also a little low, but she declined a neulasta shot. Says she'd rather wait for her counts to fall below 8, and get a transfusion. Her onc agreed with you Libby. She thinks that the Neulasta is too tough on the body. The Oncologist talked to her for awhile and then my mother started crying and talked about how scared and worried she is, and after talking she seemed to feel better. Lots going on. She's doing very well today for her second infusion. Love to you all.....

sanam

Lisa13Q said:

Thanks Bonnie, Linda and Libby
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, Bonnie, you are correct, Mom is a bit dehydrated and low in sodium, so she is taking her horsepills everyday even though she hates them. I cut them up for her today and put them in a pill scheduler thing so she can't cheat either. Her red counts are also a little low, but she declined a neulasta shot. Says she'd rather wait for her counts to fall below 8, and get a transfusion. Her onc agreed with you Libby. She thinks that the Neulasta is too tough on the body. The Oncologist talked to her for awhile and then my mother started crying and talked about how scared and worried she is, and after talking she seemed to feel better. Lots going on. She's doing very well today for her second infusion. Love to you all.....

Dear Lisa
I was reading your
Dear Lisa

I was reading your post and consider that your mom is considering the neustela shot for red cell count.As far as I know these shots are for WBC not RBCs.
Just check this out not to make the wrong choice.
Hug

Lisa13Q

sanam said:

Dear Lisa
I was reading your
Dear Lisa

I was reading your post and consider that your mom is considering the neustela shot for red cell count.As far as I know these shots are for WBC not RBCs.
Just check this out not to make the wrong choice.
Hug

Thanks for that information
I wonder what shot they were going to give her?? whatever it was, her onc did not want her to have it....she doesn't advocate for those as she thinks the side effects can be pretty rotten. Mom is feeling better today...I think some of her fatigue comes from emotional exhaustion and going back on chemo. Her recurrance hit her very hard as it did all of us. In fact, the news of the recurrance was worse for me than the initial diagnosis. Thanks so much for responding though. I appreciate it tremendously.

LPack

Lisa13Q said:

Thanks for that information
I wonder what shot they were going to give her?? whatever it was, her onc did not want her to have it....she doesn't advocate for those as she thinks the side effects can be pretty rotten. Mom is feeling better today...I think some of her fatigue comes from emotional exhaustion and going back on chemo. Her recurrance hit her very hard as it did all of us. In fact, the news of the recurrance was worse for me than the initial diagnosis. Thanks so much for responding though. I appreciate it tremendously.

shots
Neulasta and Neupogen are for white counts, Neumega for platelets and Procrit for red counts. Can be confusing, but as long as the doctors are not!!!