chronic fatigue after remission

hello my friends,first time on the forum im a 3 year stage 3B hodgkins lymphoma survivor, i have chronic fatigue daily,since treatment has been over,haven't been able to find any help..I'm in Nashville Tennessee, would their be any doctor here to help me.Priscilla

Comments

  • po18guy
    po18guy Member Posts: 1,509 Member
    Don't know what to say...

    Your marrow has been damaged by the treatment, but far less than the damage the cancer would have done. Most of us deal with varying degrees of fatigue - that is the cost of living. If your blood numbers are within normal range, pulmonry function test within acceptable limits, etc., the problem may not be physiological. There is the possibility than it could even be a form of PTSD. Much of it we must fight through by the force of sheer human will.

  • Sabreen
    Sabreen Member Posts: 1
    Hormones?

    Hi Priscilla - I also was still very tired after chemo ended. I was in chemical menopause after treatment and had very bad brain fog, fatigure, hotflashes, etc. Once they started me on oral contraception tablets (as a form of Hormone replacement therapy - not for contraception), my energy levels were much much better. I think it took less than 2 weeks to start to notice the difference. Have you checked your hormones?

     

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,819 Member
    Tired

    Cell,

    Seven years after 6 months of R-ABVD, I still have severe fatigue, but how can I know that it was from the chemo ? How can you ?   I have also since had a secondary cancer.  Is it the cause ?   I am also nearly ten years older; perhaps that is mostly to blame. A was also crushed in a car crash and did years of rehab, with massive arthritis.  Who knows why I tired; the mystery is why am I alive ?

    There is a phrase in logic and philosophy that is at least Medieval in orgin, if not ancient times: post hoc, ergo, propter hoc .

    As employeed in logic, it is translated "because x occured before y, x caused y."   This is a formal fallacy.  Substituting your particulars, it is "I had chemo, I am fatigued; chemo is making me tired."  Reasonable, but not certain.

    I have found no remedy for serious fatigue -- profound weakness.  The things that will assist with energy in a never-sick person are the some things that assist  a person after chemo.  Eat right, mostly vegetarian, although I do enjoy meat and fish.  Scrooge, in The Ghosts of Christmas Past,had a famous line when he saw the first ghost: "You are but a bit of undigested beef !"  Meat can weigh the body down....

    Stay slim.  Don't ever smoke, or drink much. Exercise, at least walking. Get plenty of sunlight.   All of this will assist some....   I take a Super B Complex daily, which I believe does assist me a little.

    I hope some of these ideas will get you going in the short-term.

    max

  • lindary
    lindary Member Posts: 711 Member
    Super B

    I haven't taken Super B but I am taking B-12 & B-6 supplements. They do help me. I stopped for a few months because I ran out and didn't get around to buying more. I felt good so I figured I didn't need them any more. The last few weeks I have been so tired but it was an article in AARP about how seniors often need to take B vitamin supplements just because their system needs it. I've got more and just started taking them again. Getting older stinks!

  • cilla1982
    cilla1982 Member Posts: 4
    po18guy said:

    Don't know what to say...

    Your marrow has been damaged by the treatment, but far less than the damage the cancer would have done. Most of us deal with varying degrees of fatigue - that is the cost of living. If your blood numbers are within normal range, pulmonry function test within acceptable limits, etc., the problem may not be physiological. There is the possibility than it could even be a form of PTSD. Much of it we must fight through by the force of sheer human will.

    thanks for replying

    thanks so much for replying, I've had labs done they look great,but no other test done...hoping we all feel better in the futureSmile

  • cilla1982
    cilla1982 Member Posts: 4

    Tired

    Cell,

    Seven years after 6 months of R-ABVD, I still have severe fatigue, but how can I know that it was from the chemo ? How can you ?   I have also since had a secondary cancer.  Is it the cause ?   I am also nearly ten years older; perhaps that is mostly to blame. A was also crushed in a car crash and did years of rehab, with massive arthritis.  Who knows why I tired; the mystery is why am I alive ?

    There is a phrase in logic and philosophy that is at least Medieval in orgin, if not ancient times: post hoc, ergo, propter hoc .

    As employeed in logic, it is translated "because x occured before y, x caused y."   This is a formal fallacy.  Substituting your particulars, it is "I had chemo, I am fatigued; chemo is making me tired."  Reasonable, but not certain.

    I have found no remedy for serious fatigue -- profound weakness.  The things that will assist with energy in a never-sick person are the some things that assist  a person after chemo.  Eat right, mostly vegetarian, although I do enjoy meat and fish.  Scrooge, in The Ghosts of Christmas Past,had a famous line when he saw the first ghost: "You are but a bit of undigested beef !"  Meat can weigh the body down....

    Stay slim.  Don't ever smoke, or drink much. Exercise, at least walking. Get plenty of sunlight.   All of this will assist some....   I take a Super B Complex daily, which I believe does assist me a little.

    I hope some of these ideas will get you going in the short-term.

    max

    thanks for replying

    thanks so much for replying,your advice helped alot.☺

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,819 Member
    lindary said:

    Super B

    I haven't taken Super B but I am taking B-12 & B-6 supplements. They do help me. I stopped for a few months because I ran out and didn't get around to buying more. I felt good so I figured I didn't need them any more. The last few weeks I have been so tired but it was an article in AARP about how seniors often need to take B vitamin supplements just because their system needs it. I've got more and just started taking them again. Getting older stinks!

    Componets

    Linda,

    B-6 and B-12 are the primary two vitimans in what is sold as "Super-B Complex" anyway, but they contain a few others.

    I took Vitamin E a lot in the late 70s, it was the rage: people said it prevented cancer. Today, doctors say avoid it, it causes or exacerbates cancer. Todays health salvation is tomorrow's second-hand smoke.  So I don't do a lot of supplements except the Iron and Potassium the oncologist requires me to take, but do use the Super B. As a water soluble vitiman, it cannot build up into harmful amounts, the way some fat-soluble vitamans do.   I'm glad its giving you a bit of a boost, and thanks for sharing,

    max