finished chemo - leg fatigue and stiffness

anaumann
anaumann Member Posts: 60 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
I had my last chemo one month ago today!! The last two treatment were difficult with finger numbness and pain and leg fatigue. I could barely walk up a flight of steps or around a block. My legs are still very weak and stiff as if I did too much excersise. Fingers are a bit better but I appear to be loosing two nails.

Should these symtoms be improving soon? I am beginning to taste food again!!! I just want to be my old self again.
ann

Comments

  • joannstar
    joannstar Member Posts: 403 Member
    #2
    My last chemo was
    1/9/11 and I've completed 33 rads on 4/1. I notice that my hips and legs ache which I've been attributing to being overweight. It is the same kind of ache that happened after each neulasta shot. Sometimes I can hardly lift my foot/leg enough to go up the stairs. I mentioned this to my onc, but again, said it is probably from being overweight--but I've been this weight before and didn't have this feeling...
    So you are not alone.
    Maybe we just need more time.
    JoAnn
  • butterflylvr
    butterflylvr Member Posts: 944
    #3
    joannstar said:

    My last chemo was
    1/9/11 and I've completed 33 rads on 4/1. I notice that my hips and legs ache which I've been attributing to being overweight. It is the same kind of ache that happened after each neulasta shot. Sometimes I can hardly lift my foot/leg enough to go up the stairs. I mentioned this to my onc, but again, said it is probably from being overweight--but I've been this weight before and didn't have this feeling...
    So you are not alone.
    Maybe we just need more time.
    JoAnn

    Sorry gals no help from me.
    Sorry gals no help from me. I have a slight numbness in my right big toe but other then that I've rebounded nicely. But now that you mentioned it I do have soreness in my knee joints but I have been walking a lot and losing weight. I just attributed it to that and "old age". Maybe some of it is still from chemo?? I haven't started Rads yet so I don't know what JoAnn's going through just yet, but I am sure what we have been through are bodies need time to heal. My last chemo was January 7th.

    We just need to keep our Doc's informed and they will guide us.

    Hugs,
    Lorrie
  • LYaklin
    LYaklin Member Posts: 16
    #4
    Joints and Fatigue
    It's just my theory, but I personally think it's probably a combination of all the drugs pumped into our bodies over a long period of months in addition to the toll these same drugs take on our activity levels during treatment. We've been cooped up in the house for months and months now. I am not over weight and never have been, and yet I still feel the same as both of you. With summer coming, you'll probably get outside more and so will be getting a bit more exercise and will gradually regain your strength. It just takes time.

    My thoughts are with you.

    L
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #5
    Ann
    I had swelling in the legs and hands. The fatigue hit the last couple of chemos. I had 6 rounds of Taxotere/Cytoxan. My PCP gave me Lasix and it worked great for the swelling. For the fatigue just sleep when you can. I started rads 4 weeks later and was more tired each day. I finished Feb 15 and I immediately started to watch my 2 young granddaughters. I try to get as much sleep as possible.
    {{hugs}} Char
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #6
    cahjah75 said:

    Ann
    I had swelling in the legs and hands. The fatigue hit the last couple of chemos. I had 6 rounds of Taxotere/Cytoxan. My PCP gave me Lasix and it worked great for the swelling. For the fatigue just sleep when you can. I started rads 4 weeks later and was more tired each day. I finished Feb 15 and I immediately started to watch my 2 young granddaughters. I try to get as much sleep as possible.
    {{hugs}} Char

    ...
    bumping up
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #7
    Hi Ann - just wanted ot
    Hi Ann - just wanted ot share my experience with you. I finished my chemo in october 2010 -i had 4 rounds of A/C and 2 rounds of Taxotere. I had stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma in my right breast, and chose to have bilateral mastectomies. I was 34 at time of my diagnosis, and in pretty good shape. I walked a mile every day, and have done yoga for 10 years. The chemo hit me very hard, and the fatigue that came with it was debilitating. I slept ALOT, and ended up having to put my 2 year old in daycare while i was having chemo because i couldnt keep up with her during the day while my husband was at work. So for about 4 months i was really inactive, i lost alot of muscle mass, i gained 15 lbs from the steroids i got along with my chemo. Once chemo ended, I was put on tamoxifen. I got terrible joint pain and pain in the tops of my hands. It seemed to get worse the farther i got out from chemo. At first my onc said the pain was due to my body withdrawing from the chemo. But 2 months later & the pain is getting worse, he didn't really give me any answers, but did say that tamoxifen wasn't the cause. Well, i took matters into my own hands, got a 2nd opinion from another oncologist, saw a pain management doctor, and am now in physical therapy. I go twice a week & it is hard and painful but i need to rebuild my core muscles and the muscles in my legs. Before i saw the new doctors it got to the point where i thought i would always feel so much pain, that things would never get any better, i was so depressed. Now im working towards healing, and hopeful towards the future. I hope you get some relief from your pain, best of luck to you.
    *hugs*
    heather

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