Chemo - a restless, irritable kind of tired, anyone?

BioAdoptMom
BioAdoptMom Member Posts: 358
in Breast Cancer #1
I just finished my second T/C on Friday afternoon and the fatigue which hit on Sunday was the same as last time, not a restful kind of "I can just crawl into bed and fall asleep kind of tired", but one of anxiety, restlessness and irritability. It's like I am so tired, want to go to bed and sleep, but I can't, not totally at least. I would sleep, wake up an hour or two later and just feel so irritable. I did finally for the first time last evening take come Klonopin my doctor had prescribed and that helped, a lot. Except for two bathrooom breaks through the night, I woke up and went right back to sleep. I will definitely take it next time, right off the bat soon as I feel tired, but was wondering if anyone noticed that it was hard to rest when the fatigue hit, at least without some help? It lasted both times for about 24 hours.

Nancy

Comments

  • pinkflutterby
    pinkflutterby Member Posts: 615 Member
    #2
    I am the same way the night
    I am the same way the night of treatment, I think its the steriods they give us in the pre-meds. I usually fall asleep because I am so tired, but wake up and toss & turn all night!! very annoying!!!!
  • skipper54
    skipper54 Member Posts: 936 Member
    #3
    many sleepless nights
    I spent hours on the couch so my husband could sleep while I tried to read and fall asleep. There were hours during treatment, especially with Taxotere that I just paced 'cause my skin just felt all "creepy" or something. The good news is that it goes away.
  • smilingdeb
    smilingdeb Member Posts: 50
    #4
    skipper54 said:

    many sleepless nights
    I spent hours on the couch so my husband could sleep while I tried to read and fall asleep. There were hours during treatment, especially with Taxotere that I just paced 'cause my skin just felt all "creepy" or something. The good news is that it goes away.

    Same for me too
    My doctor gave me sleeping pills and anxiety pills and I slept like a baby. One time I ran out of my anxiety pills and was just taking my sleeping pills and I could not sleep. The med would make me sleeply but my mind would not shut down so it was not allowing for the sleeping pill to work. That went on for a few days so I went back to taking both and I do not having a problem sleeping. Might want to give that a try and see if it helps.

    Good luck and my heart is with with you,
    smilingdeb
  • poplolly
    poplolly Member Posts: 346
    #5
    I have definitely found it
    I have definitely found it difficult to sleep well. Some of it may be the fear and worry in the back recesses of our mind. Sometimes I try really hard to relax and sleep, and after a while I get mad and just get up!
  • Cinkal
    Cinkal Member Posts: 161
    #6
    I usually have to take
    I usually have to take something the first couple days after chemo to help me sleep. The steroid gets me all hyped up. The fatigue hits me about day 5 . I have no problem sleeping on those days.
  • BioAdoptMom
    BioAdoptMom Member Posts: 358
    #7
    Thanks for your suggestions
    Thanks for your suggestions and advice. This time I will go ahead and take the Klonopin right away when I start feeling exhausted. That usually hits about 36 hours after treatment ends and boy, its a miserable feeling!

    Nancy
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #8
    BioAdoptMom said:

    Thanks for your suggestions
    Thanks for your suggestions and advice. This time I will go ahead and take the Klonopin right away when I start feeling exhausted. That usually hits about 36 hours after treatment ends and boy, its a miserable feeling!

    Nancy

    Well, my evil twin "nikki" showed up during my
    my chemo treatments and refused to leave. My poor husband and family endured months of my various mood swings - crying, and confusion due to chemo brain.

    Insomnia became a way of life for me -- so I slept when I could (did not work during chemo treatments) - and walked the halls of my home in the evenings.

    My Oncologist did prescribe a anti depressant for me -- I resisted, but eventually gave in and started taking effexor -- I nixed the idea of a sleep aid -- (if I had to do it again, I would of filled that sleep aid Rx).

    Please.. please ..please do what is best for you, your body, schedule, family -- no need to suffer in silence with any side effort!

    Strength, Courage and Hope

    Vicki Sam
  • dbhadra
    dbhadra Member Posts: 344 Member
    #9
    VickiSam said:

    Well, my evil twin "nikki" showed up during my
    my chemo treatments and refused to leave. My poor husband and family endured months of my various mood swings - crying, and confusion due to chemo brain.

    Insomnia became a way of life for me -- so I slept when I could (did not work during chemo treatments) - and walked the halls of my home in the evenings.

    My Oncologist did prescribe a anti depressant for me -- I resisted, but eventually gave in and started taking effexor -- I nixed the idea of a sleep aid -- (if I had to do it again, I would of filled that sleep aid Rx).

    Please.. please ..please do what is best for you, your body, schedule, family -- no need to suffer in silence with any side effort!

    Strength, Courage and Hope

    Vicki Sam

    had the same feeling
    I had the same feeling many times when I was getting my weekly chemo. Steriods got my hyped up, but chemo got me tired - body didn;t know which way to go.

    When I had weekly Taxol I was getting 10 mg of steriods - after talking with the doctor about the sleep problems - I was up at 5 am EVERY morning - they cut it in half to 5 mg. Now, with the FEC, I'm back up to 10 mg but only every three weeks.

    I take Adivan or Xanax for about 10 days post-chemo because of the sleep problems. It's a horrible feeling to be so tired but not able to "switch off". I worried a bit about getting hooked on the anti-anxiety stuff but then figured I never had trouble sleeping before chemo, and hopefully will not again once chemo is over - so need to use what I need right now to get the rest my body needs.

    Hope you get some relief soon,

    Laura
  • Susiestn
    Susiestn Member Posts: 13
    #10
    dbhadra said:

    had the same feeling
    I had the same feeling many times when I was getting my weekly chemo. Steriods got my hyped up, but chemo got me tired - body didn;t know which way to go.

    When I had weekly Taxol I was getting 10 mg of steriods - after talking with the doctor about the sleep problems - I was up at 5 am EVERY morning - they cut it in half to 5 mg. Now, with the FEC, I'm back up to 10 mg but only every three weeks.

    I take Adivan or Xanax for about 10 days post-chemo because of the sleep problems. It's a horrible feeling to be so tired but not able to "switch off". I worried a bit about getting hooked on the anti-anxiety stuff but then figured I never had trouble sleeping before chemo, and hopefully will not again once chemo is over - so need to use what I need right now to get the rest my body needs.

    Hope you get some relief soon,

    Laura

    Thought I was the only one...
    I've had 3 of my four rounds and am so exhausted.. I can barely do more than one or two things a day without having to go home and rest but even napping doesn't take away the tired feeling. My arms and legs are so sore and I'm so irritable, ready to bite anyone's head off. I'm so tired of being sick! I feel like this is never going to end. Just needed to vent!
  • Susiestn
    Susiestn Member Posts: 13
    #11
    dbhadra said:

    had the same feeling
    I had the same feeling many times when I was getting my weekly chemo. Steriods got my hyped up, but chemo got me tired - body didn;t know which way to go.

    When I had weekly Taxol I was getting 10 mg of steriods - after talking with the doctor about the sleep problems - I was up at 5 am EVERY morning - they cut it in half to 5 mg. Now, with the FEC, I'm back up to 10 mg but only every three weeks.

    I take Adivan or Xanax for about 10 days post-chemo because of the sleep problems. It's a horrible feeling to be so tired but not able to "switch off". I worried a bit about getting hooked on the anti-anxiety stuff but then figured I never had trouble sleeping before chemo, and hopefully will not again once chemo is over - so need to use what I need right now to get the rest my body needs.

    Hope you get some relief soon,

    Laura

    Thought I was the only one...
    I've had 3 of my four rounds and am so exhausted.. I can barely do more than one or two things a day without having to go home and rest but even napping doesn't take away the tired feeling. My arms and legs are so sore and I'm so irritable, ready to bite anyone's head off. I'm so tired of being sick! I feel like this is never going to end. Just needed to vent!

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