fatigue and thirst

LaCh
LaCh Member Posts: 557
in Anal Cancer #1
I'm about to start day 3 (meaning that I've had the mitomycin infusion and have been on the 5FU pump for just a little less than 3 days) but started to feel the full brunt of fatigue last night. Also experiencing unusual (not excessive but unusual) thirst. Has anyone else experieced this? Will report both to the medical onlcologist later today when I go to swap out this pump for the refill but just wanted to hear others' experiences.

Comments

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #2
    Thirst
    I don't remember excessive thirst.
  • Marynb
    Marynb Member Posts: 1,118
    #3
    LaCh
    You should have a bottle of clean water in your hands at all times. I was told that I needed to stay hydrated at all times. You should be drinking lots of water! I think the fatigue may be due to your lack of solid sleep at this point. Try to get 8 hours of sleep each night.

    Hang in there!
  • eihtak
    eihtak Member Posts: 1,473 Member
    #4
    Thirst....
    Although I tried to drink plenty of water I maybe did not get enough because I definately remember excessive thirst. It got to a point were I just couldn't quench it and was always munching on ice chips or some form of frozen fruit bar. It seemed to last for me through most of radiation. Never did develop any form of mouth sores though so that was good. There is some kind of hard candy I think made my Halls??? that is advertised as being for dry mouth...may help??? Good luck on a smooth treatment/recovery, we are all thinking of you and others.
  • LaCh
    LaCh Member Posts: 557
    #5
    Marynb said:

    LaCh
    You should have a bottle of clean water in your hands at all times. I was told that I needed to stay hydrated at all times. You should be drinking lots of water! I think the fatigue may be due to your lack of solid sleep at this point. Try to get 8 hours of sleep each night.

    Hang in there!

    marynb
    Not sure. I drink 3 liters every day (I've done it for years) and got 10 hours sleep last night. I'm seeing the medical onc this afternoon and will mention it to him. I'm really exhausted and this is only day 3.
  • LaCh
    LaCh Member Posts: 557
    #6
    eihtak said:

    Thirst....
    Although I tried to drink plenty of water I maybe did not get enough because I definately remember excessive thirst. It got to a point were I just couldn't quench it and was always munching on ice chips or some form of frozen fruit bar. It seemed to last for me through most of radiation. Never did develop any form of mouth sores though so that was good. There is some kind of hard candy I think made my Halls??? that is advertised as being for dry mouth...may help??? Good luck on a smooth treatment/recovery, we are all thinking of you and others.

    eihtak
    Frozen fruit bars sound like a good idea. I'll see if I can get some, thanks. I drink 3 liters of water a day, I've been doing it for years but something feel sout of whack; I'll speak to the med onc this afternoon when I go to sawp out the 5FU pack for the refill. Thanks.
  • Marynb
    Marynb Member Posts: 1,118
    #7
    LaCh said:

    eihtak
    Frozen fruit bars sound like a good idea. I'll see if I can get some, thanks. I drink 3 liters of water a day, I've been doing it for years but something feel sout of whack; I'll speak to the med onc this afternoon when I go to sawp out the 5FU pack for the refill. Thanks.

    LaCh
    Just make sure that it is not citrus fruit. You don't want acidic foods. I was told to avoid vitamin C also. If you are getting plenty of water, try biotene mouth wash for dry mouth. Glad your sleep is improving. Yesterday you said that you had not been sleeping, so that is a good improvement!

    Looks like the weather is cooperating for you too. It is quite mild this week!

    Hang in there! You are doing great!
  • pializ
    pializ Member Posts: 508 Member
    #8
    LaCh
    Best to run it past Onc. As we have said, we are all different in our responses. I bet if we used a tick list we would have some common responses, but there would then be others not so common. Hope you are managing OK with your dog walks.
    My pump is just the one. No refills. It's a nuisance trying to bathe with it though. Still it's not for long! I get mine off on Saturday. I have a PICC line, so use a waterproof arm covering to go in shower when not plumbed into chemo pump. I found that really helpful.

    Liz x
  • LaCh
    LaCh Member Posts: 557
    #9
    pializ said:

    LaCh
    Best to run it past Onc. As we have said, we are all different in our responses. I bet if we used a tick list we would have some common responses, but there would then be others not so common. Hope you are managing OK with your dog walks.
    My pump is just the one. No refills. It's a nuisance trying to bathe with it though. Still it's not for long! I get mine off on Saturday. I have a PICC line, so use a waterproof arm covering to go in shower when not plumbed into chemo pump. I found that really helpful.

    Liz x

    pializ
    yeah, I called the office because I wanted to make sure he was there when I got there (just to swap out the pack) and he said to come in at 3:30 instead of 4. I'm thinking, Jeeze, this is just day 3. How am I going to feel at weeek 3? Week 5? 6? I'm sure he'll do some bloods to see what's going on. I just feel like pure crap at the moment. With regard to the dog walks, I just took him out and although it's a gorgous, springlike day here, I just sort of ran out of gas and came home after a very short while. I don't have a picc, I have a port and it's killing me; I can't wait to get the needle taken out on Friday. I think I'm going to call the dog walker even though my dog doesn't have to "go" but I want him to have more time outside in this nice weather.
  • geneviasue
    geneviasue Member Posts: 89
    #10
    I was very thirsty Week 1
    Lach,

    I was so thirty. I couldn't seem to drink enough. I thought of it like this. If my body was telling me I was thirsty, I should listen. I recommend sipping on fluids all day. I drank only water or ginger ale. I also experienced dry mouth during week 1. I used a Biotene spray and rinse for that.

    Hope this helps.

    Gigi
  • LaCh
    LaCh Member Posts: 557
    #11
    geneviasue said:

    I was very thirsty Week 1
    Lach,

    I was so thirty. I couldn't seem to drink enough. I thought of it like this. If my body was telling me I was thirsty, I should listen. I recommend sipping on fluids all day. I drank only water or ginger ale. I also experienced dry mouth during week 1. I used a Biotene spray and rinse for that.

    Hope this helps.

    Gigi

    geneviasue
    Hey, that's good to know, at least I'm not the only one. As I mentioned, I make it a point to drink 3 liters of water every day (and have for a long time), so feeling thirsty on top of that seemed a little odd. But it's good to know that someone else experienced the same thing as well. Thanks.

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