Coping with fatigue: What are your coping tips?

Sorry for what you are going through. I have prostate cancer and been dealing with fatigue for over a year. I've seen lots of suggestions, posted a couple myself. The fatigue is a very tough thing to deal with. I try to keep moving, that is suppose to help, and I guess it does but having to deal with it day after day is not fun. I apologize for not being able to answer your question, I got a little excited when I read your topic because I certainly want to hear some ideas. Best to all.

I can fully understand what you are dealing with and am sorry. I have been advised to drink energy drinks and I think they help somewhat. I, too, have been advised to walk. It's hard because I used to get up in the morning and walk a mile and a half. Can't do that anymore. I have found that walking around the house is better than trying to walk outside.
I guess there is no magic
Bullet.

Hello @ele and welcome to Mayo Connect. In the Breast Cancer support group, we do have a discussion on this topic. Here is a link to that discussion group,
--Anastrozole Fatigue What Helps?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anastrozole-fatigue-what-helps/?commentsorder=newest#chv4-comment-stream-header
Here you will meet @momo03 and @flowergal . Feel free to post your question, in this group.

Could you share how long you have been taking Anastrozole?

I've been taking anastrosle for 7 months along with ibrance which I take 3 weeks on and one week off
ele

I have been taking Anastrozole for about three months. Some days are fine, some great and others are exhausting. 🥴

@stevecando54

I read the other link in this thread on breast cancer treatment side effects including fatigue. I was treated with 5FU + Avastin for stage 4 appendix cancer and from what I can tell no matter the cancer or the treatment severe fatigue is a standard side effect. I managed to keep working through treatment but if I needed a nap I took it. I didn’t fight it. Eating healthily and moving as much as possible (from gentle walking to yoga and Pilates) really helped me manage the fatigue emotionally and mentally. All the best to everyone

I think this side effect needs to get more attention. I would talk to my oncologist and GP about it and neither of them said it was a really common side effect. I kept thinking, “What’s wrong with me?” and feeling really discouraged.

It wasn’t until I joined a women’s cancer group and discovered that many of them were dealing with this too, that I could start being more accepting and kinder to myself. And just that helps.

The only advice my Oncologist has is to walk and drink energy drinks. May help some, but the fatigue is always present. The hard part is that resting doesn't alleviate it. I'm having trouble accepting this a my new normal. Any ideas

@ele I don't have that medication, but I do take chemo for my multiple myeloma, in addition to being on dialysis every day for kidney disease [not related to the myeloma].

Fatigue seems to be a common thread for almost every cancer patient I know. We muddle through each day, and "bank" our energy as we can to get through activities, right? Sometimes it has to do with the place we are on our chemo schedule, also. Would taking your chemo/medications at a different time of day make a difference, do you think?

Drinking a homemade protein drink [berries, greek yoghurt, almond milk, protein powder] several times a week, staying hydrated, eating healthy [and it's okay to have a cheat day!], don't exhaust yourself but move as much as you feel able to. And really, if you are tired, take a nap! Over the course of time I have found napping or sleeping when exhausted, no matter the time of day, can be a good thing. No, I don't work, or have youngsters to care for, so my schedule is much more flexible. Rarely sleeping more than 3 hours at a time at night, so napping is critical for me.
Ginger

My cancer nurse and oncologist both warned me about fatigue before my treatments started and to get projects out of the way! Also looking on hospital cancer advice pages (as well as being part of group chats on the Belong cancer app) fatigue is a common side effect of cancer treatments, in both men and women.

You are absolutely right this fatigue side effect should be given more emphasis and advance notice.

(Like neuropathy should. I was lucky my treatments didn’t give me neuropathy but those side effects can in some people be even tougher to handle and in some cases can be permanent . Fatigue at least does eventually go away, once treatment stops).